Communication Management in Field Monitoring in Urban Subdivision: a Case Study

Érick Fernando Botelho do Prado; Liliane Pires Andrade

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602861

Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Summary

Communication in civil construction projects is fundamental for monitoring execution, especially in urban subdivisions with multiple stakeholders. The study aimed to structure the communication process in the execution phase of an urban subdivision, considering the informational needs of stakeholders and a model for collecting, organizing, storing, and providing data to support monitoring and decision-making. Applied, descriptive, and qualitative research was conducted through a single case study in a development in Jaguaquara, Bahia. The analysis included documents, execution monitoring tools, telemetry records, and workflow observations. The model was applied between March and April 2026. The results revealed limitations in the previous informational flow, especially regarding standardization, integration, and traceability. The implemented solution incorporated parameterized data, linkage to the Project Breakdown Structure, centralized storage on Microsoft OneDrive with access control, and partial automations in Excel/VBA. During the application, registration gaps, overlapping activities, and machinery location discrepancies were identified, along with qualitative indications of greater organization and traceability of the flow. Although the short application period and the qualitative nature did not allow for attributing causal effects or generalizing the results, the model demonstrated potential to support execution monitoring and communication among stakeholders in the analyzed context.

Keywords: Information management; Information quality; Traceability; Operational records.

1. Introduction

Communication is an essential component in project management, as it facilitates the circulation of information, responsibilities, and decisions among all involved parties. More than just transmitting messages, effective communication in projects involves organizing and making useful data available for monitoring activities and for decision-making. The Project Management Institute (PMI, 2025) recognizes communication as a cross-cutting element of project work, with particular relevance in interactions with “stakeholders”, during the execution and monitoring phases. In construction ventures, this need intensifies due to the large amount of information generated simultaneously by various agents.

The civil construction sector is characterized by the interaction of professionals with varied assignments, different levels of responsibility, and distinct information needs. When records are incomplete, scattered, or do not reach those responsible in a timely manner, execution monitoring requires additional searches, checks, and manual consolidations. Communication failures can be associated with delays and quality problems in construction projects (Abdallah et al., 2024). Although digital technologies expand the possibilities for recording, integrating, and sharing information, their benefits depend on how they are incorporated into organizational processes and user needs (Adekunle et al., 2024).

In urban subdivisions, information management involves complex interfaces with public bodies, utility companies, technical teams, and other agents related to the development’s implementation. In Brazil, Law No. 6.766/1979 establishes requirements for urban land subdivision, covering infrastructures such as rainwater drainage, water supply, sewage disposal, electricity, and circulation routes (Brazil, 1979). Therefore, the records produced during execution must meet both internal monitoring needs and the verification of activities carried out before external agents.

The mere existence of records, however, does not guarantee their usefulness. To effectively support management, information must be fit for the purpose for which it will be used. The quality of information involves its fitness for use, not just its accuracy (Wang and Strong, 1996). In infrastructure projects, the integration between work processes and information management favors greater reliability and efficiency in data use (Goonetillake et al., 2023). Thus, a correctly filled data point may have limited managerial value if it remains isolated or cannot be related to other project information.

In the analyzed venture, the monitoring of execution utilized various sources, such as Daily Construction Reports, machinery operation forms, time sheets, and telemetry records. Although these instruments contained relevant information, there was a need to relate them in a more structured way, associating the records with the executed activities, the data origin, those responsible, and the needs of the “stakeholders”. The literature indicates that precise and up-to-date information, shared digitally, can support planning, monitoring, and collaboration in construction projects (Lota et al., 2022). However, in the studied context, the managerial and empirical issue persisted: how to organize the different execution records in a manner compatible with the informational needs of the agents involved.

The research was justified by the possibility of bringing field data closer to the information needed for project monitoring, seeking to understand which information was essential, who used it, and how existing records could be organized and related. This approach aligns with the integration between processes, user requirements, and digital resources, as discussed by Adekunle et al. (2024) and Goonetillake et al. (2023). Given this context, this study aimed to structure formal communication in the execution phase of an urban subdivision in Jaguaquara, Bahia, guided by the informational needs of the main internal and external “stakeholders”. To this end, it sought to identify the “stakeholders” related to monitoring the execution and their information needs, characterize the flow of data collection, organization, storage, and dissemination, structure its reconfiguration, and qualitatively compare the previous flow with the solution applied in the studied period.

2. Material and Methods

The research was applied in nature, with a descriptive and qualitative approach, and was conducted through a single case study. This strategy allowed for an in-depth examination of a contemporary phenomenon in its specific context, using different sources of evidence and delimiting the unit of analysis (Mtisi, 2022; Saunders et al., 2023). The results were interpreted contextually, without any claim of statistical generalization.

The unit of analysis consisted of an urban land subdivision enterprise located in Jaguaquara, Bahia, Brazil, which was in the execution phase during the study period. The research scope covered the communication, registration, and monitoring processes directly related to the construction monitoring. To ensure ethical considerations, the institutional Ethical Considerations Form (ECF) was completed, and its result indicated that the project did not require submission to the Research Ethics Committee (CEP).

The data collection combined documentary analysis and observations of the workflow and registration instruments. The documentary analysis was limited to documents and instruments directly linked to the Jaguaquara undertaking, covering records from October 2023 to March 2026. A total of 165 Daily Construction Reports (RDOs) and 1,264 machinery operation forms were considered.

Additionally, telemetry records, timesheets, schedules, cost controls, and other management records of the undertaking were collected. Documents from other undertakings were excluded to maintain focus on the case studied. Telemetry records were compared with operation forms to verify the coherence between the declared activity, hour meter or odometer variations, and equipment location, according to the literature (Rao et al., 2022).

The workflow observations, associated with the functional assignments of the “stakeholders”, supported the identification of informational needs and the understanding of the use of records in the context of the work. The documents allowed an examination of how execution information was recorded, organized, stored, and used before the intervention proposed by the study.

The analysis was conducted in five stages, grouped into two methodological axes. The first axis, named diagnosis of the flow and informational needs, comprised the identification of the “stakeholders” related to the monitoring of the execution and their informational needs, the characterization of the current flow of collection, registration, storage, and use of information, and the identification of limitations according to quality attributes.

As a reference for organizing the communication flow, the planning, execution, and monitoring and control focus areas presented in the 8th edition of “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge” [PMBOK®] (PMI, 2025) were used. This structure offered a framework for relating informational needs, data collection, and execution monitoring, guiding the analysis of informational needs and the operationalization of records.

To operationalize the analytical scope, the flow was examined in five dimensions: collection, creation and organization, distribution, storage and retrieval, and information lifecycle management. In these dimensions, the records were evaluated for their ability to meet the needs of “stakeholders” and the quality attributes defined in the research (Hassenstein and Vanella, 2022; ISO, 2016; PMI, 2021, 2025; Wang and Strong, 1996).

The quality attributes received an operational definition. Timeliness was observed by the proximity between the executed fact, its registration, and its availability for consultation; precision, by the compatibility between the registered content and the available evidence; consistency, by the absence of contradictions between sources; integrity, by the preservation of the record and its essential elements; and traceability, by the possibility of relating information, responsible party, activity, service front, date, and corresponding evidence.

The second methodological axis, structuring, application and comparison of the model, comprised the structuring and application of the model, and the qualitative comparison between the previous flow and the applied model. The structuring of the model was guided by the limitations identified in the diagnosis and by the mapped informational needs.

The model was applied in the period between March 18, 2026, and April 11, 2026, a period used to observe the solution’s operation. The fields were reorganized and parameterized, and the records began to be related to the Project Breakdown Structure (WBS), allowing for the identification of construction, service front, stage, and activity. Storage was centralized in Microsoft OneDrive, with a hierarchical structure and user profile-based access control.

During the application period, automated routines in “Microsoft Excel”, with macros in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), were partially implemented to support queries, analyses, and report generation. The comparison between the previous workflow and the applied solution sought to identify observable changes in the integration between sources, in the need for manual reprocessing, and in the possibility of tracking and cross-referencing records. No statistical tests were employed.

3. Results and Discussion

The research results were presented in two main sections, following the adopted methodological structure: the diagnosis of the informational flow and the needs of the “stakeholders”, and the structuring, application, and comparison of the proposed model. The interpretation of the findings considered information quality attributes such as timeliness, accuracy, traceability, completeness, and consistency, as outlined in the methodology. The analysis was restricted to the evidence collected in the studied enterprise and to the period of model application, which occurred between March 18, 2026, and April 11, 2026.

Diagnosis of the flow and informational needs

The initial mapping revealed that the “stakeholders” involved in monitoring the execution of the subdivision had distinct informational needs. For internal agents, the demands were directly linked to planning, field production, and administrative-financial control. In contrast, external “stakeholders” presented potential needs related to proof of execution, inspection, technical integration, and documentary formalization. This distinction was crucial, as it indicated that a single field record was not capable of directly meeting all the needs of the different users.

For internal “stakeholders”, specific informational needs were identified and performance indicators compatible with their respective roles were proposed. However, these indicators were not measured during the study’s application period. For external “stakeholders”, who were not directly involved in the model’s application, the informational products remained propositive. This approach, which prioritizes user orientation, aligns with the principles of systematic information management and the adequacy of processes to informational requirements, as discussed by Adekunle et al. (2022) and Goonetillake et al. (2023).

The detailed analysis of the informational needs and associated products of the “stakeholders” revealed that for Planning and Control (PCP), the predominant need was physical progress, the schedule, and the comparison between planned and actual, with proposed indicators such as planned versus actual percentage, schedule variance, and completion trend. For Field Production, the needs involved daily activities, productivity, constraints, and resource availability, with indicators such as productivity per team, equipment utilization, and rework. In the Administrative-Financial scope, the demand was for costs, measurements, and payments with traceable records, and the indicators included physical versus financial progress, cost variance, and processing time.

Regarding external “stakeholders”, the needs were predominantly propositional. For the City Hall and municipal bodies, the demand was for evidence of physical progress and compliance, with proposed progress reports, occurrences, and evidence dossiers. The Concessionaires needed interface and interconnection coordination, with technical bulletins, records per section, and inspection schedules. Environmental and licensing bodies demanded information on conditions, occurrences, and compliance, with reports on conditions and relevant events. Owners, buyers, and the community needed informational inputs for communication, while the Registry Office and related agents demanded document organization and retrieval, with dossiers per stage and pending item control. Most of these external products were not directly validated during the model’s application.

The characterization of the previous informational flow was based on the analysis of 165 Daily Construction Reports (RDOs) and 1,264 machinery operation forms, in addition to other sources. Before the restructuring, information collection relied mainly on the RDO, the Machinery Operation Form, and the Time Sheet. The challenge lay not in the absence of records, but in how this data was dispersed across instruments with distinct purposes and structures, which prevented an integrated view and hindered effective monitoring of execution.

The RDO, although digitally elaborated, underwent a process of printing, validation, signing, and re-scanning for archiving, without its content being consolidated into a structured database. The machinery form contained essential information such as identification, operator, hour meter, mileage, refueling, and maintenance, but its data was entered into electronic spreadsheets without parameterization or systematic link to the Project Breakdown Structure (WBS). The timesheet, in turn, used an application to record hours and location, but its main focus was human resources control.

The presence of digital instruments, therefore, did not guarantee the digital integration of information. Each source fulfilled its immediate function, but the combination of data required locating documents, cross-referencing records, and manual reorganization. This finding is significant because it shifts the problem from the mere technological availability to the need for a more effective organization of the informational process. Lota et al. (2022) had already observed that updated and digitally shared information can support planning and monitoring, while Goonetillake et al. (2023) emphasized that the benefits of digitalization depend on the integration between processes and information management.

The fragmentation of the previous informational flow negatively impacted the timeliness, consistency, and traceability of data. Information requested by “stakeholders” frequently required subsequent searches and consolidations, which added steps to the report generation process. Differences in how data was recorded and stored made it difficult to compare documents and track the origin of information. These attributes are crucial for the suitability of information for use, as discussed by Hassenstein and Vanella (2022) and Wang and Strong (1996).

Although the study did not measure the time spent on these additional activities nor demonstrate direct effects on deadline, cost, or productivity, the previous workflow required extra steps of searching, checking, and consolidating before records from different sources could be used jointly. This diagnosis is in line with the industry literature, where Abdallah et al. (2024) linked communication problems to delays and low quality in construction projects, and Rahimian et al. (2022) highlighted the importance of communication quality for understanding among project participants. However, the specific effects on the Jaguaquara venture were not quantified.

Structuring, application, and comparison of the model

The proposed solution was developed from the limitations identified in the diagnosis and the informational needs mapped. Instead of replacing existing data collection instruments, such as the RDO and machinery forms, the model focused on restructuring the data and establishing relationships between them. This approach aimed to optimize the use of tools already familiar to the team, minimizing resistance to change and focusing on the integration and quality of information.

The registration fields were reorganized and parameterized, and the data began to be linked to the Project Breakdown Structure (WBS), allowing for clear identification of the work, service front, stage, and corresponding activity. This linkage brought the data closer to its monitoring purpose and facilitated the use of common references among different information sources. The standardization and structuring of records are fundamental aspects in the management of information in construction projects, as highlighted by Adekunle et al. (2022), as they promote the systematic sharing and use of data.

The storage of records was also reorganized, centralizing them in Microsoft OneDrive, with a hierarchical structure and access control based on user profile. When physical documentation was indispensable, the digitized document was associated with the corresponding record, preserving the link between structured information and its source evidence. This organization is compatible with the principles of integrity, reliability, and usability of records, as established by ISO 15489-1:2016 (ISO, 2016), although the study did not perform a formal audit of compliance with the standard.

The consolidated information began to form a structured base, used to relate records, responsible parties, dates, and associated documents. Although human validation was not eliminated, the model offered a common reference for consulting and cross-referencing information, which is consistent with the importance of integration between processes and informational management in infrastructure projects, as highlighted by Goonetillake et al. (2023). This base allowed for a more holistic and interconnected view of the project data.

During the model’s application period, automated routines were partially implemented in Microsoft Excel, using VBA macros, to support queries, analyses, and report generation. Qualitative observations indicated greater ease in organizing and tracking records, as well as a reduced need for manual consolidation. However, these effects were not quantitatively measured, being treated as qualitative indications of the model’s functioning, rather than evidence of efficiency or productivity gains.

The comparison between the previous informational flow and the applied solution revealed significant changes in several dimensions. In data collection, the different instruments without a common structure were maintained, but with more parameterized fields. The linkage to the project, previously characterized by poorly related records, now has data linked to the WBS, phase, stage, and activity. Storage, which was in distributed physical and digital files, became a centralized repository on OneDrive. Access, previously dependent on file location and requests, now has user profile control.

The integration, which previously occurred through separately consulted sources, evolved into a common base for consolidation and cross-referencing. Traceability, which was hindered by the difficulty of relating records between sources, now allows for the association between data, origin, responsible party, and document, configuring a qualitative evidence of improvement. Processing, which was previously predominantly manual, achieved partial automation in Excel/VBA. Validation, which was predominantly by document, now includes the possibility of comparing records and telemetry, evidenced in the analysis of machinery. External products, previously produced according to specific demands, became structured informational products, although not sufficiently tested. The effect on performance was not measured in either case, not allowing for causal inference.

The most consistent empirical result from applying the model was obtained at the intersection between machinery operation forms and telemetry records. This analysis allowed for simultaneous verification of declared activity, hour meter or odometer variation, and equipment location, revealing three types of inconsistencies that were not easily identifiable by isolated consultation of the forms. This cross-verification capability is a significant advancement in information quality.

The first inconsistency identified corresponded to periods when there was no registered activity in the form, despite the equipment’s hour meter or odometer data showing variation. This finding indicated a gap between the evidence of equipment use and the corresponding operational record, compromising the completeness of the records. The absence of an equivalent record makes it difficult to reconstruct events later, which is relevant for data quality, according to Hassenstein and Vanella (2022) and ISO (2016), who emphasize the need to preserve the context associated with the records.

The second occurrence involved the declaration of the same machinery in two service fronts with coinciding schedules or mileage records. In this case, there were records, but their joint use revealed a logical incompatibility, interpreted mainly as a consistency problem. This result demonstrates that the mere existence of data does not guarantee its quality, as records that seem plausible in isolation can reveal contradictions when confronted, highlighting the importance of coherence for the adequacy of information for use (Wang and Strong, 1996; Hassenstein and Vanella, 2022).

The third inconsistency observed was the divergence between the location recorded by telemetry and the declared service front. This problem mainly affected traceability, as the link between equipment, executed activity, and reported location could not be directly confirmed. Rao et al. (2022) highlighted that positioning, sensing, and tracking technologies can support the monitoring of equipment and activities on construction sites. In the present study, telemetry did not automate the operation but offered an independent source to confront declarative records and indicate situations that required verification.

Together, the findings demonstrated that crossing different sources of information allowed for the verification of records that, analyzed in isolation, did not reveal the same inconsistencies. However, the study did not allow for the determination of the specific causes of the discrepancies, such as filling errors, classification errors, or unrecorded operational changes. Neither were the frequency of these occurrences, their financial impact, or their influence on project productivity and deadlines measured. The result, therefore, demonstrates the capacity of the structured flow to identify situations that require review, but not to explain their causes or effects on project performance.

In summary, the qualitative comparison indicated that the main change in the applied model was the integrated organization of existing records, establishing links between informational needs, responsible parties, WBS, and storage. In the studied context, this created conditions for greater standardization, traceability, and cross-verification, without the need to immediately replace field instruments. This interpretation is in line with studies that emphasize the articulation between technologies, processes, and organizational needs in information management (Adekunle et al., 2022, 2024; Goonetillake et al., 2023).

The findings also dialogue with the literature that relates communication quality to collaboration and interdependence among different groups of “stakeholders” (Rahimian et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2023). However, the study primarily highlighted the conditions for organizing and verifying information, without measuring changes in “stakeholder” behavior or overall communication quality. The study’s limitations, such as the short application period, partial implementation of automations, absence of comparative indicators, and limited evaluation of products for external “stakeholders”, prevent the generalization of findings and the attribution of causal effects on deadline, cost, productivity, or overall performance. The central contribution of the study was, therefore, to structure a process that relates informational needs, field records, responsible parties, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), storage, and communication output, expanding the capacity to relate and verify records without proving the superiority of a specific technology, responding to the study’s objective of structuring formal communication in the urban lotting execution phase.

4. Conclusion

This study aimed to structure formal communication in the execution phase of an urban subdivision in Jaguaquara, Bahia, considering the informational needs of key internal and external stakeholders. It was found that the previous informational flow presented fragmentation, with data dispersed across different instruments, which hindered the standardization, integration, and traceability of records. In response to these limitations, a model was developed that restructured the data, incorporating parameterized fields, linkage to the Project Breakdown Structure (WBS), and centralized storage on Microsoft OneDrive, with automations partially implemented in Excel/VBA. During its application, qualitative indications of greater organization and traceability of the flow were observed. The most consistent empirical finding was revealed in the cross-referencing of machinery operation forms with telemetry records, which allowed for the identification of registration gaps, activity overlaps, and equipment location discrepancies, demonstrating the model’s capacity to guide the verification of inconsistencies that were not easily detectable in isolation.

The study’s main contribution lies in the systematization of a process that relates informational needs, field recording, the responsible party, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), storage, and the communication product, thereby expanding the capacity to relate and verify existing records. However, the conclusions remain restricted to the case study and the application period, between March 18 and April 11, 2026. The short interval, partial implementation of automations, absence of comparative indicators, and limited evaluation of products for external stakeholders prevent the generalization of findings and the attribution of causal effects on schedule, cost, or productivity. As a continuation, it is suggested to extend the model’s application period, complete the automations, and establish indicators to evaluate the functioning of the informational flow over time, including processing time, incidence of inconsistencies, and rework.

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Article originating from the Final Course Project of the Specialization in Project Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

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