The effects of Project Management Information Systems on decision making in a multi project environment

Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) should provide project managers with decision making support for planning, organizing and controlling projects. Most project managers are dissatisfied with the information produced by PMIS. Based on a survey among 101 project managers the interactions between six factors related to PMIS information quality and usage and their effect on decision making are examined in a multi project environment. Using structural equation modeling, new insights were gained in these complex relationships. Results indicate that the use of a project management information system is advantageous to project managers, while no adverse effects were observed due to project and information overload. PMIS information quality is positively related to quality of the decisions, satisfaction of project managers with PMIS and use of PMIS information. Simultaneous handling of multiple projects causes project managers to extend conclusions about the information quality for one project to all projects at hand.     

越江跨海工程管理信息系统规划设计与评价

为提高大型工程信息化技术应用能力,基于项目管理信息系统在大型越江跨海工程中的应用现状,通过对两个有代表性的大型越江跨海工程案例进行分析总结,将成功经验和不足之处同具体工程项目建设实际相结合,从全生命周期角度建立了基于网络平台的信息系统总体框架和具体功能模块,并集成先进技术,规划设计了以现代项目管理理念为核心、以先进的信息化平台为载体的大连湾跨海交通工程项目管理信息系统,并且基于收益-成本法建立系统应用效益评价模型,为工程项目管理决策提供及时、准确的信息,为建设项目的各参与方提供高效的信息交流和协同工作的一体化平台,带动我国工程建设领域总体管理水平的提升。     

Applying Actor–Network Theory as a sensemaking framework for complex organisational change programs

The implementation of a Project Management Information System (PMIS) in three public sector agencies is examined using Actor–Network Theory, an infrequently applied approach to project management research. Use of the PMIS focused on practitioner capability, without acting as a mechanism of project control. This is different to how a PMIS is generally portrayed in the literature, suggesting a need to rethink the ways a PMIS can support project management.     

建设项目管理信息系统开发风险评价研究

建设项目管理信息系统（PMIS）的发展并不成熟,其开发可能遇到技术、管理等多方面的风险。系统开发的管理者由于缺乏经验,对风险因素的管理主观、零散且盲目,导致开发项目的失败。本文综合层次分析法和模糊评估法对风险因素发生的概率、发生后的影响程度和综合影响程度进行量化,为管理者控制风险提供依据。     

ConSERV, a project specific risk management concept

Managing risks in design intensive multi-disciplinary capital projects presents unique problems for decision makers within the project environment. Existing risk management tools, tend to employ axiomatic software and as such do not provide any intelligent risk management capability or lead to better informed decision making processes. ConSERV is being developed as a comprehensive project management methodology able to extract project specific risk issues throughout the project life cycle and apply experiential knowledge by using a knowledge-based system to assist in the management of them. A visual representation of the project risks is obtained by employing a more practical non probabilistic approach. ConSERV will provide project managers with on line decision support, at key stages of the project to assist in the management and control of the project specific risks identified.     

PKPM涉外工程计价系列软件的研发与应用

涉外工程计价相对于国内工程有着较大的差异,PKPM涉外工程计价系列软件作为整个行业迄今为止唯一的一款专门针对于涉外工程计价特点开发的专业化软件,对于提高造价工程师工作效率,提升涉外工程造价管理层次,有着重要的意义。本文从介绍软件的适用范围入手,结合实际应用情境阐述了软件的诸多特色功能和核心优势,并与其他计价工具进行了对比分析。     

A consideration of reflexive practice within the critical projects movement

This paper offers a theoretical commentary on some of the new directions in project management theory offered by the critical projects movement. Specifically it examines the implications of a specific approach to knowledge – dialectics – that is implicitly mobilized within this movement. It examines the dialectic provenance of much of this thinking: dialectics is afforded an implicit importance within critical project management as it offers a more reflexive approach to both understand and manage projects. In pursuing this examination, this paper positions the critical projects movement within a broader set of critical studies of reflexive management. We examine how these understandings of reflexivity might inform project management itself and help shed light on some important assumptions that critical project thinkers will need to address whilst using dialectic thinking. The aim is to open up new debates within these modes of thinking, and to encourage further explorations of their implications for understandings of practice amongst those interested in more reflexive approaches to project management practice and research.     

Construction delay analysis techniques

Construction projects continue to suffer delays. Things go wrong and the project's completion date gets pushed back, with someone to be blamed for it. In practice, attempts are made to identify the causes of delays and schedules are modified to incorporate revised duration and new project time. The analysis itself is usually complex and can be aided by a computerized approach. This paper discusses different delay analysis techniques that are currently used by practitioners in the construction industry. It also discusses a proposed new delay analysis technique called the Isolated Delay Type (IDT). These techniques were tested against a case example and their strengths and weaknesses highlighted. The new technique can be used as a standalone module for delay analysis or could be incorporated within a computer system for construction delay analysis and claims preparation called Computerized Delay Claims Analysis (CDCA) that integrates different software including an expert system and management software such as scheduling and a database or spreadsheet.     

工程项目精益建造管理水平评价方法研究

为解决建筑业现存的诸多问题,规范企业施工生产工艺、提升企业建造能力及建筑业整体水平,开展工程项目精益建造管理水平评价研究。基于 TFV 理论分析了精益建造管理的内涵和内容,归纳了精益质量管理、精益成本管理、精益工期管理、精益安全管理、精益组织管理包含的精益建造管理工具,根据精益建造管理内容和工具构建了工程项目精益建造管理水平评价指标体系,分析了工程项目精益建造管理水平评价指标体系的 ANP 结构,通过专家咨询和 Super Decisions 软件分析确定了各指标权重,采用模糊综合法开展了工程项目精益建造管理水平评价,通过实证检验了该评价方法的可行性。     

Computer-aided qualitative data analysis: panacea or paradox?

Following the methodological debate within the construction management research community in the 1990s, research studies adopting inductive methodologies have increased. Many such projects have adopted computer-aided qualitative data analysis in order both to facilitate the research process and to ensure methodological rigour and transparency. However, there remains a paucity of critical discourse within the construction management research literature about the impact of such approaches on the depth and rigour of the resulting analyses. This paper posits that so-called computer-aided approaches have the potential to affect detrimentally the outcomes of construction management research if researchers see such tools as a panacea for ensuring the rigour and transparency of their work. Paradoxically, computer-aided approaches often restrict rather than aid the analytical process. The paper draws upon the authors' experiences of using a leading package from which a number of considerations for the use of computers in qualitative data analysis are discussed. It is concluded that the research community would benefit from an open debate on whether computer packages really do provide a panacea to the analysis of qualitative data in applied construction management research projects or whether their use merely provides a label with which to convince sceptical positivists of the rigour of inductive research techniques.     

Site managers’ daily work and the uses of building information modelling in construction site management

The use of building information modelling (BIM) and related software tools is increasingly expanding in the work of site managers in construction projects. The early uses of BIM in the actual tasks of site managers are explored by examining the utilization of BIM in their work and the challenges in the deployment of the new digital tools for traditional project collaboration. The ethnographic method of the study consists of shadowing the site managers’ work. The site managers actively used BIM and found it beneficial for their daily work. However, the use of BIM in construction sites is still limited because only a few managers have the competence to use BIM software tools, mobile tools are lacking, and the information content of the models needed for construction work is insufficient.     

Network gaps and project success

Project success and client satisfaction are results of collaborative actions by project actors throughout the entire project life cycle. One principal factor in project success is the application of effective management tools. Gap analysis helps to achieve client satisfaction. However, gap analysis is unable to deal with the organic nature of information exchange between project actors. Social network analysis (SNA) enables the identification and analysis of information exchange and communication patterns in synergy with projects. Two case studies were carried out to identify gaps in the current linear project management approach. Gap analysis and SNA were used to analyse each project and to examine the research hypothesis on the use of SNA to identify network management gaps in projects. The gap analysis showed gaps of execution and conformance, which were confirmed by SNA. There was little evidence of project governance outside the project contractual arrangements during project execution. The current application approach of different management tools is limited in providing a whole‐project view. The combined application of gap analysis and SNA can help practitioners to exceed client expectations.     

Computer-aided qualitative data analysis: panacea or paradox?

Following the methodological debate within the construction management research community in the 1990s, research studies adopting inductive methodologies have increased. Many such projects have adopted computer-aided qualitative data analysis in order both to facilitate the research process and to ensure methodological rigour and transparency. However, there remains a paucity of critical discourse within the construction management research literature about the impact of such approaches on the depth and rigour of the resulting analyses. This paper posits that so-called computer-aided approaches have the potential to affect detrimentally the outcomes of construction management research if researchers see such tools as a panacea for ensuring the rigour and transparency of their work. Paradoxically, computer-aided approaches often restrict rather than aid the analytical process. The paper draws upon the authors' experiences of using a leading package from which a number of considerations for the use of computers in qualitative data analysis are discussed. It is concluded that the research community would benefit from an open debate on whether computer packages really do provide a panacea to the analysis of qualitative data in applied construction management research projects or whether their use merely provides a label with which to convince sceptical positivists of the rigour of inductive research techniques.     

Project risk management methodology for small firms

We present a project management methodology designed for small businesses (SMEs), who need to run projects beyond their normal operations. These projects are critical to the survival of these organisations, such as the development of new products to adapt to the market or new legislation, management system implementations, etc. Very frequently, the managers of these projects are not project management professionals, so they need guidance to have autonomy, using minimal time and documentation resources. The risk management method outlined in this paper is based on extensive research with a large number (72) of Spanish companies. This new methodology considers the factors that are usually neglected by SMEs; i.e., project alignment with the company's strategy and results management. The methodology, based on project risk management, includes simple tools, templates and risk checklists with recommended actions and indicators. For validation it was tested in five different types of real projects (innovation, management systems and ICT implementation) of industrial and service companies with different characteristics.     

A methodology for the optimal modularization of building design

The use of prefabricated modules has the potential to increase the efficiency of onsite construction activities, as well as the adaptability of buildings. However, such modules currently require a degree of repetitiveness to which many clients object. To resolve this conflict, a graph-based methodology is proposed that decomposes the design into non-repetitive modules that can be preassembled offsite, without restricting the design in advance. Such modules contain components that have similar future replacement rates, and a limited number of connections to other components. A clustering algorithm is applied on data from BIM tools for an optimal definition of the modules and their interfaces. A computer program is developed to allow the automated application of the methodology in large and complex projects. The research demonstrates that graph-based models can be useful for representing and analyzing construction projects. A graph-based approach has the potential to be successfully applied in additional areas, in order to provide project management tools.     

Creating flexible mappings between Building Information Models and cost information

During the early design stages of construction projects, accurate and timely cost feedback is critical to design decision making. This is particularly challenging for cost estimators, as they must quickly and accurately estimate the cost of the building when the design is still incomplete and evolving. State-of-the-art software tools typically use a rule-based approach to generate detailed quantities from the design details present in a building model and relate them to the cost items in a cost estimating database. In this paper, we propose a generic approach for creating and maintaining a cost estimate using flexible mappings between a building model and a cost estimate. The approach uses queries on the building design that are used to populate views, and each view is then associated with one or more cost items. The benefit of this approach is that the flexibility of modern query languages allows the estimator to encode a broad variety of relationships between the design and estimate. It also avoids the use of a common standard to which both designers and estimators must conform, allowing the estimator added flexibility and functionality to their work.     

Investigating the rationale for adopting an internationally-recognised project management methodology in Ireland: The view of the project manager

As businesses become more dependent on technology, effective project management has been recognised as a necessity, in order to lead and deliver quality software applications on time and within budget. One possible option in software projects is the use of a project management methodology. This exploratory research examines why organisations with an existing project management methodology are transitioning to an internationally-recognised methodology, and why organisations that do not have a project management methodology are implementing an internationally-recognised methodology. Results of five case studies suggest that while an in-house project management methodology can work well within an organisation, the benefits of using an internationally-recognised methodology should be considered. These include: the assurance that the organisation is using what is considered to be best-practice; demand from external customers that a recognised methodology is used; assistance with external recruitment; and the availability of suppliers of the methodology for training and support.     

VERDICT—An e-readiness assessment application for construction companies

In the recent years, the use of e-commerce tools in construction has been on the increase. The benefits of using these tools on construction projects have been well documented in research and industry publications. Studies have shown that the construction industry recognises the potential for the use of e-commerce. However, the use of these tools is still not common within the industry and the uptake of e-commerce technology in the UK construction industry has been relatively slow.Implementation of any new technology such as e-commerce for achieving business targets requires major changes in an organisation, its current practices, systems, processes and workflows. Taking this into account, construction companies who are currently using, and those who have yet to use e-commerce tools need to take measures to successfully adopt and use this technology. It is important for companies that seek to adopt e-commerce tools to analyse their businesses to ensure a productive and beneficial implementation of these tools (i.e. measure their ‘e-readiness’ for adopting e-commerce tools). To address this need an e-readiness assessment model and a prototype application were developed. This paper describes the development and implementation of VERDICT, an e-readiness assessment prototype application for construction companies. VERDICT assesses the e-readiness of construction companies in terms of their management, people, processes and technology, and presents the readiness results in both textual and graphical formats. It also provides companies with the potential to compare their e-readiness against that of the ‘best-of-breed’.     

Politics of recollection: examining the rise and fall of DURD and better cities through narrative

DURD and Better Cities seemingly bore little resemblance to each other, yet these two urban 'projects' set out to transform the politico-culture of institutional urban management. Their approach to how the Commonwealth should be involved in urban management, their respective policies, and strategies that both projects used to gain legitimacy within government differed. This article examines through narrative the 'politics' of urban policy within Australian Federal political governance.     

A contingency estimation model for software projects

A contingency estimation model for software development projects is presented. The proposed model considers the estimated cost and the risk of software projects to estimate contingency resources; hence, contingency estimates are correlated to the cost and risk of software projects. The model uses a generic probabilistic representation of the estimated cost; hence, it can be deployed with any project development environment and provides a flexible choice to software managers. Furthermore, the proposed model considers the risk tolerance of software organizations to estimate the contingency and helps to abate the maximum impacts of risk events within the risk tolerance. The proposed model is scalable to a portfolio of software projects. The model produces sub-additive contingency estimates which is essential to optimize a software project or a portfolio of software projects. The results of a case-study show that the contingency estimates are comparable with the actual contingency resources needed for the development of real software development projects.