Applying the ISO standards to a construction company: a case study

Constructing a new building or any other civil engineering project from scratch is a challenge for the construction industry as novelty designs may be produced by designers but they are often constructed by low skilled labor on site. The unique and sometimes complex nature of the construction sector arises because a large number of different professional groups have different interests and requirements, which often conflict with one another. In principle, each construction company aims to construct a project without any defects from the very first activity on site right up to final completion. This aim is almost impossible to achieve throughout the entire construction duration because of many factors, including: low skilled labor, difficult site conditions, and incomplete designs, varying quality cultures in each company, poor communication and poor management. Therefore, construction defects are things which we can assume to have occurred on the site. Defects occurring during the construction process are sometimes costly and preventable mistakes. Research has shown that correcting defective components that are identified late in the construction process or during the maintenance period accounts for approximately 15% of the total construction costs. This paper presents a case study of the defects that occurred during a motorway construction project as a consequence of poor workmanship by an untrained workforce and it aims to raise awareness of the need for on-the-job training for quality managers in order to minimize defective works and reduce the project costs spent on correcting them. It also identifies the various factors that cause construction defects and suggests measures that can be taken to reduce them.

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Lean Construction and BIM in the Value Chain of a Construction Company: A Case Study

Construction Research Congress 2020 ◽

10.1061/9780784482889.039 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cristian-Camilo Osorio-Gomez ◽

Maria-Jose Moreno-Falla ◽

Angelica Ospina-Alvarado ◽

Jose-Luis Ponz-Tienda

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Lean Construction ◽

Construction Company

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Retaining Organizational Knowledge: A Case Study of an Australian Construction Company

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management ◽

10.1142/s0219649202000431 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 01 (02) ◽

pp. 119-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lesley Pek Wee Land ◽

Malcolm Land ◽

Meliha Handzic

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Management System ◽

Business Processes ◽

Organizational Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Management System ◽

Future Research ◽

Construction Company ◽

Concrete Form ◽

Structure Knowledge

Few would refute the importance of harnessing organizational knowledge — for reuse, learning, and process improvement. Once retained in a concrete form, knowledge becomes less fragmented and more easily accessible and useable. Such a knowledge management system indeed becomes a source of competitive advantage for an organization. The key to achieving this is by retaining the existing organizational knowledge so that we do not have to rely solely on available expertise. A number of knowledge management frameworks exist which help us to classify and structure knowledge. No single framework dominates, because different organizations have different needs depending on factors such as culture and business processes. At the same time, there is a lack of case studies on how organizations create or operate such a knowledge management system. In this paper, we present a case study of a knowledge management system used in a specific context — an Australian construction company. The study shows that, at least in this particular context, a knowledge management system can operate only where it does not interfere with the existing workflow of the organization. Furthermore, the importance of retaining valuable tacit knowledge is emphasized. We also discuss the implications for future research and practice.

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BIDDING DECISION MAKING FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY USING A MULTI-CRITERIA PROSPECT MODEL / STATYBOS ĮMONĖS APSISPRENDIMAS DALYVAUTI KONKURSE NAUDOJANT DAUGIAKRITERINĮ PERSPEKTYVŲ MODELĮ

Journal of Civil Engineering and Management ◽

10.3846/13923730.2011.598337 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 424-436 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Min-Yuan Cheng ◽

Chia-Chi Hsiang ◽

Hsing-Chih Tsai ◽

Hoang-Linh Do

Keyword(s):

Prospect Theory ◽

Cumulative Prospect Theory ◽

Competitive Bidding ◽

Key Factors ◽

Preference Relations ◽

Construction Company ◽

Fuzzy Preference Relations ◽

Factors Of Influence ◽

Fuzzy Preference

Two critical decisions faced by bidders in competitive bidding include, firstly, whether or not to submit a bid, and secondly (if the answer to the first is ‘yes’) what markup value should be used on the submitted bid. In the construction industry, government agencies and private sector clients typically adopt competitive bidding to determine contract awards. Contractors also apply the same approach to bidding decisions. There are many variables that affect contractor decisions regarding whether to bid and the markup scale, which complicate the bidding decision process. This study proposes a Multi-Criteria Prospect Model for Bidding Decision (BD-MCPM) to assist contractors to make decisions on bid/no bid and markup scale. Key factors of influence that impact bidding decisions were identified first. Second, Fuzzy Preference Relations (FPR) was employed to assess factor weights and determine bid/no bid. Finally, if a decision to bid is given, then the Multi-Criteria Prospect Model (MCPM), which links Fuzzy Preference Relations (FPR) and Cumulative Prospect Theory (CPT), is deployed to determine the markup scale that best conforms to primary decision maker (PDM) preferences. The applicability of this model was demonstrated in a real case study. Santrauka Ketinantiems dalyvauti konkurse reikia priimti du lemiamus sprendimus: ar teikti pasiūlymą ir kokį antkainį nurodyti pasiūlyme. Statybų sektoriuje valstybės įstaigos ir klientai iš privačiojo sektoriaus paprastai konkursus skelbia siekdami išrinkti laimėtoją, su kuriuo pasirašoma sutartis. Rangovai sprendimus dalyvauti konkurse vertina taip pat. Rangovų apsisprendimą dalyvauti konkurse ir pasirinktą antkainį lemia ne vienas kintamasis, ir tai apsunkina apsisprendimo dalyvauti konkurse procesą. Šiame tyrime pristatomas daugiakriterinis perspektyvų modelis apsisprendimui dalyvauti konkurse (BD-MCPM), kuris rangovams padės apsispręsti, ar dalyvauti konkurse ir kokį antkainį pasirinkti. Pirmiausia buvo nustatyti pagrindiniai veiksniai, kurie daro įtaką apsisprendimui dalyvauti konkurse. Po to, naudojant neraiškiuosius prio- ritetinius ryšius (angl. Fuzzy Preference Relations, FPR), buvo įvertinti veiksnių reikšmingumai ir nustatyta, dalyvauti ar nedalyvauti konkurse. Pagaliau, jeigu nusprendžiama dalyvauti konkurse, naudojant daugiakriterinį perspektyvų modelį (MCPM), kuris neraiškiuosius prioritetinius ryšius susieja su kaupiamaja perspektyvos teorija (angl. Cumulative Prospect Theory, CPT), nustatomas antkainio lygis, kuris labiausiai atitinka pagrindinio sprendimus priimančio asmens pageidavimus. Praktinis šio modelio naudingumas pademonstruotas atliekant atvejo tyrimą.

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Managing renewal in fragmented business networks

IMP Journal ◽

10.1108/imp-06-2015-0023 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 81-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Malena Ingemansson Havenvid ◽

Håkan Håkansson ◽

Åse Linné

Keyword(s):

Business Environment ◽

Business Networks ◽

Business Relationships ◽

Core Network ◽

Content Type ◽

Internal Resources ◽

Business Context ◽

Construction Company ◽

Construction Companies

Purpose – The authors argue that the construction industry is characterised by a fragmented business context with three main features: the project-based character, the strong focus on price in all parts of the supply chain along with the great importance of suppliers. This fragmentation has been identified as problematic for the industry’s ability to innovate and engage in renewal. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this further by focusing on how construction companies manage renewal in a fragmented business context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use an in-depth case study of a housing project in Sweden to discuss how firms manage renewal in a fragmented type of business environment. The authors identify the challenge of achieving renewal in an individual construction company as an issue of handling intra- and inter-organisational issues in both intra- and inter-project environments. Findings – The case study indicates that renewal can be partly handled and managed through long-term business relationships and partly through opening up to new business relationships. Moreover, innovations and learning developed in other projects can be used in the focal project, and due to a repetitive task it is possible for the construction company to use a core network of individuals and organisations to enhance overall renewal among actors. Research limitations/implications – The study needs to be supported by further empirical observations. The paper encourages IMP scholars to further investigate projects from an industrial network approach. Practical implications – The study shows that the internal resources of firms can be used systematically to create continuity in a multi-project organisation, and that relationships can be used to bridge learning and innovation among actors across projects. Originality/value – The paper addresses why firms in fragmented (project-based) businesses might struggle with achieving renewal in a novel way by outlining and investigating four organisational challenges they must handle.

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ESTUDO COMPARATIVO ENTRE OS MÉTODOS DE CÁLCULO DE PULMÃO UTILIZANDO A LÓGICA FUZZY E MÉTODO DOS CINQUENTA POR CENTO

REEC - Revista Eletrônica de Engenharia Civil ◽

10.5216/reec.v13i2.43235 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Tatiana Gondim do Amaral ◽

Zhou Guan Chen ◽

Vitor Hugo Martins E Resende ◽

Marcos Antônio De Sousa

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Fuzzy Number ◽

Trapezoidal Fuzzy Number ◽

Physical Control ◽

Construction Company ◽

Mixed Use ◽

Definition Of ◽

Critical Chain

RESUMO: Levantamentos realizados apontam atrasos em obras gerando insatisfações aos clientes, motivando processos judiciais sobre as construtoras além de custos indiretos adicionais no projeto, levando a prejuízos ao mesmo. Mediante o exposto são necessárias ferramentas mais eficazes para o controle de prazo de obra. Assim, o trabalho visa aplicar e avaliar o método da corrente crítica no planejamento e controle físico de obras, calculando o pulmão do projeto utilizando duas técnicas distintas: Métodos Número Fuzzy trapezoidal (TrFN) e cinquenta por cento. Portanto, realizou-se um estudo de caso de um empreendimento mixed use em Goiânia e um acompanhamento dos serviços estruturais de uma junta, que estão presentes na corrente crítica do projeto. Assim, ao avaliar e comparar os pulmões resultantes, durações calculadas e reais do projeto, se conclui que o Método TrFN é o que mais se aproxima à duração real, pois consulta especialistas; e, mais se integra à equipe, aumentando a aplicabilidade do planejamento, pois os executores do projeto participam na elaboração do mesmo. Já o Método dos Cinquenta por Cento é mais fácil de ser calculado, com a definição mais prática do pulmão resultando um planejamento mais rápido. Baseando-se nesses cálculos, a principal contribuição do trabalho é comparar os resultados de cada técnica quanto à sua agilidade de aplicação, precisão em relação ao real e aplicabilidade em obra. ABSTRACT: Conducted surveys indicate delays in projects that impact clients, allowing lawsuits over Construction Company and overhead costs of the project, enabling the economic impracticability of it. Through the above are needed more effective tools for term control of the project. Therefore, the work objective is to implement and evaluate the method of the critical chain in the planning and physical control of the project by calculating the project buffer using two different techniques: Trapezoidal Fuzzy Number (TrFN) and Fifty percent Method. Therefore, there was a case study of a mixed use building in Goiânia and monitoring of structural services of a joint, which are present in the project critical chain. Thus, to evaluate and compare the resulting buffer, calculated duration and really happened duration, it is concluded that the TrFN method comes closest to real time as it consults experts; and more integrates the team, increasing the applicability of planning, because the project performers are involved in preparing it. Now the fifty percent method is easier to be calculated with faster definition of the buffer and planning. Based on this calculus, the main contribution of this work is to compare the results of each technique in: application agility, application accuracy, applicability during construction.

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