The VDC Scorecard: Evaluation of AEC Projects and Industry Trends

The VDC Scorecard was created to provide AEC professionals with a holistic, quantitative, practical and adaptive approach to evaluate and track VDC performance. The scoring covers the four major Areas of VDC Planning, Adoption, Technology and Performance, and the overall score is measured on a percentage scale that reflects the project performance relative to the industry’s practice. As current research is primarily based on case-studies and anecdotal findings, data-based understand of VDC performance and related factors is a major drawback. Hence, the motivation for this paper was the need to understand evolving VDC performance and adoption patterns, based on a verifiable data-collection.
CIFE researchers have compiled a data-collection of 108 unique project cases, and over 150 VDC Scorecard evaluations. These pilot projects from 13 countries are diverse in facility type, contract type, delivery method, duration, and project phase during which the evaluation is conducted. This paper will explore the distinctive correlations, trends and patterns exhibited by the 108 pilot projects and critical findings on common VDC practices that enhance or hinder project performance. Statistical analysis of the scoring results was used in establishing correlations between the VDC Scorecard Areas and sub-Areas, termed as Divisions.
The primary results are related to the importance of, the formalization of VDC among project stakeholders, establishment of qualitative and quantitative objectives, involvement of stakeholders in early project phases, level and number of VDC applications use, appropriateness of model Level of Development, tracking and fulfillment of VDC objectives and the project teams’ attitudes toward VDC.

The writers would like to thank acknowledge the contribution of the following individuals as former CIFE researchers: Min Song, Julian Gonsalves, Catherine Aglibert, Ella Sung, Justin Oldfield, Richard Tsai, Anthony Zara, Rith Yoeun, Michelle Kim, Ali Ghaemmaghami and Linda Brown. The writers would also like to acknowledge the input of the students who enrolled in CEE 212 and CEE 259 at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Stanford University in 2010, 2011 and 2012.