Model-Based Benchmarking for Healthcare Projects: System Requirements and Demonstration

As a proven technique for improving project performance, benchmarking is regarded as a crucial component of a mature project delivery. However, it is generally accepted that incorporating benchmarking into an organization's routine is a cumbersome and time-consuming endeavor because it requires a variety and vast amount of project information that is typically manually provided by project stakeholders. Furthermore, existing benchmarking systems do not generate critical benchmarks in real time, which results in reactive rather than proactive strategies to support performance enhancements. To address the aforementioned shortfalls, this research proposes a model-based benchmarking framework which leverages information stored in 3D models. This research focuses on healthcare projects which were benchmarked using a comprehensive list of performance metrics developed by the Construction Industry Institute (CII) in collaboration with a number of leading healthcare organizations. To achieve our objective, model contents were analyzed to explore the types of geometric and attribute data contained in 3D models by investigating a series of models collected from several healthcare organizations. The outcomes of content analysis were used to develop software requirements necessary to create a model-based benchmarking system. The requirements are further illustrated in mock-ups of a prototype system. The model-based benchmarking system will enable real-time benchmarking which can be efficiently implemented with less manual inputs.