Maximizing Virtual Team Performance in the Construction Industry

RT-326 developed and distributed a survey and analyzed the survey data on virtual team performance in the construction industry. This was followed by conducting several case studies among CII member and non-member companies with further input from virtual team experts in the industry. This resulted in RT-326 identifying 21 virtual team KPIs which were separated broadly into three categories:  (RS326-1, p. 9)

• Technology (9 VT KPIs)
• Team (7 VT KPIs)
• Process (5 VT KPIs)

Table 1 summarizes all VT KPIs by category, along with their prioritized weightings in descending order. The team then developed implementation guidance for virtual teams to employ to improve upon each KPI.

 All teams experience barriers and the following barriers were identified as being significant for virtual teams. (RS326-1, p. 12)

• Technology and connectivity issues
• Difficulty reading visual cues
• Leadership requirements
• Team and individual accountability
• Lack of engagement and trust
• Lack of procedures for virtual teaming

The VIRTUOSO Tool (Figure 1) allows users to anticipate the performance level of a virtual team by determining scoring for Technology, Team, and Process categories using a PDRI-based metric on the basis of the VT KPI priority weightings identified in the AHP process. An implementation equalizer allows for comparing VT KPI scores against the maximum possible score and customizing the output implementation guide that the tool produces for improving the virtual team performance for each KPI.  (IR326-2, p. 5)

The development of the VIRTUOSO Tool was validated using a survey distributed among project managers of 19 high performing and 17 poor performing virtual teams. It evaluated whether the anticipated performance assessment provided by the VIRTUOSO Tool in Technology, Team, and Process correlated with project performance variations (i.e., baseline, high, and breakthrough performance). The validation survey found that technology measures, while necessary for virtual teams, did not have strong associations with performance.  (RR326-11)