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1 – 10 of over 67000Muhammad Sami Ur Rehman, Muhammad Tariq Shafiq, Fahim Ullah and Khaled Galal Ahmed
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current construction progress monitoring (CPM) process in relation to the contractual obligations, how project management teams…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current construction progress monitoring (CPM) process in relation to the contractual obligations, how project management teams carry out this activity in the field and why teams continue to adopt the current method. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current monitoring process and its effectiveness, identify any shortcomings and propose recommendations for improvements that can lead to better project outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 construction management practitioners to explore their views on contractual requirements, traditional progress monitoring practices and advanced monitoring methods. Thematic analysis was used to identify existing processes, practices and incentives for advanced monitoring.
Findings
Standard construction contracts mandate current progress monitoring practices, which often rely on manual, document-centric and labor-intensive methods, leading to slow and erroneous progress reporting and project delays. Key barriers to adopting advanced tools include rigid contractual clauses, lack of incentives and the absence of reliable automated tools. A holistic automated approach that covers the entire CPM process, from planning to claim management, is needed as a viable alternative to traditional practices.
Research limitations/implications
The study's findings can inform researchers, stakeholders and decision-makers about the existing monitoring practices and contribute to enhancing project management practices.
Originality/value
The study identified contractually mandated progress monitoring processes, traditional methods of collecting, transferring, analyzing and dispensing progress-related information and potential incentives and points of departure towards technologically advanced methods.
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Tom McBride, Brian Henderson‐Sellers and Didar Zowghi
The paper seeks to investigate whether project managers regard software development projects as design problems or production problems.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to investigate whether project managers regard software development projects as design problems or production problems.
Design/methodology/approach
Project management literature was examined to determine what evidence there should be to indicate whether a software development project was regarded as a problem to be solved or a product to be produced. Data were then collected through structured interview of project managers currently engaged in managing software development projects. The data were analysed to determine how project managers regarded their projects and whether this matched a theoretical expectation.
Findings
The empirical data indicated that most project managers regard their projects as production problems, where it is assumed that the underlying problem is largely understood, the project encapsulated in a planned schedule of activities and there will be an emphasis on monitoring the project against the planned progress.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to the small sample size of fewer than 30 project managers, external validity is weak. More research is needed to confirm these results over a larger sample and to probe more subtle orientation to production or design projects.
Practical implications
The research developed a simple test to indicate the degree of novelty of the application to be developed. The test indicates whether the application is novel and should be treated as a design problem, or well known and therefore should be treated as a production problem.
Originality/value
The paper draws attention to the need for project managers to evaluate the type of application to be developed and to adopt an appropriate project management approach. The paper also provides a simple test to achieve that objective.
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Adekunle Sabitu Oyegoke, Robert Powell, Saheed Ajayi, Godawatte Arachchige Gimhan Rathnagee Godawatte and Temidayo Akenroye
This paper aims to identify and analyse the factors affecting the selection of effective cost control techniques in the UK construction industry and assess their importance. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify and analyse the factors affecting the selection of effective cost control techniques in the UK construction industry and assess their importance. The study examines these key areas; the factors that have significant impacts on cost overruns, the most effective cost control techniques and the factors for selecting cost control techniques for a project.
Design/methodology/approach
The study relies on a mixed-method research approach; a qualitative exploration of the most effective cost control techniques and the factors affecting the selection of cost control techniques, followed by a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. Relative importance index (RII) is used for ranking the factors.
Findings
The budgeting technique is ranked first with-0.821RII, followed by cost forecasting-0.800RII and cashflow monitoring-00.733RII, as the most effective cost control techniques. On factors that influenced the choice of the techniques used, cost information/cost-related factors are ranked first with-0.611RII, followed by the size of the company-0.509RII and the effectiveness of the technique-0.572RII.
Research limitations/implications
Although the scope of the study was limited to the UK construction industry, the results could be interpreted for critical learning in other developed/developing countries.
Originality/value
Identifying and ranking the factors affecting the selection of effective cost control techniques in the UK construction industry has been the focal point of this study. The study also proposes a simple but effective model which can be used for critical learning on mitigating cost overruns and the effective use of cost control techniques in the construction industry.
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The purpose of this paper is to establish a means to control the design process in engineering organization that produce engineering deliverables for construction projects. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish a means to control the design process in engineering organization that produce engineering deliverables for construction projects. The intended control is to deliver construction packages on time and within budget while controlling productivity of engineers and support staff involved in the design process.
Design/methodology/approach
Control charts have been used to monitor design progress and for auditing business processes, process adjustments and to alert for action to rectify a schedule risk. Management has benefited from control charts to fine‐tune operations ranging from bid proposal processing to final design delivery stages and to identify and prevent employee time waste in addition to tracking and forecasting design performance for efficient resource allocation.
Findings
These techniques helps in controlling development of engineering deliverables on budget and in detecting areas of low performance early enough for suitable corrective actions. Project six‐sigma has also improved as project progress advances; from 0.92 at 10 percent project phase to 1.74 at 90 percent project completion.
Research limitations/implications
Future, research shall cover multi‐discipline project performance and other project management processes, like bidding, design development, design review, and project close‐out.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates means to control design process in organizations dealing with construction projects like oil and gas, petrochemicals and power projects. Delays in the design process may cause adverse impact in downstream projects phases including construction, procurement, start‐up, production, and further affects business strategies and plans. Control charts and six sigma process levels helps delivering design projects within constraints.
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Moslem Sheikhkhoshkar, Hind Bril El Haouzi, Alexis Aubry and Farook Hamzeh
In academics and industry, significant efforts have been made to lead planners and control teams in evaluating project performance and control. In this context, numerous control…
Abstract
Purpose
In academics and industry, significant efforts have been made to lead planners and control teams in evaluating project performance and control. In this context, numerous control metrics have been devised and put into practice, often with little emphasis on analyzing their underlying concepts. To cover this gap, this research aims to identify and analyze a holistic list of control metrics and their functionalities in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-step analytical approach was conducted to achieve the study’s objectives. First, a holistic list of control metrics and their functionalities in the construction industry was identified. Second, a quantitative analysis based on social network analysis (SNA) was implemented to discover the most important functionalities.
Findings
The results revealed that the most important control metrics' functionalities (CMF) could differ depending on the type of metrics (lagging and leading) and levels of control. However, in general, the most significant functionalities include managing project progress and performance, evaluating the look-ahead level’s performance, measuring the reliability and stability of workflow, measuring the make-ready process, constraint management and measuring the quality of construction flow.
Originality/value
This research will assist the project team in getting a comprehensive sensemaking of planning and control systems and their functionalities to plan and control different dynamic aspects of the project.
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Project scheduling/rescheduling occurs in all stages of projects, from feasibility stage to monitoring stage to completion. Since the late 1950s, network‐based techniques CPM…
Abstract
Project scheduling/rescheduling occurs in all stages of projects, from feasibility stage to monitoring stage to completion. Since the late 1950s, network‐based techniques CPM (critical path method) and PERT (programme evaluation review technique) are the techniques commonly used for project management. However, there are limitations in working with these tools that need to be overcome. Also, the computing ef. ciency of classic CPM/PERT analysis needs to be enhanced. Substantial research has been carried out globally in this field covering all areas of project scheduling: time scheduling, resource scheduling, cost scheduling, modern project management techniques, advanced mathematical models used for construction scheduling, and so on. To understand and document this research status, the authors have carried out an extensive study of various journals, published and unpublished research papers, and present this literature review.
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To demonstrate how the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), a formal project management framework commonly used in corporate settings, can be used to manage library…
Abstract
Purpose
To demonstrate how the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), a formal project management framework commonly used in corporate settings, can be used to manage library projects, even in situations where the librarian does not have authority over project resources, like personnel, scope, and budget.
Methodology/approach
This chapter uses a conceptual review of the library, project management, and library project management literature to construct recommendations and best practices.
Findings
Many of the PMBOK tools are effective for project managers working without formal authority. These tools include the Stakeholder Register, which allows a project manager to track stakeholders based upon their interest and influence; the Responsibility Assignment Matrix, which allows a project manager and team members to quickly and easily see work and personnel relationships; and Integrated Change Control, which provides project managers with a process for understanding and documenting the impact of project changes. These tools, as well as the PMBOK’s strategies on managing project communication and monitoring and controlling project work, which help orient stakeholders to the work and expectations of the project, while also making sure there are no surprises, provide effective project management tools for librarians working without formal authority.
Originality/value
While the PMBOK is occasionally discussed in the library literature, this chapter extensively uses the framework to connect the framework to library project management. This chapter also shows how the PMBOK, which relies on formal authority, can also be used in situations where the project manager lacks it.
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Nilton Takagi and João Varajão
Projects are one of the main ways used to develop organisations and turn their strategic initiatives into a reality. To support project management, several entities (e.g…
Abstract
Purpose
Projects are one of the main ways used to develop organisations and turn their strategic initiatives into a reality. To support project management, several entities (e.g. associations, institutes, etc.) provide standards, guides and project management methodologies. However, despite its wide coverage of project management knowledge areas, standards currently have no specific processes focused on planning and evaluating success. The absence of these processes can limit the vision of managers and their teams on what most contributes to the success of a project. Aiming at contributing to fill this gap, this paper proposes the integration of success management processes in the ISO 21500 standard.
Design/methodology/approach
To develop the integration model, a Design Science Research approach was adopted for the construction and evaluation of the resulting artefact.
Findings
The result is an integrated model and insights for its application in practice. The model aims to help managers and their teams to identify which success management activities need to carry out and how to integrate them with the other processes of the ISO 21500 standard.
Research limitations/implications
The integrated model was applied in only one project. Another limitation is the difficulty in comparing the results obtained due to the small number of works focused on success management (namely related to planning, measuring, controlling and reporting success in practice) and its integration with project management standards, guides and methodologies.
Originality/value
The integrated model, based on success management and the ISO 21500 standard, is an important and original contribution to understand and achieve success in projects. This promotes a new vision of balanced management, directing the management effort to the areas that effectively contribute to success in each project.
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Zubair Ahmed Memon, Muhd Zaimi Abd. and Mushairry Mustaffar
This main purpose of this study is to summarize the experience at the Construction Technology and Management Center (CTMC) to develop a Digitalizing Construction Monitoring (DCM…
Abstract
Purpose
This main purpose of this study is to summarize the experience at the Construction Technology and Management Center (CTMC) to develop a Digitalizing Construction Monitoring (DCM) system by integrating 3DAutoCAD drawings and digital images. The objective of this paper is to propose a framework model for the DCM system and discuss in detail the steps involved for developing and calculating the 3D coordinate values from 2D digital images.
Design/methodology/approach
As digital images are one of the major sources of information from site, the process of measuring the project progress from images is quite challenging. This study used Photogrammetry techniques to extract the information from digital images, which can be concisely defined as the science of calculating 3D object coordinates from images, with PhotoModeler pro‐version software. Issues pertaining to the quality of the 3D model derived from 2D digital images are also discussed.
Findings
A framework model for DCM was proposed and different phases were discussed. A pilot case study on Larkin Mosque Car Parking Project was conducted to check the validity of using Photogrammetry techniques to extract 3D coordinate values by using PhotoModeler Software. Preliminary results show that significant control has been achieved to extract 3D coordinate values from 2D digital images, which and can be integrated into the digitalized system to automate the construction project monitoring process.
Originality/value
The techniques discussed in this paper are used for monitoring the project progress systematically. The results of this study will be incorporated to develop a fully automated project progress monitoring system, which can be updated automatically as the project progresses automatically.
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The future construction site will be pervasive, context aware and embedded with intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to explore and define the concept of the digital skin of…
Abstract
Purpose
The future construction site will be pervasive, context aware and embedded with intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to explore and define the concept of the digital skin of the future smart construction site.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides a systematic and hierarchical classification of 114 articles from both industry and academia on the digital skin concept and evaluates them. The hierarchical classification is based on application areas relevant to construction, such as augmented reality, building information model-based visualisation, labour tracking, supply chain tracking, safety management, mobile equipment tracking and schedule and progress monitoring. Evaluations of the research papers were conducted based on three pillars: validation of technological feasibility, onsite application and user acceptance testing.
Findings
Technologies learned about in the literature review enabled the envisaging of the pervasive construction site of the future. The paper presents scenarios for the future context-aware construction site, including the construction worker, construction procurement management and future real-time safety management systems.
Originality/value
Based on the gaps identified by the review in the body of knowledge and on a broader analysis of technology diffusion, the paper highlights the research challenges to be overcome in the advent of digital skin. The paper recommends that researchers follow a coherent process for smart technology design, development and implementation in order to achieve this vision for the construction industry.
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