An automated partnering monitoring system—Partnering
Temperature Index
Sai On Cheung
*
, Henry C.H. Suen, Kevin K.W. Cheung
Department of Building and Construction, Construction Dispute Resolution Research Unit, City University of Hong Kong,
83 Tat Chee Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, PR China
Abstract
Partnering has become an important approach for construction project management and there exists a wide range of tools to
facilitate the implementation of partnering in construction projects. However, there is a lack of attention in terms of the
assessment of partnering efforts. Appropriate actions can be taken if there is a systematic approach to monitor the status of
partnering performance. In this connection, a Partnering Temperature Index (PTI) to measure the partnering status is proposed.
By making use of the Internet technology and database, PTI can be monitored on-line, hence saving much time and expense if
collection and retrieval of data are performed manually. As such, an Internet based automated partnering monitoring tool,
named the Partnering Temperature Index Automation Suite is developed. The Internet based PTI Automation Suite enables data
input by the project participants at any time and place and the project administrator can perform data analysis on-line. Graphical
presentations of data are also built in to assist management to identify problem areas. The PTI Automation Suite can be
extended to incorporate other key performance indicators to serve as a total project management tool.
D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Partnering Temperature Index; Internet; Database; Performance indicators; Partnering
1. Introduction
Partnering is now being regarded as an important
project management approach to enhance project
performance through improved working relationship
[1–4]. It is widely used in the delivery of construction
projects in countries such as the USA, UK, Australia,
and Hong Kong [4–7]. The practice of partnering in
construction in the last decade has greatly improved
the working relationships between clients and con-
tractors; the use of partnering is intended to transform
the traditionally confrontational construction culture
to one that is based on trust and openness. To
accomplish the desired intents, various forms of
partnering tools have been developed, including
workshops, review meetings, team-building exercises,
incentives, and social functions. The main purpose of
these tools is to align the contracting parties’ objec-
tives to a common goal so as to create a more
cooperative and effective project team [2]. In respect
of literature on partnering, there exists extensive
research studies on the applications, suitability and
efficacy of partnering [8–10]. These researches all
have portrayed a wide range of benefits from the
implementation of project partnering [11,12].Some
0926-5805/03/$ - see front matter D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0926-5805(02)00108-5
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +852-2788-7603; fax: +852-
2788-7612.
E-mail address: bcsoc@cityu.edu.hk (S.O. Cheung).
www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon
Automation in Construction 12 (2003) 331–345