Management of Construction Firm Performance Using Benchmarking |
| |
Authors: | Mohammad S. El-Mashaleh R. Edward Minchin Jr. William J. O’Brien |
| |
Affiliation: | 1Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Hashemite Univ., Jordan, P.O. Box 150459 Zarqa 13115 Jordan. E-mail: mashaleh@hu.edu.jo 2Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Coastal Engineering, Univ. of Florida, 365 Weil Hall, P.O. Box 116580, Gainesville, FL 32611-6580. E-mail: minch@ufl.edu 3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C-1752, Austin, TX 78712. E-mail: wjob@mail.utexas.edu
|
| |
Abstract: | In today’s highly competitive construction industry, there is a critical need for managers to continuously improve their firm’s efficiency and effectiveness. More specifically, managers need to know which performance measures are most critical in determining their firm’s overall success. Benchmarking, when done properly, can accurately identify both successful companies and the underlying reasons for their success. However, rigorous benchmarking within the construction industry still remains an embryonic field. This paper analyzes and critiques both the performance measures and metrics used traditionally in the construction industry and the benchmarking models developed to date for the industry. Based on the results of this analysis, benchmarking models using data envelope analysis are proposed that offer significant improvements over current models. The proposed models measure construction firm performance on a company-wide basis, foster trade-off analyses among various performance metrics, and tie the resources expended by construction firms to how well those firms perform overall. The models also provide managers guidance in determining how specific company resources can be reallocated to improve overall company performance. |
| |
Keywords: | Bench marks Construction industry Contractors Performance characteristics Research |
|
|