Civil Engineering Association

Construction Management in Japan - notes from a short visit

This report gives some informal notes on management of construction in Japan, as seen by the eyes of myself, the Norwegian author, after a two-week study tour in May-June 1999. The two first chapters describe my understanding in forehand, and were written before the travel and sent to the people I was going to visit.
The introductory chapter ZZ is summarising the management topics my Institute and especially myself have concentrated on since the 1960’s. It clearly shows how different epochs of management focus topics have passed by over time. It should also indicate how a research institute as a foundation in a small country as Norway is central in developing practical management tools and applications in direct co-operation with the individual actors in the construction industry itself.
The following chapter ZZ describes the knowledge of Japan achieved before the visit. It includes a listing and short abstract from literature on construction management in Japan, which I have read and used as a baseline for the chosen study topics. I have focussed on the Japanese differences from concepts and methods known from Norway and other Western Countries. Little information was found in the literature about any systematic R&D on construction management concepts, aiming at increasing the effectivity and efficiency as such. The chapter ends with a description and listing of topics for further questioning during the visit.
ZZ is a chapter describing day by day the performed visits. The minutes for each day indicate all the main topics being treated. Each host provided information about his working area, and somewhat illustrated other relevant areas. The presentations given were of great value, and extracts is utilised directly or indirectly in the report. Discussions were deepest in the smaller fora, that means in the institutes and universities. I met representatives of many parts of construction, but was missing subcontractors and mediumsised enterprises. As the hosts represented different actors or interests in the construction sector the information gathered supplemented each other rather well.
ZZ is a chapter where a great deal of my prepared questions are
enlightened. But also quite a lot of questions or details were not discussed, due to the limited
allowable time or the actual fora I met. One other important reason is of course that many
problems seen from a Norwegian angle are not relevant at the time being in Japan – and vice
versa. The chapter is structured under a great number of headlines, each representing a sort of
conclusion or finding. An overview based on adjusted headlines is as follows:

CONTENDS:
Preface......................................................................................................................................3
Content.....................................................................................................................................4
1. Summary........................................................................................................................5
2. Norwegian baseline for the study ..................................................................................8
3. Preparations and studies before the travel ...................................................................10
4. Visits, presentations and excursions............................................................................19
5. Study results and conclusions ......................................................................................44
6. References, literature....................................................................................................53
Appendix. Programme for Mr. Odd Sjøholt .........................................................................55