What are the target operations of i-Construction? A gentle explanation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's thinking

Table of contents

• First, organize the target operations of i-Construction

• i-Construction has been promoted since 2016

• The targets are not limited to construction but cover everything from start to finish

• Investigation and surveying are the starting point for the whole process

• Design is an important task that connects to later stages

• Construction is a central scene but only part of the whole

• Inspection is an important task for verifying quality

• The meaning of including maintenance and renewal

• Why introducing a single piece of machinery is not enough

• The idea of overall optimization that connects upstream and downstream processes

• The importance of correctly understanding the target operations

• Summary

First, organize the target operations of i-Construction

This is because i-Construction does not only refer to the construction stage, nor does it mean simply introducing a single piece of machinery. Information obtained through investigation and surveying connects to design, the content of the design connects to construction, the results of construction connect to inspection, and then on to maintenance and renewal. The important point is how to carry out this entire flow without unnecessary strain, without waste, and while maintaining quality.

In other words, when understanding the target operations of i-Construction, it is important not to narrow the scope. Rather than isolating a single stage, the basic approach is to view the work from start to finish as one continuous job. By understanding this correctly, it becomes clear that i-Construction is not just a buzzword but a concept that affects the way work as a whole is organized.

i-Construction has been promoted since 2016

The targets are not limited to construction but cover everything from start to finish

One of the most important points when thinking about the target operations of i-Construction is that it is not limited to construction. As noted in the fact memo, i-Construction does not refer only to the construction stage. The targets include investigation and surveying, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance and renewal.

First there is investigation and surveying. There, the subject is understood and the information that serves as the starting point for the work is prepared. Next is design. Ideas and forms are organized there, creating the foundation for how to proceed. After that comes construction, the stage of turning things into actual form. Inspection then verifies the results, and finally it connects to maintenance and renewal. This series of steps is the set of target operations.

What becomes clear here is that if you think only about construction, it becomes difficult to see the true nature of i-Construction. Even if you try to improve only construction, if the prior information is insufficient it will be hard to proceed, and if the results do not connect to later verification and management, the overall work will be less effective. That is why the target is from start to finish.

Also, the broad scope of the target affects the perspectives of the people involved. It is not enough for only those involved in construction to think about i-Construction; people involved in investigation and surveying, design, inspection, and maintenance and renewal also need to understand it. i-Construction is a concept that relates to the whole flow, not just a specific department or a specific scene.

Thus, to correctly understand the target operations of i-Construction, it is essential to step back from a construction-centered viewpoint and see the work from start to finish as a continuous whole. Construction is certainly important, but it is not the only target. Grasping this basic point is the first step to understanding i-Construction in a simple way.

Investigation and surveying are the starting point for the whole process

Placed at the beginning of the target operations of i-Construction is investigation and surveying. The inclusion of this stage carries great significance because investigation and surveying are the starting point that connects to all later stages.

To put it simply for beginners, investigation and surveying are the stage that prepares the premises before deciding what to do and how to proceed. Without understanding the situation of the subject, subsequent design and construction are difficult to advance. In other words, what information is obtained at the initial stage and what deliverables are handed over to the next stage affect the downstream processes.

Also, investigation and surveying are not tasks that conclude on their own. What is obtained there connects to the next stage, design. Therefore, when viewing investigation and surveying as a target operation of i-Construction, you need to think not just about that stage itself but also about how it connects to the next stage. Being aware of this “connection” itself aligns with the i-Construction way of thinking.

What is important here is not to dismiss investigation and surveying as mere preliminary work. i-Construction emphasizes overall optimization that includes upstream and downstream stages. Therefore, the initial stage of investigation and surveying also plays an important role in the flow as a whole. If the starting point is not properly prepared, later stages are likely to entail extra work or become difficult to verify.

Just knowing that investigation and surveying are included among the target operations will change how you view i-Construction. i-Construction is not only about improving on-site construction; it is also about organizing the way work is thought about from the very beginning.

Design is an important task that connects to later stages

Design is also included among the target operations of i-Construction. This is another indispensable point for understanding that i-Construction is not only about construction. Design receives the results of investigation and surveying and plays a role in connecting to subsequent construction, inspection, and beyond.

Put simply, design is an important bridge in shaping things. Based on what was identified by investigation and surveying, design organizes how to proceed next and shapes it into a form usable in later stages. That is why it matters that design is included among the target operations.

If i-Construction were only about construction, design might not be so heavily emphasized. But as the fact memo shows, i-Construction values overall optimization that includes upstream and downstream stages. Therefore, design should not be considered in isolation but viewed in the context of its connections to prior investigation and surveying and subsequent construction and inspection.

Including design as a target highlights the importance of organizing the intermediate stages. Even if the starting point is prepared, if the way stages are linked in the middle is poor, the whole flow will not run smoothly. Conversely, if design is organized with awareness of the preceding and following stages, subsequent work becomes easier. That is why i-Construction includes design among its target operations.

Including design also means emphasizing the continuity of deliverables. The fact memo states that each stage is connected by data and deliverables. Design is precisely one of the central stages within that continuity. It takes what it received from earlier stages, organizes it, and hands it over to later stages. Because of that role, design is clearly positioned as a target operation of i-Construction.

Beginners tend to think of i-Construction as a construction-centered initiative, but seeing that design is included broadens that understanding. i-Construction is not trying only to change the stage of construction; it seeks to organize the flow of work including the stages before and after.

Construction is a central scene but only part of the whole

Construction is a stage that tends to attract particular attention among the target operations of i-Construction. It is the phase where shape is actually created, and changes on site are easy to see, so thinking of construction when hearing “i-Construction” is natural. However, the important point here is to understand that while construction is a central scene, it is only part of the whole.

As the fact memo also states, i-Construction does not refer only to the construction stage. In other words, construction is included among the target operations, but it does not represent all of i-Construction. Misunderstanding this will narrow the concept of i-Construction.

That construction is only a part of the whole means it must be understood in relation to investigation and surveying and design before it, and inspection and maintenance and renewal after it. Even if construction alone is improved, if the information and deliverables received from earlier stages are not prepared, on-site work will be difficult to carry out. Likewise, if the results of construction do not connect well to later stages, overall quality and efficiency are unlikely to improve.

That is why i-Construction does not consider construction in isolation. While valuing construction, it emphasizes overall optimization including upstream and downstream stages. This does not mean that construction is treated lightly; rather, to truly improve construction, you must also consider how it connects with surrounding stages.

It is not wrong to understand construction as a center of i-Construction. However, if you think it is the only target, you will stray from the original concept. Construction is an important part, and its value rises within the context of its connections to upstream and downstream stages. This perspective is the key to understanding i-Construction gently and correctly.

Inspection is an important task for verifying quality

Inspection is also included among the target operations of i-Construction. Inspection is an important task for verifying the results of the work. The fact that it is included shows that i-Construction is not simply focused on speed but seeks to improve the whole while maintaining quality.

For beginners, inspection may have the image of being a final check. That understanding is not far off, but in the i-Construction perspective, inspection is not merely a stage that looks at things at the end. It is a task connected to the information and deliverables created in earlier stages and to the results of construction. In other words, inspection is also part of the overall flow.

The fact memo says that each stage is linked by data and deliverables. Inspection is part of that linkage. How what was organized in earlier stages is handed over and finally verified is very important when considering overall optimization. The inclusion of inspection among the target operations means that ease of verification and the transfer of results are also part of i-Construction thinking.

Including inspection among the target operations also signals an attitude that considers both speed and quality. When people see the phrase “productivity improvement,” they may feel it emphasizes working faster. But in reality, the aim is to build a safe and high-quality system. In other words, it is not about rushing, but about proceeding without undue strain while verifying results. That is why inspection is included.

Seen this way, i-Construction is not only about improving on-site work efficiency. It is a policy that verifies results properly and looks ahead to how those results will connect to maintenance and renewal. Including inspection among the target operations itself well expresses the breadth of i-Construction’s perspective.

The meaning of including maintenance and renewal

One aspect of the target operations of i-Construction that is easy to overlook is maintenance and renewal. The fact memo states that i-Construction is a productivity improvement policy that includes investigation and surveying, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance and renewal. The phrase “includes ... up to maintenance and renewal” carries very significant meaning.

Including maintenance and renewal means viewing work not as a single point in time but as something that continues. As the goal is to build a system that can sustain infrastructure development and management, you cannot ignore what happens after construction. To continue infrastructure development and management safely and with high quality even with a small workforce, it is necessary to view not only the construction stage but also what comes after.

Also, by including maintenance and renewal as targets, the meaning of earlier stages changes. The data and deliverables handled in investigation and surveying, design, construction, and inspection are not one-off items but can be viewed as things that connect to later management. The fact that each stage is linked by data and deliverables becomes more meaningful when maintenance and renewal are included.

If maintenance and renewal were excluded, then earlier stages could be considered complete at that point. But in practice, overall optimization is emphasized. This assumes that the results of prior stages will be utilized in subsequent stages. Because maintenance and renewal are included, i-Construction can be understood not as a one-off improvement of construction sites but as a policy that reviews the way work as a whole is carried out.

Why introducing a single piece of machinery is not enough

One misconception about i-Construction is that it refers only to introducing a single piece of machinery. The fact memo is clear on this point. This is very important for correctly understanding the target operations of i-Construction.

The reason is clear. i-Construction is a productivity improvement policy that includes investigation and surveying through maintenance and renewal. In other words, the target is not a single tool or a single scene, but the work as a whole. Introducing a single piece of machinery is only a part of that whole. If only that changes, but the connections with upstream and downstream stages are poor, it is unlikely to lead to overall improvement.

What is important here is the fact that each stage is linked by data and deliverables. For example, if one stage advances quickly on its own but the content received from the prior stage is not prepared or cannot be handed over well to the following stage, the result may be more rework and waste. i-Construction emphasizes not such partial improvements but overall optimization that includes upstream and downstream stages.

Saying that introducing a single piece of machinery is not enough does not mean machines are unnecessary. Rather, it means that what matters is the role that a machine plays within the overall flow, not whether a machine is present. i-Construction does not make tools themselves the objective; its goal is to build a system that can sustain safe and high-quality infrastructure development and management even with a small workforce. Because the objective is broad, the means must also be considered within the whole.

Understanding this idea prevents a superficial view of i-Construction. If you focus only on the visibly understandable introduction of machinery, the original intent becomes hard to see. What matters is not whether there is a machine, but how the work as a whole connects and improves. That is why introducing a single piece of machinery alone is not sufficient.

The idea of overall optimization that connects upstream and downstream processes

At the center of understanding the target operations of i-Construction is the idea of overall optimization. The fact memo states that each stage is linked by data and deliverables, and that overall optimization including upstream and downstream stages is emphasized. This sentence arguably expresses the idea of i-Construction most clearly.

For example, if what was organized in the prior stage is not handed over well to the next stage, the verification and adjustment burden in the following stage tends to increase. Conversely, if you are aware from earlier stages of what will be needed later, the flow becomes smoother. The important point here is not to compete over which stage is the most important. Because all stages are connected, it is necessary to organize them as a whole.

This is precisely why i-Construction is said not to be limited to construction. Improving only construction will have limited overall results if it does not connect with upstream and downstream stages. The same applies to the idea that introducing a single piece of machinery is not enough. Partial changes alone do not reach overall optimization.

Overall optimization is also linked to productivity improvement. If you interpret productivity improvement as speeding up a single stage, the true meaning of i-Construction becomes narrow. However, if you include improving the flow by connecting upstream and downstream stages, the meaning of productivity improvement becomes broader and more practical. In other words, productivity improvement in i-Construction is also an improvement of flow.

Thus, the idea of overall optimization that connects upstream and downstream stages not only explains the breadth of i-Construction’s target operations but also explains why that breadth is necessary. The scope is wide not to make the issue look big, but because everything is connected and therefore needs to be viewed broadly.

The first important phrase is “even with a small workforce.” This means that the target operations should not be viewed separately and individually, but should be shaped so that the whole can proceed without undue strain. The approach should not require a large number of people to function; it should be a flow that can be continued even with few people. For that reason, improving only some stages is not enough. Overall optimization is important.

Furthermore, the phrase “building a system that can sustain infrastructure development and management” indicates that the work is not viewed as something that ends at a single point in time. Because the aim is to sustain not only development but also management, maintenance and renewal are included among i-Construction’s target operations. From this point as well, it is clear that i-Construction is not a one-off on-site improvement but a way of thinking that looks ahead to the entire, long-running set of operations.

The importance of correctly understanding the target operations

Correctly understanding the target operations of i-Construction goes beyond simply knowing the definition of the term. By understanding how far the scope reaches and what is emphasized, you can avoid narrowing your view of i-Construction.

Conversely, if you understand that the target operations are set broadly from start to finish, the logic of i-Construction appears very coherent. Each stage is linked by data and deliverables, and overall optimization including upstream and downstream stages is emphasized. This is a natural way of thinking when the goal is to build a system that can sustain safe and high-quality infrastructure development and management even with a small workforce.

When beginners learn about i-Construction, it is more important to grasp the scope of the target operations firmly than to start with detailed terms or peripheral topics. The targets are investigation and surveying, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance and renewal; construction is not the only focus. Introducing a single piece of machinery is not the only solution. Each stage is connected, and overall optimization is emphasized. Once you understand these basics, the overall picture of i-Construction becomes much clearer.

Also, correctly understanding the target operations is important so that people in each role can consider i-Construction as their own concern. Not only those involved in construction, but also those involved in investigation and surveying, design, inspection, and maintenance and renewal need to know that their work is included in i-Construction. If the scope is viewed narrowly, stakeholders can become divided; if it is understood broadly and correctly, it becomes easier to see one’s role within the flow.

Although i-Construction may seem like a set of difficult technical terms, the concept of the target operations is not complicated. The policy is to look at the overall flow of work, organize the connections, and enable continuation with a small workforce while maintaining safety and high quality. Understanding it this way makes it easier to accept why the scope of the target operations is broad.

Summary

Also, because i-Construction includes maintenance and renewal among its targets, it is clear that the aim is to build a system that can be sustained beyond the immediate construction work. To continue safe and high-quality infrastructure development and management even with a small workforce, it is essential not to view the target operations narrowly but to see the entire flow from start to finish as one continuous process.

In short, the target operations of i-Construction are not a part of the work but the flow as a whole. How that whole is connected and optimized is the most important perspective for understanding i-Construction.