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Cycle time reduction is important for order fulling process but often subject to resource constraints. This study considers an unrelated parallel machine environment where orders with random demands arrive dynamically. Processing speeds are controlled by resource allocation and subject to diminishing marginal returns. The objective is to minimize long-run expected order cycle time via order schedule and resource allocation decisions.

A stochastic optimization algorithm named CAP is proposed based on particle swarm optimization framework. It takes advantage of derived bound information to improve local search efficiency. Parameter impacts including demand variance, product type number, machine speed and resource coefficient are also analyzed through theoretic studies. The algorithm is evaluated and benchmarked with four well-known algorithms via extensive numerical experiments.

First, cycle time can be significantly improved when demand randomness is reduced via better forecasting. Second, achieving processing balance should be of top priority when considering resource allocation. Third, given marginal returns on resource consumption, it is advisable to allocate more resources to resource-sensitive machines.

A novel PSO-based optimization algorithm is proposed to jointly optimize order schedule and resource allocation decisions in a dynamic environment with random demands and stochastic arrivals. A general quadratic resource consumption function is adopted to better capture diminishing marginal returns.

Proper prediction of productivity can enable the enhanced estimation, realistic scheduling, and accurate cost forecasting of construction processes. Due to the existence of different labor sources (unionized and non-unionized), the prediction of productivity is still a significant problem in India. Moreover, the construction procurement processes and on-site performance are the predominant elements that can result in improved project outcomes. Thereby, the consideration of labor constraints and site conditions will play an important role in productivity improvement.

This study investigates the factors affecting construction site productivity. A total of 28 factors are grouped under 7 categories as follows: labor constraints, safety and quality procurements, material and equipment (ME), site management, project working condition, delay controls, construction methods and techniques, and external factors. Furthermore, by involving these factors, the questionnaire survey was conducted among Indian construction practitioners. As a result, 204 responses were received and the data were analyzed using a reliability test, relative importance index (RII), and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The result of this study highlighted the importance of strategic construction management activities in terms of effective planning of ME, planning and realistic scheduling of construction activities, proper communication, information sharing, etc. Thus, this study provides a clear insight to the Indian construction practitioners in determining the effect of these site factors on the successful execution of their projects.

In this paper, the problem of construction productivity in India and its causes are explained effectively. This study examines the preference of labor contract, labor source, and most importantly, the factors affecting site productivity. Moreover, the other lagging issues regarding the management of construction activities are also described in detail.

The implementation and control processes of project planning and scheduling involve a wide range of methods and tools. Despite the development and modification and integration of the project management theory with newer scheduling approaches in particular, practitioners’ views on the efficiency and effectiveness of these methods and tools differ. This situation can be attributed in part to a lack of understanding of the most appropriate basis for implementing these methods and tools. This study, therefore, aims to overcome this deficiency by conceptualizing and adopting a taxonomy of planning and scheduling methods.

The study is based on a review and discourse analysis of the literature covering a large number of theoretical and empirical studies. The underlying theories of various planning and scheduling methods were analyzed with respect to the taxonomy criteria adopted in the study.

Using the taxonomy, the key characteristics of planning and scheduling methods considered in this study were identified and interpreted. These included concepts and theories; key features; suitability and usability; and benefits and limitations. Overall, the findings suggest that project managers should consider taxonomy as a support tool for selecting and prioritizing the most appropriate method or combination of methods for managing their projects. Recommendations include the need for more advanced or multi-dimensional taxonomies to cope with the diversity of project type and size.

The results of the study allow project managers to improve their current practices by utilizing taxonomy when considering the implementation of planning and scheduling methods. Moreover, taxonomy can be considered as a tool to promote learning on the part of those less experienced in planning and scheduling. Taxonomy can be considered as an initial platform for further research in this area.

A conceptual framework for structuring a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) environment called an open automation architecture (OAA) is proposed. The framework is based on the open‐systems approach to information system development. OAA proposes partitioning of the manufacturing environment into autonomous manufacturing entities called logical manufacturing shops, that communicate and cooperate during the manufacturing of products. The partitioning in OAA is not based on the traditional structuring of machines on the shop floor. Each logical manufacturing shop is structured to provide for data and process integration within its processing domain, supported by a stable grouping of machines on the shop floor. The framework is illustrated with a manufacturing case and a discussion of information system support in the form of expert systems.

The Iron Triangle, also called the Triple Constraint, is a central concept to project management research and practice, representing the relationship between key performance criteria. However, there is disagreement about which criteria should be represented on the vertices of this triangle. The purpose of this paper is to explore which concepts are part of the Iron Triangle, and how these concepts have changed over time.

This paper explores 45 years of project management research, drawing on a database of 109,804 records from 1970 to 2015. Three corpora were constructed, representing the project management and Time, Cost, and Quality Management literature. Time and Cost are consistently identified as part of the Iron Triangle. However, the status of quality is contested. Key concepts in the project management literature were explored using scientometric research techniques, to understand the relationship between these concepts.

Significant links were found between Time, Cost, and Quality, verifying these concepts as the vertices on the Iron Triangle. These links were significantly stronger than links to alternatives, such as Scope, Performance, or Requirements. Other concepts that are core to the Iron Triangle were also identified, and how these have changed over time.

This research develops the understanding of a key project management concept by clarifying which concepts are part of the Iron Triangle, based on evidence of how the concept is used in research. This paper also reveals the context in which this concept is used, and how this has changed over the last 45 years.

This paper examines the corporate policies on workplace relationships in the insurance industry. It consists of identifying whether the 48 insurance companies found in the Fortune 500 have any policies that restrict employees from dating each other within their organization and if so, what were these restrictions. In addition, 235 employees in the insurance field were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the positive and/or negative effects of romantic relationships had in their workplace environment. These results were examined from a Platonic perspective with a recommendation for a code of ethics developed from policies existing in other insurance companies and suggested by the current literature.

Many applications of Building Information modelling (BIM) are already integrated into project management processes. However, the construction industry is suffering from poor decision-making, especially during procurement where fundamental decisions are made. To make the best decisions at earlier project stages, such as design, large amount of information needs to be processed and classified. Therefore, this study seeks to create a Decision Support System (DSS) for construction procurement through the application of existing informatics infrastructure and BIM applications.

Literature review expert interviews and case studies with complex procurement considerations were used to identify and validate attributes and criterions for procurement decision-making. Accordingly, Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) methodology was used and mathematical models were driven as the foundation for a DSS.

Five major criterions of time, cost, relationship quality, sustainability and quality of work performed was identified for complex construction procurement decision-making. Accordingly, a DSS structure and mathematical model was proposed. Based on this a model architecture was developed for the integration of the DSS into Autodesk Revit as a BIM platform, and assist in pre-contract decision-making.

The results can be used in pre-contract selection processes via currently used BIM applications. The model architecture can integrate DSS outputs to nD models, cloud systems and potentially virtual reality facilities to facilitate better construction operations and smarter more automated processes.

This study formulates and captures complex and unstructured information on construction procurement into a practical DSS model. The study provides a link to integrate solutions with already available platforms and technologies. The study also introduces the concept of designing for procurement; which can be expanded to other challenging decisions during construction.

The organization of companies’ information technology (IT) functions has been studied and described in three ways: on a centralization‐decentralization continuum, on the basis of technological architecture, and, for multinational companies, as reflective of their strategic focus. This research proposes a classification of organizational structures based on the tension between business units and IT departments in the delivery of IT services. Using a cluster analysis on a sample of 40 companies having corporate offices in the USA or The Netherlands, it identifies four basic structures or patterns that describe the similarities and differences in the way IT services are handled. The paper then describes the implications of these structures for companies that are considering the redesign or restructure of their information technology function.

We examine how the ability of one actor to gain access to resources controlled by another depends on two factors: (i) the number of mutual acquaintances connecting the prospective lender and borrower and (ii) the scarcity of the resources in question. We argue that the incentives to renege on an agreement grow as the resources being traded become increasingly scarce. Mutual acquaintances, however, dampen these incentives, and therefore become more important to facilitating exchange as demand for the good of interest rises. Our analysis of qualitative and quantitative evidence from a study of senior partners at an international consultancy supports these propositions.

This paper deals with the organizing of interactive product development. Developing products in interaction between firms may provide benefits in terms of specialization, increased innovation, and possibilities to perform development activities in parallel. However, the differentiation of product development among a number of firms also implies that various dependencies need to be dealt with across firm boundaries. How dependencies may be dealt with across firms is related to how product development is organized. The purpose of the paper is to explore dependencies and how interactive product development may be organized with regard to these dependencies.

The analytical framework is based on the industrial network approach, and deals with the development of products in terms of adaptation and combination of heterogeneous resources. There are dependencies between resources, that is, they are embedded, implying that no resource can be developed in isolation. The characteristics of and dependencies related to four main categories of resources (products, production facilities, business units and business relationships) provide a basis for analyzing the organizing of interactive product development.

Three in-depth case studies are used to explore the organizing of interactive product development with regard to dependencies. The first two cases are based on the development of the electrical system and the seats for Volvo’s large car platform (P2), performed in interaction with Delphi and Lear respectively. The third case is based on the interaction between Scania and Dayco/DFC Tech for the development of various pipes and hoses for a new truck model.

The analysis is focused on what different dependencies the firms considered and dealt with, and how product development was organized with regard to these dependencies. It is concluded that there is a complex and dynamic pattern of dependencies that reaches far beyond the developed product as well as beyond individual business units. To deal with these dependencies, development may be organized in teams where several business units are represented. This enables interaction between different business units’ resource collections, which is important for resource adaptation as well as for innovation. The delimiting and relating functions of the team boundary are elaborated upon and it is argued that also teams may be regarded as actors. It is also concluded that a modular product structure may entail a modular organization with regard to the teams, though, interaction between business units and teams is needed. A strong connection between the technical structure and the organizational structure is identified and it is concluded that policies regarding the technical structure (e.g. concerning “carry-over”) cannot be separated from the management of the organizational structure (e.g. the supplier structure). The organizing of product development is in itself a complex and dynamic task that needs to be subject to interaction between business units.