Dissertations for Construction Project Management (CPM)

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Browsing Dissertations for Construction Project Management (CPM) by Subject "construction industry"

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    Examining The Utilization of Scrum by Engineering Consultants to Manage Construction Projects from Initiation until Closing
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-02) Mazin Ali Almomani, Rakan
    The construction industry is considered a key contributing factor to almost every countries’ economy. Taking that into account, having strong, stable and successfully completed projects from A to Z is a vital component in determining the further development of a countries infrastructure and its position within the market and overall GDP. As of decades past, construction projects have been managed by applying the traditional project management methodologies or what is known as waterfall methodology, which is sequential in nature where construction activities flow in a sequence (a finish to start relationship). This sequential pattern also applies to other project phases, such as pre and post construction phase (execution phase). Many projects around the world have been successfully completed, in terms of time and cost, when managed by the traditional methodology, but at the same time there have been many that have not reached completion in particular complex projects or mega projects where multiple parties are involved. Construction projects go through many phases before it remotely reaches the construction phase (Execution phase), which is usually executed and completed by a contractor after the project has been designed and specified by a consultant. The role and involvement of a Client in construction projects is usually shallow and their main communication is with the project consultant as it is the responsibility of the project consultant to manage proper execution and timeline. The consultant’s role exceeds beyond the design phase into supervision as the project commences and begins to be erected from the ground up as well as work as the client’s representative in monitoring the project’s duration, cost and even selecting materials on behalf of the client. Clients usually do not get deeply involved in their projects due to their limited experience and knowledge in this type of works and so they go on to hire consultants on their behalf, which in many cases creates conflict and may cause delays and cost overrun due to rework and losses of materials. Throughout decades, many professionals in construction and managing construction projects tried to apply different methodologies and solutions striving for the completion of successful projects that were on time and within budget and most importantly matched the client’s desires and expectations. One of the latest project management methodologies is Scrum, which is considered an agile methodology. This methodology has many features that can be utilized to enhance managing construction projects by the traditional methodology. This research will discuss the utilization of Scrum in managing construction projects from a consultant’s point of view, since it can be applied in many phases apart from the construction phase, which is usually handled by contractors and in general wider than client’s scope in managing construction projects. Scrum may not be a comprehensive methodology to manage construction projects, but it has proved to be sufficient and effective when applied in certain phases, or in managing certain activities within certain phases. This research will describe Scrum in depth, show results from applying Scrum as the only methodology to manage certain phases, how it can be combined with the traditional methodology to accomplish the desired results, and how Scrum can positively affect time, cost, and overall client satisfaction.
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    The Implementation of Agile Project Management Using BIM Influences on the Construction Industry in The UAE Sector
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-12) DABASH, OMAR SALAH
    This paper will explore the application of Agile project management principles in the construction industry using building information modelling (BIM) to examine the outcomes in the UAE industry sector by performing quantitative research. Certain principles of Agile project management and BIM which are highly related to the success of the construction projects were tested. Participants were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale how effective having an iterative process, flexibility, and collaborative culture which are the independent Agile variable factors being studied. Furthermore, participants were asked to rate their belief on how BIM can contribute to enhancing time management, resource management and waste reduction, which are the dependent variable factors being studied. A correlation is made between time, resource, and waste reduction with the agile factors in the UAE construction industry. It was found that applying Agile project management through the aid of BIM can have positive implications such as reducing projects’ duration cycle and enhance resource management and reducing waste in the UAE construction industry
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    A Study into the Adoption of Internet of Things – IoT Technologies within Contractors in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-11) Al-Amleh, Khalel
    Purpose – The construction industry has remained conservative and lagged in the implementation of technology. Although the industry has a fragmented nature and plays a critical role in social and economic development, technology is adversely limited. Due to technology's role to improve productivity, save time, and enhance stakeholder satisfaction, the construction industry has an opportunity to improve its performance and safety. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate the adoption of the internet of things technologies within contracting organizations in the Emirate of Dubai. Methodology – Through a quantitative approach, a total of 116 construction professionals participated in a distributed online questionnaire. All the respondents were professional engineers with experience and knowledge of construction activities. Descriptive analysis using the Relative Importance Index - RII technique was used to rate the collected data according to respondents. Regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses and Multiple linear regression was utilized to develop a prediction model. Findings – According to respondents, when asked on the types of IoT technologies utilized by their organizations BIM, smartphones, and cloud storage systems were the contractors' leading types of IoT technologies adopted. When tackling the areas of IoT technologies implementation, the top three areas were data exchange, data capturing & display and site supervision. All the studied internal and external factors promoting adoption were statistically significant when tested. The top three internal factors were communication, productivity, and management & procurement. The top three external factors were stakeholder satisfaction, competitive advantage, and government regulations. When challenges were tested for significance, three out of seven were statistically insignificant namely lack of leadership commitment, culture and resistance to change and connectivity issues. Currently, the leading challenges that must be addressed to promote adoption were the cost of implementation and staff training. When advantages were studied, the top three were enhanced communication, timesaving, and productivity. Research Limitations – The project focused on a small geographical area which is the Emirate of Dubai hence, it may lack generalizability. At the same time, a relatively small sample size (n=116) was used in the study. Besides, the project focused only on contractors in the construction industry. It is recommended that future researchers expand their studies' scope to evaluate IoT technologies in other parts of the country as well as the globe. Moreover, they should focus on other players in the construction industry, besides contractors. Theoretical Contributions – This research provides a never-done-before look at the current state of IoT technologies adoption within contractors in the Emirate of Dubai. The used methodology and developed model will enrich existing literature by providing a framework to help adopt IoT technologies within contracting organizations. The research helps bridge the gap in existing literature related to the role of IoT technologies within the construction sector in the Emirate of Dubai and understand how this adoption affected the sector. Practical Implications – From the research results, it was evident that contractors in Dubai are utilizing and relying on IoT technologies to enhance data collection and sharing, leading to improving their productivity and managing time and cost overruns. This research provides a practical guideline for willing contractors to embrace IoT technologies. Therefore, this research is of value not only to contracting organizations but rather to all organizations within the industry who are planning to adopt new technologies. Social Implications – For contractors willing to embrace IoT technologies, it is recommended that they start training their workforce on the use of IoT technologies and create partnerships to deal with cost challenges. If implemented, this would create new business opportunities and job vacancies that would affect multiple sectors within the economy.