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Synergising R&D initiatives for e-enhancing management support systems
Abstract
Many R&D projects aim at developing Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) systems for enhancing productivity and performance levels in certain operations within specific segments of construction supply chains e.g. for improved collaborative design management, enhanced material control systems, and streamlined communications management. It is proposed that related R&D outputs now need to be brought together, and efforts made to align future inputs towards a consolidated cluster of systems and tools that could be applied to management support systems across the entire construction supply chain in general. In this context, two ongoing exercises to develop IKM based management support systems for large clients and small and medium contractors respectively are described, and a suggestion made for eventually linking and synergizing the two systems on specific projects through an e-platform for project-based collaborative IKM. This provides an example of the potential synergies in aiming for a convergence of some of the many hitherto parallel (or even divergent) R&D endeavors in construction academia and industry. This should help to overcome some of the obstacles impeding progress towards e-enhanced transactions across the entire supply chain, aiming at efficient e-procurement and e-delivery of construction projects.
... Even though not all activities in the procurement process of construction-related works are electronically executed, the ones conducted online or over a network system have been identified to add significant value to the entire process and related projects. From the specific activities captured under the procurement process to other general procurement-related activities, some of the e-activities under the PP include e-advertisement, e-sourcing, e-tendering/e-bidding, e-invoicing, e-auction, and reverse auction and e-reporting, among others [11,23,[57][58][59][60] etc. Other general related activities include e-informing, e-catalog, and e-valuation, among other electronic execution-related activities [18,61]. ...
Since the advent of the first form of electronic procurement (EP), the procurement process (i.e., the stages and underlying activities) has evolved to transform the world of commerce significantly. In the construction industry, EP has revolutionized the operational schema of traditional procurement and has paved the way for the development, advancement, and application of more intelligent tools for handling and executing procurement activities of infrastructure-related works. Although the development or adoption of EP-related tools has not been encouraging due to the industry’s conservative nature, in this study, we review the evolution and developments of EP to date. It explores the adoption and implementation strategies of extant and projected EP developments and develops a conceptual framework to explicate the developmental transitions of EP. While there are many studies on EP, there is still a long way to transition into a more intelligent execution of EP-related activities. A total of 64 EP-related manuscripts and other valuable studies were examined to realize the stipulated objective as well as identify the thematic constructs developed under the subject matter. The explorations conducted in this study are intended to contribute to the understanding of the extant discussion on both EP and smart procurement (SP), their adoption strategies, implementation, and applications in infrastructure projects. It elucidates the significant constructs that define and underpin the theoretical implications of EP and SP adoption and implementation. Lastly, the framework highlights the projected developments and transition phases of EP to intelligent procurement (IP).
... This indicates that the companies should control the inventory throughout the project, manage the supply chain, establish a sound financial system, hire highly-qualified staff, and select appropriate type and size of machinery to support the PM activities, which in turn affect success in differentiation. Material Management is identified as a critical factor in achieving differentiation in the literature, since the traditional supply chain does not provide a basis for true marketplace differentiation (Bovet, Martha 2000); companies should re-engineer their supply chains in order to achieve product variety, speed, quality and image enhancements in their business (Kumaraswamy et al. 2006). In addition, companies can manage the efficient and effective use of resources by implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. ...
The importance of fit between an organization's implementation of project management (PM), and its business level strategy is emphasized in the literature. However, there are a limited number of studies investigating the relationship between business level strategy and implementation of PM in the construction industry. This paper aligns one of the business strategies, namely differentiation, with the PM process. A framework representing differentiation in the construction industry is proposed in this study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to validate the relationship between differentiation and the PM process. The results show that a relationship between differentiation strategy and PM exists. The two types of differentiation are revealed, namely “product variety and speed-related differentiation” (PSD) and “quality and image-related differentiation” (QID). The companies trying to differentiate based on PSD should focus on cost, time and quality management. Change management and project planning are identified as important drivers of differentiation based on PSD. On the other hand, the companies trying to differentiate on QID should consider health, safety and environmental issues as well as quality. Companies should also manage their resources effectively to support the PM process that in turn leads to successful differentiation. Companies can utilize the research findings as a guideline while formulating their differentiation strategies.
... Due to the involvement of different suppliers in a project, the coordination between these parties is a complex process and supply-chain management becomes a critical success factor. It is argued that companies should re-engineer their supply chains in order to achieve higher productivity and quality enhancements in their businesses (Kumaraswamy et al., 2006). Especially, Qi et al. (2011) determined that the companies focusing on differentiation strategy should concentrate more on agile supply-chain strategy. ...
Purpose
– The positive effect of differentiation strategy on achieving competitive advantage among construction companies is widely acknowledged in the literature. However, there exists only a limited number of studies in the construction management literature that investigate the drivers and modes of differentiation. The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate modes and drivers of differentiation strategy in the Turkish construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
– In this study, based on the results of an extensive literature survey, a set of modes and drivers are defined as well as a conceptual framework to investigate their interrelations. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is proposed as an effective tool to investigate the relations between various factors of differentiation and data regarding the Turkish contractors have been used to demonstrate its applicability.
Findings
– The results demonstrate that construction companies can differentiate on two modes of differentiation, either on “quality and image” or “product variety and speed”. Among the identified drivers, project management capabilities influence “product variety and speed related differentiation” and “quality and image related differentiation” directly; corporate management affects “quality and image related differentiation” directly, whereas corporate management influences “product variety and speed differentiation” indirectly. “Resources” has a strong direct effect on project and corporate management, in addition “resources” influences “product variety and speed related differentiation” and “quality and image related differentiation” modes indirectly through corporate and project management.
Originality/value
– Research findings may help companies to choose an appropriate differentiation mode considering their strengths and weaknesses related with the drivers. Although findings reflect the competitive environment prevailing in the Turkish construction industry, it is believed that the parameters identified in this study can further be used as a benchmark to conduct similar studies in other countries.
... The systems for managing specific internal processes, such as project management systems, ISO document systems, cost and financial control systems, technical information archives or method statement data banks, though varied in degrees of technological sophistication, had already been widely adopted by most contractors to facilitate dissemination and utilisation of explicit knowledge in internal processes. The large contractors with comparatively larger market share and longer operational history within the local market had been in the process of building or deploying an Internet-based corporate wide computer system, which is flexible enough to bring together programme and cost information; to present value analysis-type information to project managers; to enable e-trading in procurement and supply chain management; to offer access to clients for open book framework contracting (Kumaraswamy et al., 2006). In other words, these contractors were endeavouring to use information technology to facilitate more efficient and effective explicit knowledge utilisation and sharing between stakeholders in the supply chain of their business. ...
Information and communication technology infrastructure has changed modern business practice. The ever-changing information and communication technology infrastructure of organizations' is opening new vista, which has not only bundles of opportunities to encash but also tremendous obstacles as survival threats. The concern about organizational competitiveness and development is closely linked to notions of the information sensitive society and global knowledge based economies. The business organizations under global knowledge economy can emerge and grow rapidly by formulating and adopting the innovative business practices. Information's impact is easily seen-it substitutes for inventory, speeds product design and delivery, drives process reengineering, and acts as a coordinating mechanism, helping different members of the supply chain work together effectively. While the potential of information sharing is widely promoted, relatively few companies have fully harnessed its capability to enhance competitive performance. The chapter tries to provide insight into how information and communication technology can be leveraged for supply chain value creation and make it possible to achieve synergy with customer relationship management.
Background: Research and development (R&D) facilities are dependent on knowledge to develop new and improve existing technologies. R&D employees’ perceptions of the use and management of knowledge are important as these individuals are the source of the innovation needed to generate and develop new processes and services.
Objectives: This study aimed to understand Sasol R&D employees’ perceptions of knowledge management (KM). The study also assessed the attitude of Sasol R&D management towards KM.
Method: The target population for this research included different levels of seniority and education in Sasol R&D. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 150 employees in R&D and 50 more who work closely with R&D in support functions.
Results: It was found that the importance of KM is understood by Sasol R&D employees and management. It was established that Sasol R&D management regard KM as important, but that their commitment to KM initiatives is not necessarily evident for employees. A concern highlighted by the study was that employees were not aware of the duties of the identified KM champions within their facility.
Conclusion: It was suggested that Sasol R&D employees should be made aware of the duties of KM champions. It was also established that Sasol R&D management needs to be more visible in their support of KM initiatives. Recommendations based on the findings of the study can assist Sasol R&D, and other facilities attempting to implement a KM strategy, to gain insight into the perceptions of employees and the role management needs to play in the facilitation of this process.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to survey knowledge management (KM) practices and to examine the applications and technologies adopted when developing the knowledge management system (KMS) in build‐to‐order supply chains (BOSC).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a literature review of research articles from 1996 to 2007 with keyword indexes to survey the KM practice, KMS technology and its application in BOSC. Such keyword indexes include: BOSC, SCM, KM, KMS, expert system, knowledge‐based system and information system on the Elsevier online database, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Proquest, Emerald, DOAJ, and Wiley Inter Science. A total of 1,500 articles were found but only 149 articles related to the keywords of KMS application and KM practices within SCM and BOSC.
Findings
The important findings indicate that the KMS application is solely focused on single knowledge problem for enabling individual SC members to attain operational excellence. There is a need for further research into the development of KMS with features of knowledge coordination that cross organizational borders in attaining the BOSC integration.
Research limitations/implications
Perhaps, the limitation of this study was the narrowness of the scope of the paper based on the keywords used for searching.
Practical implications
Validation of the multi‐disciplines of KM practices and KMS applications provides enterprises with useful guidelines for implementing KM‐ and KMS‐related projects within their current BOSC practices.
Originality/value
This paper provides useful knowledge by highlighting the characteristics of KMS technology within BOSC and empirical insights into the relationship between KM and BOSC practices.
Convergence is a term which often used to explain the change of current society, but the meaning of the convergence differs
according to the context. This paper defines convergence based on other research and analyzes 40 articles about convergence
in the ICT area. Each paper was gathered from journals and databases in August of 2010 and was analyzed through a qualitative
meta-analysis method based on the PEST concept. The result of the meta-analysis can be used to understand the current trends
in convergence in ICT environments and to develop a future convergence strategy.
In today’s highly competitive construction business environments, there is a dire
need for information and communication infrastructure that enhances business
operations by allowing organisations to extend information access and processing
capabilities using multiple channels. This paper reports the development of an
information and communication technology (ICT) framework for integrating small
and medium enterprises in construction supply chains. Deploying a well-defined
ICT framework would significantly improve the business operations of small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector. Consequently, this would
enhance delivery of products that meet clients’ requirements, as measured using
key performance indicators such as time, cost, quality and sustainability,
sustainability being measured along three dimensions – economy, environment,
and societal effects. The paper discusses knowledge acquisition to capture domain
business processes, organizational structures and workflows in the target SMEs.
The objectives of the knowledge acquisition exercise include identifying the actors
in an integrated virtual construction SME environment, their user (or expected)
requirements, and workflow practices. The paper outlines the findings from the
workflow analysis exercise, discusses an intelligent information delivery
framework, and gives recommendations for future research and development.
Keywords: Intelligent systems framework, Construction business processes,
decision-support, research and development, workflow.
This paper uses the open systems metaphor to propose advanced information and communications technology (ICT) and distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) techniques that would enhance distributed collaborative working in construction organisations. The metaphor views a construction organisation as a group of cooperating (and sometimes competitive) entities/units that work together to achieve certain individual and cooperative goals of the collaborating entities. In a construction context this translates to achieving design, construction, and product delivery goals. However, while current approaches to modelling problem solving in construction focus on separate views of the product and process components, these models do not capture the actual work practices and social contexts within which construction products are designed, constructed and delivered. The paper contributes to address the existing gap by discussing how the multi-agent paradigm (a DAI technique) can be used to model distributed organisational interactions, and achieve good coordination and communication between distributed project teams. It highlights the research issues and charts some directions for agent and multi-agent theories and applications research in construction.
Worldwide calls for industry improvements and integrated project teams have triggered a proliferation of collaborative working arrangements. This suggests a wider use of Relational Contracting (RC) to formalise such integration. The present study compares various factors and strategies for building an RC-culture. Results of statistical analyses of questionnaire responses from three different countries are presented. Despite the evident differences on the relative priorities of various specific factors, trust/ trust related factors and strategies are seen to be at the core of RC. Also, some factors appear to be more important depending on the project, client, and other contracting parties. However, there are some factors that are substantially common. Moreover, the results indicate the readiness of construction industry stakeholders in these three countries to incorporate RC and teambuilding techniques so as to move faster towards far better performance and value for money.
The UK construction industry has been criticised for poor initial uptake of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and integrated IT systems to support their mainstream activities. In the context of the extent of deployment to the implementation domain and user types, ICT uptake has yet to be recognized by the industry as a whole, when compared to retail, manufacturing and financial service sectors. In addition, there is a considerable amount of ICT deployment in large construction firms who have the ability to invest and maximize the ICT uptake advantage, whilst similar deployment in small to medium sized (SMEs) construction firms-the followers, has been limited. Therefore, the current state of ICT implementation and deployment in the UK construction industry embraces a number of contrasting characteristics: firms who own ICT systems with a wide range of sophisticated applications and (small) organizations who pilot their embryonic, ad-hoc and fragmented ICT practices. Recognizing this, the paper investigates the current state of ICT readiness for use in electronic procurement (e-procurement) among UK construction SMEs, and to identify their enthusiasm and commitment to improve business performance through ICT uptake. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 220 randomly selected construction SMEs in UK. The results indicate that the majority of the surveyed SMEs are not yet ready for ICT implementation to support routine e-procurement activities.
This paper examines the state-of-the-art and development prospects of using e-procurement for projects related to the engineering and contracting (E&C) sector in Italy, through the results of a study carried out during 2001–2002 in collaboration with ANIMP (Italian Association of Industrial Plant Engineering). The companies included in the sample account for 75% of the revenue generated in the sector, (valued at more than $17 billion). Given the globalized reference market and the internationalization of the E&C companies, the results of the study also provide a sound description of the sector's behavior worldwide. Although there are substantial differences between large and medium/small companies, it is evident that a strong information technology (IT) culture has developed at all corporate levels and integrated into working processes, albeit mainly with simpler applications (i.e., e-mail, Web sites, etc). Furthermore, little attention is paid to codesign and coengineering systems, meaning that present e-procurement solutions are limited to the purchase of project materials and systems with low engineering content. The potential savings in adopting e-procurement solutions are estimated to be worth a 7–10% reduction in overall project purchasing costs. This represents at least the 60% of the company annual revenue. Nevertheless, the study highlights ongoing and planned investments that are underfocused, pointing to unconsolidated e-business strategies. The advent of e-procurement is, therefore, likely to lead to profound restructuring of operational practice and the management of internal processes, generating challenges in company culture and personnel training.
Useful synergies are targeted by proposing a convergence of hitherto parallel international endeavours towards: (1) developing better and sustainable relationships for more productive construction project teams, in general; and (2) optimising the necessarily long term contractual arrangements of PPPs in particular. Examples are drawn from Africa and Latin America to reinforce reported PPP experiences from other regions, in building up a case for injecting 'relational contracting approaches' in order to develop more productive and sustainable PPPs. Strong and sustainable relationships are shown to be essential, and complementary to appropriate contractual incentives, that would together empower PPP project teams to focus on developing sustainable infrastructure and ultimately on overall sustainable development. These propositions are merged into a basic model that merits further investigation and development, in order to ensure that planned PPPs benefit the community at large, in respect of both present and future generations.
A Harvard Business School professor Jeffrey Sachs recently announced in the World Economic Forum that Hong Kong has slipped to 13 th place from seventh in its macro-economic competitiveness index (Pritchard, 2001). Analysis by the Construction Industry Review Committee (CIRC) also found that the average construction cost for producing high quality high-rise office buildings is some 49% more expensive than that in Singapore (CIRC, 2001). Traditionally, the industry has a fragmented structure and as a result the construction process is not conducive to the effective delivery and promotion of research and development with a client focus. What is needed is a collaborative model, which harnesses the concerted efforts between the industry and academia towards serving Hong Kong's future needs. This paper presents a Construction Industry Institute (CII) model, which is established recently in Hong Kong to help the industry to work in collaboration with the local research community. The mission of the newly established organisation, the Construction Industry Institute, Hong Kong (CII-HK) will be discussed. Its operational model and governance structure will be described. A framework of research interests consistent with the CII mission will also be presented.
Diverse construction project stakeholders demand “fully-informed” and well-balanced decisions that target multiple objectives appropriately. This paper introduces initiatives into the development of a cluster of information and communication technology-artificial intelligence supported empowerment systems and sub-systems. Examples presented include conceptual models and/or descriptions of: the framework of an over-arching management support system (MSS); multi-agent support for improved collaborative working in: design development and relationally integrated supply chain management; and web-based quality management.
Partnering in Hong Kong construction projects has been boosted by the recommendations of the Tang Report, as well as by the reportedly positive experiences of a few quasi-governmental and private clients. However, these experiences need to be carefully analysed, compared, consolidated and codified in a 'body of knowledge' that can help clients, consultants and contractors who are considering (or have recently commenced) partnering. This body of knowledge is expected to have both 'generalisable' and 'Hong Kong specific' segments. This paper reports on a case-study of a partnered housing project, against a background of salient features elicited from a cluster of recently reported partnered projects. The underlying objective is to contribute to both the structure and contents of a planned knowledge-base of partnered projects. This knowledge-base is being formulated to help potential partners to identify and overcome common barriers, maximise potential strengths and minimise possible weaknesses in project partnering arrangements.
Despite increasing numbers of Joint Ventures (JVs) between construction organisations, sustainable technology transfers (TTs) have rarely been achieved. These JVs may be between consultants, or between contractors. Furthermore, they may be between (a) overseas and local organisations, or (b) large-scale and small & medium enterprises (LSEs and SMEs). Whatever the origin, if the JV is 'non-integrated' in terms of its organisational structure and work package allocations, there is little chance of effective TT and of developing potential synergies. Even JVs that are organisationally (structurally) 'integrated' -where members from both companies work together in common work packages (rather than separately on different packages) -cannot realistically develop their potential synergies, unless they are 'relationally integrated'. Drawing on (a) recent exhortations for integrated construction project teams for 'accelerating change' in the UK, and (b) ongoing research in Hong Kong into assembling relationally integrated project teams, this paper develops a basic framework for: (1) relational integration, mutual technology transfers and knowledge exchange between team members across JVs, and (2) ICT-aided collaborative systems that will empower and sustain such integration and exchange. These can next be extended and expanded into longer-term relational networks that will survive the project and surpass initial expectations.
The advent of e-commerce is revolutionising the way individuals and businesses procure goods and services. There has been tremendous growth in the so-called ''Business-to-Customer'' (B2C) transactions, with the most significant impact on business processes expected to be made by ''Business-to- Business'' (B2B) transactions. While other industry sectors are rising to the challenges of e-commerce, the construction industry has been relatively slow to respond. This is due in part to the industry's conservative culture, as well as the lack of appropriate applications to facilitate B2B transactions between myriad groupings and disciplines that make up the construction industry. This paper explores the electronic procurement of construction products on the web and presents an application that is intended to facilitate e-commerce in construction by matching customer requirements with available products. Research issues and implications for the wider construction industry are drawn from the lessons learned in developing the prototype application.
A continuous miner section at Western Fuels-Utah Inc.'s Deserado Mine in Rangely, CO is the test facility for the research. Power transducers located in the sections load center provide kilowatt versus time data from continuous section equipment. The IDSS pattern recognition algorithms classify the kilowatt versus time patterns into individual machine operating modes. It produces an output similar to a typical industrial engineering time study but continuously, automatically and without an engineer in the section. To acquire sufficient detail for pattern recognition purposes, researchers sampled kilowatt versus time data at 10-20 Hz. They collected data for algorithm development with a portable PC and a Keithley Series 500 data acquisition system (a 14-bit A/D converter).
The $3.7 billion Chad-Cameroon pipeline delivered first oil to the Kribi floating export terminal, off the Atlantic coast, last 10/3/2003. The pipeline was full and a first cargo of crude was lifted, promoting Chad to the ranks of world oil exporter. Three oilfields in the Doba Basin (Bolobo, Miandoum, and Komé), in Chad, have been developed to export up to 225,000 bpd of crude through a 30-in. dia buried pipeline. The remoteness of the area mean huge logistical challenges for the contractors. Parts of southern Chad were transformed as a result of the huge investment in the transport infrastructure, to upgrade railways, roads, and bridges, simply to deliver materials to site. A 120 Mw power station was also built to supply power to the project.
Establishing synergistic supply chains in general and optimizing source selection in particular play a significant role in the overall success of any construction project. The generic objective of the source selection process is to identify a ‘capable’ source from among those ‘competent’ and ‘credible’ applicants whose performance can be expected to best meet the clients’ requirements at an affordable and optimal cost. This paper examines relevant selection processes along different construction supply chain routes such as ‘design-bid-build’, ‘design-build’, ‘design-build-maintain’, ‘design-build-operate’ and ‘build-operate-transfer’. A cross-section of different source selection practices by various clients is also provided for benchmarking and improving current practices, for example, towards enhanced value across each link of the supply chain.
Small and Medium Contractors (SMCs) constitute the largest number of business organisations, employ the highest number of employees and make up the biggest segment of the construction sector in most countries, if not all. Moreover, they carry out the largest share of the actual construction works in terms of value, working as subcontractors on large projects and main contractors on smaller projects. Therefore, no improvement initiatives can be achieved without addressing the problems of SMCs and improving their competitiveness. The present paper reports on a recently launched Research and Development (R&D) project in Hong Kong, designed to improve the efficiency of SMCs, and that can eventually feedback into industry improvement. The paper coveys highlights from a preliminary "Needs Analysis" study and consequential conceptualisations for SMC development.
Despite perceived industry needs for developing, a centralized contractor registration (CCR) system, such a system is still to be developed for a multiclient environment such as Hong Kong. A major barrier is that such, a CCR system must be relatively easy to access to ensure that (i) contractors' information is constantly updated (by contractors), (ii) contractors' performance is reported promptly (by project teams and occupiers), and (iii) the latest analyzed information is available to any authorized clients anytime anywhere. A centralized multiclient cooperative contractor registration (CMCCR) system is proposed using web-based technology, which provides a powerful communication medium with a high potential for satisfying the above requirements. The conceptual framework of the proposed CMCCR system is presented, and the concept is illustrated through a prototype based on information collected in Hong Kong. The initial observations indicate that web-based technology is suitable for the proposed CMCCR system, and that the development of a fully functional web-based CMCCR is both feasible and useful.
The design-build procurement route is gaining popularity and being extensively used by many clients. Scrutinizing the capabilities of design-build "candidate" organizations (who submit proposals for prequalification/short listing), is a complex task that demands the evaluation of several quantitative and qualitative attributes. The crucial task of design-builder prequalification needs multidisciplinary expertise that often poses tough challenges to many construction clients. A Hong Kong based cross-sectional research study of various international clients' design-builder selection approaches unveiled several selection strategies and criteria used; and benchmarked some best practices. Based on such consolidated knowledge, a structured design-builder selection model was developed. The conceptualized frameworks for design-builder prequalification are described in this paper. An overview of the development and preliminary validation of a prototype web-based decision support system for design-builder prequalification is also presented in this paper.
This paper focuses on the outcomes of the second survey in a broad Hong Kong-based study on joint risk management (JRM) through relational contracting (RC). The questionnaire survey itself focused on issues relating to the formation of a coalesced team for JRM at the postcontract stage, comprising owners, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Results indicate the greater importance of more relational, trust, and joint responsibility-related factors in general, both for selecting different parties and for building a successful relational contract. While some differences in group perceptions emerge, respondents recommend mobilizing project participants at earlier stages of projects, that is, mostly before the contract award, and they strongly support the JRM option for managing various unforeseen risks. Respondents also suggest adjustment/extension of contract provisions for managing unforeseen events, indicating emerging preferences for flexibility in contracts. All these are indicative of a perceived trend toward more RC, teamworking, and collaborative working environments.
Worldwide initiatives to improve construction industry performance converge on the common need for more effective team-working. This is increasingly critical in the context of complex multiparticipant construction projects. Clashes of organizational, operational, national, and/or professional cultures point to the need for "relational integration" as a prerequisite for such synergistic teamworking. This paper draws on recent approaches to promoting trust and cooperation through (1) basic teambuilding techniques in general and (2) partnering and alliancing in construction projects. It then focuses on analyzing the views of Singapore-based contractors as derived from a survey to elicit the hypothesized 28 factors facilitating relationally integrated teambuilding, and 31 factors deterring such integration in construction project teams. On the whole: (1) 27 of the 28 factors facilitating integrated project team, and 26 of the 31 factors deterring integrated project team, are significant; (2) these two sets of factors could be represented by four and five "broad factors," respectively; and (3) except in a few cases, respondents from large and medium companies, as well as with and without experience in RC, have similar perceptions of the importance levels of different factors. These two sets of critical factors, as identified in this paper, complement two other previously isolated sets of factors that facilitate or deter a "relational contracting" culture. Taken together, they feed into a consolidated strategy for releasing the latent energies and potential synergies that should yield the much higher construction project performance levels that have been called for worldwide.
Many previous studies on partnering have focused on the attitudes and concerns of clients and main contractors. This paper aims at examining the views of consultants and subcontractors and investigating the ways in which they can affect the success of partnering arrangements. An initial questionnaire survey was conducted to compare and contrast the criteria and contributory factors for partnering success, together with the associated benefits, as perceived by different parties with experience in public housing projects in Hong Kong. The findings were supplemented by a partnering case study on a specific project. A project-based questionnaire survey of the participants was conducted, in parallel with interviews with the partnering 'champions' on this project. Preliminary suggestions are formulated based on the clustered consultant-specific and subcontractor-specific viewpoints on partnering. These initially suggested strategies, which need to be tested further, aim to enhance partnering success by integrating the consultants and subcontractors more closely into the envisaged client-main contractor partnership team. It is proposed that more attention is needed on these aspects, in order to fill any critical gaps and weak links in the 'partnering chain', that can otherwise reduce the potential benefits from partnering in construction projects.
A Hong Kong-based study of factors affecting construction industry performance levels confirms that selection methodologies and decisions are critical, both at the upstream formulation of procurement and operational systems themselves as well as the downstream selection of various project participants. Needs are identified for a holistic approach to broader procurement choices that incorporate all procurement sub-systems, an integration with synergistic operational sub-systems and more informed and intelligent participant choices. The many interacting variables and potential information overload point to the consequential need for harnessing IT/IS (information technology/information systems) to enable smarter selections at all stages of the construction supply chain. Frameworks and sample modules of the proposed knowledge-based decision aids are presented in the case of overall procurement system selection and contractor selection.
Contractor performance should be monitored and controlled on a regular basis, so that any undesirable shortfalls or failures could be identified and rectified without further losses or delays. However, contractor Performance Appraisal and Reporting (PAR) has been conducted in an ad hoc manner and is usually limited to independent project level exercises. The needs for a more structured approach to PAR and the potential benefits of reviewing contractor performance at an organizational level (i.e. by covering the overall project portfolio) lead to a proposal for an industry-wide dynamic PAR system. Advancements in World Wide Web techniques provide enhanced capacities to collect compile and disseminate performance-related information to various construction stakeholders in a timely and cost-effective manner. This paper describes the conceptual framework formulated for an e-Reporting system in the form of a web-based PAR. The system design and a brief overview of a prototype e-Reporting system are also provided. The potential applications of the e-Reporting system in dynamic decision support scenarios are also discussed.
While the number of articles on IT evaluation and benefits management has been substantial, limited attention has been given to these topics in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly the construction industry. This paper presents findings from a questionnaire survey that sought to examine the approaches used by 126 construction organisations to evaluate and justify their IT investments, as well as the benefits and costs that they have experienced due to IT implementation. The analysis of their responses identified three key findings. Firstly, different organisation types significantly differ in the amount they invest in IT and their firm size (in terms of turnover and number of employees) does not influence investment levels in IT. Secondly, the evaluation process adopted by construction SMEs is used as for both control and learning. Thirdly, a major barrier to justifying IT investments was attributed to having no strategic vision. While organisations experienced no significant differences in the tactical and operational benefits incurred after the adoption of IT, differences were found with respect to the strategic benefits. If construction SMEs are to leverage the benefits of IT, then this should form an integral part of their business strategy. Considering this, recommendations for IT evaluation for construction SMEs that are also pertinent for SMEs operating in other industry sectors, are presented.
The growing need for improved construction procurement and managerial systems, point to the usefulness of a knowledge-based advisory system to help optimise such decisions, amidst the multiplicity of project variables. This new system would harness lessons learnt from past and present research and practice. A Hong Kong based study on a sample of different building projects and professionals, has yielded ‘knowledge’ that has been analysed and structured into pilot/sample core modules of a proposed knowledge-based decision support system. Results from statistical analysis of the data and an Artificial Neural Network model confirmed the value of the proposed system. An extended study to gather more data/knowledge is recommended to further develop the proposed system, using the methodology presented in this paper.
Despite several strident calls for industry-wide reforms, construction industries remain ‘disabled’ by apparently congenital defects and inherent weaknesses. A barrage of remedial reforms and revisions of procurement regulations, practices, and contracting styles have been recently targeting enhanced value, superior performance, overall satisfaction and harmony. Many of these initiatives focus on integration of construction supply chains through significant upheavals in contractual arrangements, operational styles and contractor selection approaches, often using relational contracting approaches such as partnering, alliancing and even deeper collaborative/relation-building bonding initiatives. This paper is based on a synergistic integration of relevant results from a series of related research studies, as reinforced by knowledge distilled from other studies and experiences, and as reported in the recent literature. A relationally reinforced supply chain integration model is developed in this paper, to supplement the basic transactional contractual links and to release the latent energies that are needed to elevate construction industries in many countries.
In order to have an answer to the exigencies imposed by the market, production management must take into account and optimize the exchange of data with the environment of the firm (clients, providers, partners). Information technologies, such as Internet, can provide SMEs with appropriate solutions. We propose here a methodology to analyse and design an extended production management system. The agricultural cooperative case study illustrates the definition of a solution dedicated to the needs of reactivity in synergy with one's partners' network.
Many researchers have advocated the development and application of a systematic approach to the selection of procurement processes. Different procurement selection models aimed at improving the decision making process have been proposed. These models generally fail to address the fuzziness of selection criteria used for procurement selection. The aim of this paper is to establish the fuzzy membership function of procurement selection criteria through an empirical study conducted in Australia. Seven procurement selection criteria were considered fuzzy in nature. They are speed, complexity, flexibility, responsibility, quality level, risk allocation, and price competition. The fuzzy membership functions for each of these seven fuzzy procurement selection criteria were derived through a modified horizontal approach.
The appropriate contracting method and the contract documents for any construction project depend on the nature of the project, but an appropriate contracting method coupled with clear and equitable contract documents do not by themselves ensure project success where people work together in the face of uncertainty and complexity with diverse interests and conflicting agendas. The attitudes of the contracting parties and the co-operative relationships among the project participants are important for successful project delivery. These are examined in the light of transaction cost economics and relational contracting (RC) principles. It is found that RC may well be a useful route towards reduced transaction costs, while also fostering co-operative relationships and better teamwork that in turn facilitate joint risk management (JRM). The usefulness of the latter is reinforced by relevant observations from a recent Hong Kong-based survey, followed by a case study in Mainland China. A basic model is conceptualized for improved project delivery via JRM. This is also seen to be reinforceable by further transactional efficiencies that can be achieved through other RC-based approaches, such as partnering or alliancing.
Interoperability of Project Information on Construction Procurement
- K T C Tse
- A K D Wong
- F K W Wong
K.T.C. Tse, A.K.D. Wong, F.K.W. Wong, Interoperability of Project Information on Construction Procurement, CIB W92/T23/W107, Interna-tional Symposium on Procurement Systems, Las Vegas, USA, vol. 1, 2005, pp. 297 – 304.
Tools and Techniques for Intelligent Project Management Information Systems: Heralding a new Project Management Paradigm
- K K Manivong
- A Jaafari
- D Gunaratnam
K.K. Manivong, A. Jaafari, D. Gunaratnam, Tools and Techniques for Intelligent Project Management Information Systems: Heralding a new Project Management Paradigm, 1st Intl. Conf. on Construction in the 21st Century, Miami, USA, 2002, pp. 617 – 623.
Towards ICT-enhanced management support systems for optimising infrastructure procurement
- M M Kumaraswamy
- E Palaneeswaran
- S T Ng
M.M. Kumaraswamy, E. Palaneeswaran, S.T. Ng, Towards ICT-enhanced management support systems for optimising infrastructure procurement, International Journal of IT in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction 2 (3) (2004) 191 – 203.
Contractor Prequalification Expert System for Design – Build projects, 5th Intnl Conference on the Applica-tions of Artificial Intelligence to Civil and Structural Engineering
- E Palaneeswaran
- M M Kumaraswamy
E. Palaneeswaran, M.M. Kumaraswamy, Contractor Prequalification Expert System for Design – Build projects, 5th Intnl. Conference on the Applica-tions of Artificial Intelligence to Civil and Structural Engineering, Oxford, UK, B.H.V., Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, Sep. 1999, pp. 103 – 112.
The Diffusion of ICT Innovation within Large Australian Construction Organizations
- V Peansupap
V. Peansupap The Diffusion of ICT Innovation within Large Australian Construction Organizations, unpublished Ph.D. thesis, RMIT University, Australia, 2005.
Employing RFID technology in Construction
- M Clark
M. Clark, Employing RFID technology in Construction, Hong Kong Engineer, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, July 2004, p. 18.
Partnering with the tenants — Hong Kong experience
- E Sze
- M Kumaraswamy
- A Fung
- E Palaneeswaran
- S Wong
E. Sze, M. Kumaraswamy, A. Fung, E. Palaneeswaran, S. Wong, Partnering with the tenants — Hong Kong experience, 20th ARCOM Conference Sep. Edinburgh, UK, vol. 1, 2004, pp. 309 – 320.
FWeb-based Decision Support for improved Infrastructure Project Management
- M M Kumaraswamy
- E Palaneeswaran
- T S T Ng
M.M. Kumaraswamy, E. Palaneeswaran, T.S.T. Ng, FWeb-based Decision Support for improved Infrastructure Project Management,_ International Conference in FInnovation and Sustainable Development in the 21st Century,_ Beijing, China, China Society of Civil Engineers and Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Aug. 1 – 3 2002, pp. 317 – 322.
FBalancing Contractual and Relational Approaches for PPP success and sustainability_, Confer-ence on Public Private Partnerships — Opportunities and Challenges, Feb
- M M Kumaraswamy
- A Anvuur
- M M Rahman
M.M. Kumaraswamy, A. Anvuur, M.M. Rahman, FBalancing Contractual and Relational Approaches for PPP success and sustainability_, Confer-ence on Public Private Partnerships — Opportunities and Challenges, Feb. 22, 2005, Hong Kong, CICID, The University of Hong Kong and HKIE Civil Divisions, 105-114.
Engineering and Construction Collaboration using Information Technology
- Liu
L.Y. Liu, C. Erikson, Engineering and Construction Collaboration using Information Technology, 1st Intl. Conf. on Construction in the 21st Century, Miami, USA, 2002, pp. 521 – 528.
Intelligent Information Delivery Maturity Model for Integrating SMEs in Construction Supply Chains
- S W Rahman
- V Poon
- Lo
Rahman, S.W. Poon, V. Lo, Intelligent Information Delivery Maturity Model for Integrating SMEs in Construction Supply Chains, in: T.C.
Analyzing the application of Information and Communication Technology for Construction KMS
- T S Lee
- H C Lee
- Y H Kim
T.S. Lee, H.C. Lee, Y.H. Kim, Analyzing the application of Information and Communication Technology for Construction KMS, 1st Intl. Conf. on Construction in the 21st Century, Miami, USA, 2002, pp. 529 – 535.
RFID Technology is set to change the way we shop
- Shelton
J. Shelton, RFID Technology is set to change the way we shop, South China Morning Post, vol. 12, April 2005, p. S4.
Pockets of ignorance amidst packets of progress
- Kumaraswamy
M.M. Kumaraswamy, Pockets of ignorance amidst packets of progress, R.
Towards ICT-enhanced management support systems for optimising infrastructure procurement
- Kumaraswamy
Interoperability of Project Information on Construction Procurement, CIB W92/T23/W107
- Tse