Influence of briefing clarity on construction projects: a fuzzy hybrid simulation approach

Predicting brief clarity and assessing its impact on project performance at an early stage of the project delivery can aid in mitigating possible cost overruns and delays. However, this is extremely challenging because of two main issues: the complexity of multiple interrelationships between factors influenced by the briefing process, and the lack of data at the early stage of the project delivery. This study proposes a hybrid simulation approach that addresses these issues and models the influence of briefing clarity on project cost and time performance. This was achieved by developing a system dynamics (SD) model of the briefing process. The initial brief clarity is predicted using a fuzzy control system. The fuzzy outcomes were compiled into the SD model, and the obtained hybrid model was validated. Finally, the model was applied to refurbishment projects to evaluate its efficiency. The implication for the refurbishment projects shows that by clearly defining the brief, it significantly reduces the detailed design and construction cost and duration. The results confirm that the proposed hybrid method can be effective in evaluating the impact of briefing clarity on project performance, particularly at an early stage where there is a lack of project data.