The role of location in existing project management structures

Position Paper 1 proposes a matrix project breakdown structure for construction project management. First, it outlines a brief history of the development and purpose of project management processes. It then suggests an alternative solution to the problem of location related data repetition in project management processes. The Work Breakdown Structure, a fundamental of project management, provides a method for assigning work packages, through a decomposition based on hierarchical 'parent and child' segmentation of the total project, to the lowest level of decomposition. Construction requires the consideration of location in the decomposition process. Location-based thinking advocates that location be explicitly managed. Traditional project management includes location within the hierarchical breakdown of project deliverables. It is possible to remove location into its own location breakdown structure (LBS) and thus greatly simplify the remaining WBS. Combining the two differently focused breakdown structures into a WBS/LBS matrix can provide a new container for project data at the intersections, requiring a great deal less repetition and effort. Thus, location-based thinking will provide the basis for new work breakdown decomposition models such as work/location breakdown matrices for infrastructure projects.