Modelling the Flow of Projects Through an Architects' Office

Abstract

There are many types of organization which have to deal with very variable workloads of project-like activities. They include research laboratories, design organizations and advertising agencies as well as O.R. departments. Their characteristic problem is that of avoiding over-run on due dates and on costs.

This is a case study of architects' offices but the other comparable complex queueing systems present similar problems. A simulation model has been developed called OFFice SIMulation. Experiments with the model applied to building design offices have provided new insights into the running of such offices. Also they have raised a number of general questions indicating the dangers of deterministic attitudes in the management of this type of system. These questions are concerned with (i) the trade-off between elapsed time and resources, (ii) loss of formal unified control at the top in favour of informal independent responses at the bottom, (iii) long transient times to introduce change, (iv) loss of the usual benefits of large-scale operations.