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The purpose of this paper is to present a new method for project tracking and control of integrated offsite and onsite activities in modular construction considering practical characteristics associated with this type of construction.

The design embraces building information modelling and integrates last planner system (LPS), linear scheduling method (LSM) and critical chain project management (CCPM) to develop tracking and control procedures for modular construction projects. The developed method accounts for constraints of resources continuity and uncertainties associated with activity duration. Features of proposed method are illustrated in a case example for tracking and control of modular projects.

Comparison between developed schedule and Monte Carlo simulation showed that baseline duration generated from simulation exceeds that produced by developed method by 12% and 10% for schedules with 50% and 90% confidence level, respectively. These percentages decrease based on interventions of members of project team in the LPS sessions. The case example results indicate that project is delayed 5% and experienced cost overrun of 2.5%.

Developed method integrated LPS, LSM and CCPM while using metrics for reliability assessment of linear schedules, namely, critical percent plan complete (PPC_cr) and buffer index (BI). PPC_cr and BI measure percentage of plan completion for critical activities and buffer consumption, respectively. The developed method provides a systematic procedure for forecasting look-ahead schedules using forecasting correction factor Δ_t and a newly developed tracking and control procedure that uses PPC_cr and BI. Quantitative cost analysis is also provided to forecast and monitor project costs to prove the robustness of proposed framework.

Earned Value Management (EVM) is widely used as a project performance measurement and forecasting technique. Nonetheless, it has not been fully explored in Pakistani construction industry; where conventional progress reporting methodology (CPRM) is being followed having certain confines. It reports only the financial progress of a project, expresses feeble association between the duration and cost of activities, and forecasts flawed schedule and completion cost. This research implements EVM on under-construction building projects in Pakistan, and compares its upshots with the projects' actual records and with the outcomes of CPRM.

To assess the implementation of EVM on building projects, a set of specific criteria was established. Work Breakdown Structure, Organization Breakdown Structure and Control Points were established. The study has compared the EVM metrics with CPRM outcomes on three under-study building projects, and has deliberated on their mutual differences as well as their relationship with actual cost and schedule performance. Monthly figures of actual spending and completed activities were periodically recorded and compared with planned values for status indication. The graphs were generated to observe the correlation between the results of EVM and CPRM. The data was then extrapolated to forecast the schedule and cost values at completion.

The study discovered that trends of EVM in quantifying the project's cost and schedule performance were strongly correlated and were closer to the actual progress. It has also verified the EVM's soundness in forecasting the cost and schedule, required for project's completion. Contrarily, CPRM metrics could not precisely visualize the current and future, cost and schedule performance.

The case study concludes that EVM's incorporation in progress reporting regime can revolutionize the assessment procedures in Pakistan by rightly indicating the project's current status as well as visualizing the future performance. The study's methodology can also be extrapolated in other countries having similar work environment and economic conditions.

This paper aims to present a highly accessible and affordable tracking model for earthmoving operations in an attempt to overcome some of the limitations of current tracking models.

The proposed methodology involves four main processes: acquiring onsite terrestrial images, processing the images into 3D scaled cloud data, extracting volumetric measurements and crew productivity estimations from multiple point clouds using Delaunay triangulation and conducting earned value/schedule analysis and forecasting the remaining scope of work based on the estimated performance. For validation, the tracking model was compared with an observation-based tracking approach for a backfilling site. It was also used for tracking a coarse base aggregate inventory for a road construction project.

The presented model has proved to be a practical and accurate tracking approach that algorithmically estimates and forecasts all performance parameters from the captured data.

The proposed model is unique in extracting accurate volumetric measurements directly from multiple point clouds in a developed code using Delaunay triangulation instead of extracting them from textured models in modelling software which is neither automated nor time-effective. Furthermore, the presented model uses a self-calibration approach aiming to eliminate the pre-calibration procedure required before image capturing for each camera intended to be used. Thus, any worker onsite can directly capture the required images with an easily accessible camera (e.g. handheld camera or a smartphone) and can be sent to any processing device via e-mail, cloud-based storage or any communication application (e.g. WhatsApp).

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the diffusion of earned value management (EVM) as a practicable methodology to monitor facility construction and renovation projects in the context of the European industry.

First, a review of the literature reveals how EVM evolved as a tool for facility construction project monitoring together with specific concerns for its application. Then, a review of EVM practice and trends in Europe is provided and finally, applicability and viability of the method is proved through a case demonstration.

EVM practice in the European construction industry is found to be lagging behind other experienced countries and industries, despite EVM having been found to be applicable, adaptable, and predictive of integrated final cost and schedule of facility construction projects. In particular, cost estimate at completion is forecasted by a simple cost performance index (CPI), while for the time estimate at completion, the earned schedule concept is revealed as an accurate predictor.

The paper urges the need for research of a European standard as a primary factor for successful diffusion of EVM usage in architecture, engineering and construction projects.

This paper helps practitioners to understand the adaptability of EVM practice in the European construction industry and to apply EV tools for effective monitoring of the performance of their projects.

Current trends of EVM practice in the European construction context are presented and suggestions for sustaining the diffusion of EVM are given.

The purpose of this paper is to examine a case of sham compliance performance reporting through the lens of Goffman’s dramaturgy to reveal its dramaturgical structure. It makes a methodological contribution to comprehending “lived experience” accounts of project work, and adds knowledge concerning the behind-the-scenes motivators to sham behaviour in project work.

Using an ethnographic lived experience account, an aspect of project work is reconceptualised as a collection of dramaturgical scenes. These scenes disclose issues beyond the bounds of the traditional project management discourse, and increase knowledge and appreciation of sham and performative behaviour in project work.

Sham progress reporting can emerge in an environment where senior management’s ignorance of project work creates unworkable binds for project staff. Moreover, the sham behaviour succeeds at its objective because senior management are vulnerable to false impressions. This situation raises ethical issues for those involved, and creates an overhead in dealing with the reality of project work.

Limitations to this study are due to the inherent nature of the ethnographic method, where it is difficult to recruit willing participants, particularly in terms of sham behaviour cases. This study has implications for research on sham and performativity behaviour in project work, as studies can benefit from the dramaturgical analysis and Goffmanesque scene illustration techniques that help give focus to particular aspects of social performance, and remove complexity from the narrative.

The research provides practitioners with a way of discussing superfluous compliance process using additional lived experience vocabulary. This could reduce the undue pressure to behave unethically, and reduce the burden to create the extra impression management work.

This study brings a voice to sham behaviour in project work. Continued ignorance of sham behaviour results in unnecessary work and unprofitable projects. Individuals could pay a price in terms of stress and well-being, not discussed.

The recent slowdown in the global economy has been a trigger for discontinuous change, prompting many organisations to re‐examine their collaborative strategies. This paper, focuses on the management of collaborative relationships in a period of discontinuity, presents, compares and contrasts three case studies, each of distinctly separate systems integrators from within the high technology sector in Ireland. The case data presented were gathered in 2001 as part of CO‐IMPROVE – an EU‐funded action research project focused on collaborative improvement within the extended manufacturing enterprise. This paper presents a cross case analysis that examines different choices faced by these systems integrators in their management of collaborative relationships with their supply bases.

Construction projects are susceptible to cost and time overruns. Variations from planned schedule and cost estimates can result in huge losses for owners and contractors. In extreme cases, the viability of the project itself is jeopardised as a result of variations from baseline plans. Hence new methods and techniques which assist project managers in forecasting the expected variance in schedule and cost should be developed. This paper proposes a judgment‐based forecasting approach which will identify schedule variances from a baseline plan for typical construction projects. The proposed forecasting approach adopts multiple regression techniques and further utilises neural networks to capture the decision‐making procedure of project experts involved in schedule monitoring and prediction. The models developed were applied to a multistorey building project under construction and were found feasible for use in similar construction projects. The advantages and limitations of these two modelling process for prediction of schedule variance are discussed. The developed models were integrated with existing project management computer systems for the convenient and realistic generation of revised schedules at appropriate junctures during the progress of the project.

Overview All organisations are, in one sense or another, involved in operations; an activity implying transformation or transfer. The major portion of the body of knowledge concerning operations relates to production in manufacturing industry but, increasingly, similar problems are to be found confronting managers in service industry. It is only in the last decade or so that new technology, involving, in particular, the computer, has encouraged an integrated view to be taken of the total business. This has led to greater recognition being given to the strategic potential of the operations function. In order to provide greater insight into operations a number of classifications have been proposed. One of these, which places operations into categories termed factory, job shop, mass service and professional service, is examined. The elements of operations management are introduced under the headings of product, plant, process, procedures and people.

Introduction Operations research, i.e. the application of scientific methodology to operational problems in the search for improved understanding and control, can be said to have started with the application of mathematical tools to military problems of supply bombing and strategy, during the Second World War. Post‐war these tools were applied to business problems, particularly production scheduling, inventory control and physical distribution because of the acute shortages of goods and the numerical aspects of these problems.

The purpose of this paper is to develop models to forecast final budget and duration of a highway construction project during construction stage.

Highway construction project data are collected and analyzed to find out factors affecting project final budget and duration before developing the forecasting models, research for which is based on the principle of Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The forecasting results obtained from the proposed method are compared with those obtained from the current method based on earned value.

Factors affecting final budget and duration are presented. The forecasting results obtained from the proposed method based on ANN application are more accurate and stable than those obtained from the current method based on earned value.

Factors affecting final budget and duration may differ if applied in other countries, since the project data were collected in the Kingdom of Thailand. The forecasting models, therefore, must be reconsidered for better outcomes.

The study presents a useful tool for the highway construction project manager to predict project final budget and duration. The results can potentially provide early warning of over‐budget and schedule delay.

The ANN models to forecast final budget and duration of highway construction projects during the construction stage, developed by using project data reflecting continual and seasonal cycle data, can provide better predicting results.