Dissertations for Construction Project Management (CPM)
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Item The Influence of Agile Management Processes on Risk Management and Performance: Case UAE Construction Sector(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2023-12) BAATHMAN, SAID; Professor Edward OchiengWith the rapid and dynamic nature of construction projects in recent years, risk management has become highly important to navigate through the uncertainties that come with construction projects. however, the traditional approach has not been keeping up with these changes, and that can be noticed from the performance of the construction projects in recent years since cost and time overrun have been recurring problems in the construction sector. Agile management has risen in the IT sector as a substitute for traditional management, to introduce flexibility to the project and enhance the delivery of the project. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of agile management processes on risk management and project performance of construction projects in the UAE. To understand the implications of agile management on risk management and project performance in construction projects, a number of online interviews have been conducted to assess agile management principles' impact on risk management. The interview responses have all agreed to the positive influence of agile management on risk management and project performance. after analyzing the data, a framework has been proposed consisting of agile determinants to address and manage risks and enhance construction project performance.Item Optimizing the construction team’s performance The influence of an agile project manager on a construction project team’s Success(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2023-06) AL-HADDADIN, FAIK RAIDThe United Arab Emirates, particularly the Emirates of Dubai, is one of the world's leading cities in mega projects, characterized by their modernity and speed compared to the rest of developed countries. The aggressive competition between the leading developers among the horizontal spread and high-rise buildings in this city is one of the most obvious things for construction experts and even residents. Those main developers and even main contractors always aim to complete projects within Budget, on time and with high-quality meeting customer expectations, these goals can be delivered by a successful project team. And continuously searching to have a successful construction team translates into following many methods and ways to improve the performance of the individual team members and the performance of the whole team, which can only be achieved through our focus on the basic rules or pillars that play a significant role and influence the efficiency of the construction teamItem Investigation of Forming a Framework to shortlist contractors in the tendering phase(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-10) DABASH, MOHANNAD SALAHThe 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.Item 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 SALAHThis 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 industryItem 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, KhalelPurpose – 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.Item 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, RakanThe 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.Item Exploring Successful implementation of Sustainable Construction Management Practices in Dubai (UAE)(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-06) Alkhatatbeh, DeyaThe rapid urbanisation and rising needs for upgrading style of management in growing countries such as UAE, to cope on with global environmental demands and tendencies, has been crafting real opportunities in adopting sustainable construction management approach and its useful applications. Sustainability is a concept refers to fulfilling the needs of present generations without compromising the future ones. Rising devotion become trending in construction sector to consider the different dimensions of sustainability, including ecological, social, and economic, then incorporate them into stages and operations of construction works, to get on balanced sustainable and economical final product, serving the requirements of the community. Sustainability as an agenda, which is extended deeply into the structure of society, economic viability and environmental revitalisation, which can improve project performance management process, through planned incorporation into existing management systems, and then it would be recognised as an opportunity to enhance construction management performance by improving effectiveness and competency of processes and outputs. All parties involved in construction management must realise the importance of shifting in the processes, for sake of creating built environment from linear to cyclical approaches to achieve sustainable management. In other words, sustainable construction management must change the way that all construction activities carried out with. A network of multiple corporate management systems based on the quality, environment, work safety, stakeholders, and knowledge of integrated system of sustainability is essential to meet holistic criteria of sustainability. By applying maturity roadmap called STEPS (Start-up, Take-off, Expansion, Progressive and Sustainability), it is possible to ensure continual sustainable corporate level of management. Besides the STURE (Stakeholders-Urban Evaluation) model represents the best possible approach to sustainable construction management, to a single or multiple construction projects, which optimises the sustainable demands of the clients and stakeholders. Construction field is complex and fragmented, therefore tends to resist changes leading to sustainable development. Project managers and clients face barriers to sustainable management implementation, e.g. lack of sustainability measures, real and perceived conflict of interests, and inadequate expertise. Adopting Sustainable construction management comprehend many opportunities, including environmental, legislative, social and even economic, which adds important value to the construction filed as process, operations and end-product. This research studied the assumed crucial factors contributing in successful implementation of sustainable construction project management practices in Dubai by using quantitative methodology, conducted via surveying representing sample, amongst professional, within construction field of Dubai. The examined factors, which are adopting relative legislation supporting proper implementation, Incorporation of Sustainable practices at project and corporate levels and board of director adoption, developing and spreading knowledge management in relation to sustainability and sustainable construction management, and stakeholders’ management and involvement in construction projects, were found significant and contributing fairly in attainment successful practice of sustainable construction management in Dubai.Item An integrated framework of advanced technological solutions for better construction project delivery in UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-07) Hamayoon, IrajFor years the construction sector has been keen to enhance its productivity and efficiency, besides many initiatives been proposed. The confusion lies on the selection of an appropriate innovation for better construction project delivery. Presently, a number of advanced construction tools, innovations, and methods are available that could be used to improve construction project delivery. Hence, this study aimed to examine how advanced technological tools and methods can be used to reduce the number of construction project delivery errors in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and propose an integrated framework that will comprise of advanced technological solutions for better delivery of construction projects in UAE. As highlighted in this study, the proposed framework can be used by UAE practitioners to overcome current project delivery challenges. It is worth noting that low productivity and delay in UAE construction projects have been observed as main challenges. The factors that influences the construction project delivery were identified in the literature and a conceptual framework proposed. The conceptual framework comprises of key technologies, innovations, tools, methods, and materials that could positively impact the construction project delivery and to address the current challenges of UAE’s construction projects. The data was collected through quantitative research method. Professional construction practitioners in UAE were the participants of this study. The findings of the study suggest that there is a need for the integration of construction technologies in the UAE sector. Advanced technological solutions were used to formulate the proposed integrated framework, that could be used to enhance project delivery in UAE. The findings of the study further suggest that the framework could be used to by construction practitioners to address technological project delivery challenges in UAE.Item Risks in construction supply chain(The British University in Dubai, 2019-11-24) Ahmad, ZaidPakistan's construction industry is constantly evolving and is associated with high and critical risk factors that is close relating to the success and failure of a construction project. One of the most critical factors that affect the construction project is disrupted the supply chain in construction. Disruption in construction supply chain occurs due to many risk factors that occur during the project life cycle. The research is aimed to identify the critical risk factors that occur in a construction supply chain, by analyzing the occurrence of risk factors through quantitative and qualitative research methods. Furthermore the identified risks require to be prioritized and classified through the project stages. Therefor, contemporary and traditional methods of supply chain risk management were review to understand the various existing practices. Various challenges and opportunities were explored, and awareness of supply chain risk management in Pakistan construction industry was studied. The outcome of the research is to propose an integrated framework for managing supply chain risks in the construction project life cycle. The resulting framework will comprise of a structured classification for prioritizing supply chain risks that could be used to promote effectiveness and add value to the construction projects. The proposed framework will also aid construction practitioners in managing construction supply chain risks in Pakistan construction industryItem The influence of Control Strategies on Benefits Realization in Construction organizations(The British University in Dubai, 2018-12) HABIB, MOHAMMAD SABIRThe necessity to control and manage the benefits of projects/programs is being accepted as a method that ensures success of that project or program. Control is accepted as a process that defines, plans and executes the objectives of organizations to ensure business efficiency and succeed business objectives. Benefits realization is perceived as an important aspect of programs and projects management that enables organizations to realize the strategic objectives and create value to the business. The control mechanisms focus on improvement of organizational system and enhancing their capabilities to sufficiently realize their target benefits. This study aims to distinguish the influence of control mechanisms on benefits realization process in construction organizations. This research also investigates the effectiveness of control strategies in organizational management system and addresses its specific features that contribute to the benefits realization process. The theoretical background led to conceptual framework demonstrates that control mechanisms in form of strategic control, administrative control, and cultural control influence the identification, planning, execution, and evaluation phases of benefits realization process. It also helps organizations to sustain current benefits and look for future expected benefits. To assess the information and understanding attained from the literature review, this research study adopted quantitative approach to obtain the data from practical viewpoint of professionals, by designing and distributing a research questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to professionals who have experience in construction organizations. The research questionnaire was designed in five sections to obtain the respondent view on benefits realization process and the relevant types of control mechanisms. The research findings have expressed that control strategies have strong relationship with the benefits realization process. It also verified that the strategic control, administrative control and cultural control significantly improve the different stages of benefits realization process and enable organizations to efficiently achieve their target benefits.