Dissertations for Construction Project Management (CPM)

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

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    Investigation of Forming a Framework to shortlist contractors in the tendering phase
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-10) DABASH, MOHANNAD SALAH
    The aim of this research is to create a framework that can predict the best contractor to be awarded a construction contract by a consultant/client using a different set of variables known as “Decision factors.” This research was conducted to improve the traditional tendering process, the model was used to predict the “Success Rate” for the project by assessing each contractor’s possibility of completing the project successfully using their compatibility with the project. The model creation was divided into multiple phases which started with finding the decision factors through an extensive literature review, and then determining the weights of each decision factor by conducting a survey that professional experts took. After obtaining the weights of the decision factors, a model using Machine Learning algorithm on Google Colab was written using the Python language. The model to shortlist contractors in the tendering phase was created using machine learning to enable more contractors to submit for a project without having to waste time and money on the tendering process; if they are compatible with the project, then they have a high chance of getting it by being short-listed for the project, which they can then submit their tender package for; this will also ensure that the best company gets the job for the client which will act as a great step towards improving the tendering in construction projects. For the consultant, it will decrease the load of going through numerous tender packages and ensuring that the best companies will tender for the project. This research has generated a base model that can be altered depending on the project requirements which can assist all parties involved within the tendering process to save time and money and improve the success rate of projects. The limitation of this research is that to use the framework to its full extent, it needs a huge database that includes data from numerous previous projects to be able to accurately predict the success rate of the upcoming project; however, if it could be regulated through governmental institutes then the database can be quickly collected within a relatively short period of time.
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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.