Go/No-Go Decision Making in Construction Projects
This paper examines the go/no-go decision-making process as applied to a Design-Bid-Build office building project in Auburn, Alabama. Written from the perspective of a medium-sized general contractor, it outlines four key decision points: evaluating architectural design specifications against Alabama's Building Code, assessing available resources and project timelines, determining the company's technical expertise relative to competing bidders, and weighing bidding costs against potential fees. The paper also presents a decision flowchart designed for an owner's representative to systematically evaluate and select the most qualified general contractor, distinguishing between new contractors without a performance record and established contractors with documented project histories.
- Introduction to Go/No-Go Decision Making: Overview of go/no-go decisions in modern construction
- Go/No-Go Analysis in Design-Bid-Build Projects: How go/no-go analysis applies to Design-Bid-Build delivery
- Key Decision Points for the Auburn Office Building Project: Four evaluation criteria for the Auburn office project
- Contractor Selection and the Decision Flowchart: Owner's flowchart for selecting the best general contractor
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper applies a practical, industry-specific framework (go/no-go analysis) to a concrete scenario, grounding abstract decision criteria in a real project context.
- It progresses logically through four numbered decision points, making the argument easy to follow and demonstrating structured analytical thinking.
- The inclusion of a decision flowchart shifts the perspective from contractor to owner's representative, showing the student's ability to consider multiple stakeholder viewpoints.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied analysis — taking a theoretical business decision framework and translating it into specific, sequenced evaluation criteria for a real-world construction scenario. Each decision point is justified with reference to industry practice and cited sources, connecting practical judgment to scholarly and professional literature.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a general introduction to go/no-go decisions in construction, then explains the Design-Bid-Build delivery method and its three phases. The core section works through four decision points specific to the Auburn project. The paper then shifts perspective to the owner's representative role, presenting a decision flowchart for contractor selection. A reference list closes the paper.
Introduction to Go/No-Go Decision Making
As the general contractor of a medium-sized firm, one of the most important decision points in construction is the go/no-go decision. Go/no-go decisions have become common in the modern construction industry because of the changing marketplace, which has in turn generated complex procurement choices. In light of this changing marketplace, construction companies face new challenges in identifying the most suitable project proposals to adopt and in developing vetting measures that help make the appropriate go/no-go decision (Illia & Rubin, 2014). Despite the complexities of such decisions, go/no-go decisions remain crucial choices in this sector because of their significance in weighing costs for the most appropriate project fit.
Contractors need to conduct a go/no-go analysis in order to determine the best project fit depending on project specifications and needs. The analysis serves several purposes, including acting as a process for researching and collecting information when there is insufficient data to make the most suitable decision. Additionally, a go/no-go analysis helps in exploring different approaches to the project, examining the project's impact on resources, relationships, and other factors, and identifying significant opportunities and risks relating to project implementation.
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