PREBID AND PRECONSTRUCTION PLANNING PROCESS

Construction planning systems have been the subject of research, devel opment, and implementation for the last several decades. Most studies have focused on planning tools and techniques, and not on the planning process itself. This paper presents the results of a research project that examined how construction planning is actually done at the prebi d and preconstruction planning stages. The data were gathered through personal in-depth interviews conducted with experienced, competent pro ject managers and other functionaries in leading, progessive United St ates construction companies. Construction planning was examined by fou r principal measures: the degree of involvement in the planning proces s; the proportion of plan issuance; the relative planning effort in va rious functional plans; and the formats used for issuing plans. The fi ndings suggest that the practice of construction planning differs from what is commonly accepted and supported by the existing literature.