The application of knowledge management practices in the procurement and construction of cleanroom projects

Many of the world's largest biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies have established production facilities in Ireland in recent years. The country's leading contracting firm, Sisk have developed an expertise in constructing these facilities through the management contracting procurement route. Identifying the sector as a major growth driver, the company has established a bio-pharmaceutical division as part of their corporate strategy within the past year. The procurement of these facilities is complicated, highly regulated and knowledge-intensive. The identification and sharing of this knowledge within Sisk has been hindered by a lack of interaction between members of live projects. The proposed research concentrates on the application of knowledge management (KM) practices to one aspect of such projects; the procurement of cleanrooms through the management contracting route. This paper focuses on a review of literature related to cleanroom construction, management contracting, and KM. In order to identify the key issues related to the procurement of cleanrooms, action research has been adopted as the research strategy. The proposed methods include interviews with members of Sisk's bio-pharma division, a pilot knowledge exchange seminar within a focus group framework and an evaluative questionnaire. In terms of contribution to the current body of KM in construction, the development of a framework for sharing knowledge across simultaneous construction projects is a key objective of the research. The intention is that this exercise shall highlight the benefits of a formal KM approach, in addition to the potential for applied academic research in industry.