1 Project Management Practices and Information Technology Research.docx
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1ProjectManagementPracticesandInformationTechnologyResearch
ProjectManagementPracticesandInformationTechnologyResearch
OssamaSalem,M.ASCE1
andSameerMohanty2
1AssociateProfessorofConstructionEngineeringandManagement,Dept.ofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering,P.O.Box210071,Univ.ofCincinnati,Cincinnati,OH45221.
2GraduateStudent,Dept.ofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering,CollegeofEngineering,Univ.ofCincinnati,Cincinnati,OH45221.
(Accepted5December2006)
Introduction
Computing,electronic,andcommunicationtoolshavebeenexperimentedandusedextensivelybytheconstructionindustryinthelastfewdecades.Forthemostpart,however,suchtoolswereusedfortheconceptualdrawing,design,andpreconstructionplanningaspectsoftheproject.Theuseofsuchapplicationstoplan,schedule,manage,andoptimizeconstructionprojectsisbelievedtobeminimal(Ding20024).Inthelasttwodecades,manynewsoftwareapplicationshavebeendevelopedtoaidplanningandcontrolofprojectsandarealsobeingimplemented.Thecapabilityoftheseapplicationstobecompliantwiththelatestresearchinnovationsis,however,eitherlackingorunknown.
AnumberorreasonshavebeencitedbyresearchersandindustryprofessionalsfortheinadequatepenetrationofadvancedITandcomputingtoolsintotheconstructionindustry.Commerciallyavailableoff-the-shelfprojectmanagementsoftwareisveryexpensiveandcanbeaffordedonlybylargeprojectmanagement(PM)andconstructionfirms.Smallersoftwareischeaperbutisunabletoaddressimportantaspectsofprojectcontrolsthataredemandedbyspecificcompanies(Gidado19966)andisalsonotamenabletocustomization.Itiscumbersomeandcostlytoprocureasoftwareandexperimentwithitinordertooptimizeitforagivenfirmorproject(Becerik20052).Introducinganewtechnologyiscitedasbeingmoredifficultintheconstructionindustrythaninotherindustries(Allmon2000).Off-the-shelfsoftwaretoolsarenotseenasasourceofcompetitiveedge,sinceotherscanprocureitaswell(FIATECH20045).Thefragmentednatureofstructureandoperationsoffirmswithintheconstructionindustryalsomakeitdifficultforsoftwarevendorstogaugeacommonsetoffeaturesortoolstoincorporateintheirexistingsoftwareapplications(MolenaarandSonger20017).IthasbeennotedbyNitithamyongetal.thattechnologypushisonlyoneofthecriticalsuccessfactorsforeffectiveimplementation(Nitithamyong2004).ThereisapreferenceforestablishedconventionalmethodsandtheindustryseemsdisinterestedinITresearchanddevelopment.SurveysofITexpendituresinUSconstructioncompanieshavehighlightedthattheconstructionindustryisoneofthelowestspendersamongmajorindustries(Cutter19993).AnimplementationcentricstudybyBecerikstatesthatlittlehasbeendonetoanalyzewhathashappenedinthepastandthecurrentsituationoftheconstructionprojectextranet(CPE)marketaswellasreasonsforslowadoptionofCPEtechnologybytheAECindustry(Becerik20041).
Background
Advancedcomputingtechnologieshavethepotentialtoempowerprojectmanagersandconstructionengineerstomakequickdecisionsbasedonaccurateinformationthatcanbevisualized,studied,optimized,andquantifiedwithgreateraccuracy.ResearchinstitutionssuchastheConstructionIndustryInstitute,NationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnology,CenterforIntegratedLifecycleFacilityattheStanfordUniversity,NationalResearchCouncilCanada,CenterforConstructionIndustryStudiesattheUniversityofTexasatAustin,ProjectManagementInstitute,FullyIntegratedandAutomatedTechnologies(FIATECH),etc.,alongwithindustryparticipation,areworkingtowardthedevelopmentofsuchtools.
Researcheffortsarealsobeingmadetointroducetechnologicalinnovationssuchasprocesssimulations,databasemanagementsystems,4Dortimebound-3Dcomputeraideddesign(CAD),datamigrationthroughwirelessnetworks,andsoftwareapplicationsintegration(FIATECH20045).
Someoftheoutlinedtargetsthatthesetoolsofthefutureneedtoachieveinclude:
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Supportingaccurateandcompleteplanningandanalysisofallimportantaspectsoftheproject.
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Analyzingactivities,recognition,andevaluationofconflicts,analyzingrisks,andrecommendingactionsbasedonsituationalanalysis.
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Learningandcontinuallybuildingtheenterpriseknowledgebase.
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Adaptingtoneedsofindividualcompanies.
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Ensuringseamlessdataaccessthatisavailablethroughreliableandsecuresearchmechanisms.
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Enablinginformationsharingandonlinecapabilities.
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Interoperatingwithallsystemsrelatedtoconstructionprojectmanagementandservices.
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Automaticallyextractingandinterpretingdata.
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Optimizingacrosstheenterprise,consideringinteractionsbetweenandamongprojectsforhighestbusinessvalue.
ForcurrentPMapplicationstoachievethegoalslistedabove,itisessentialtoinvestigatethecapabilitiesandlimitationsofcommerciallyavailableprojectmanagementsoftwaretoolsandanalyzeproblemareasthatseemtobeabarrierintheirimplementation.
Variousresearchershaveidentifiednumerouscapabilitiesandqualitiesthataredesirableinconstructionprojectmanagementapplications(FIATECH20045).Thefollowingincludesomeofthecommonissueswithcommerciallyavailableprojectmanagementapplications.
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Theuseoftoolsforvisualizationandfitisquitewidespreadintheindustry,butmathematicalorstatistical-basedtoolsetsforprocessoptimizationandselectionarenotusedaswidely.
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Thereisnostandardmethodtoevaluatecost/benefitvaluepertainingtoacquisitionofsoftwareandtheiruse(FIATECH20045;Becerik20052).
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Thereisresistancetochangefromdeeplyrootedindustrytraditions(FIATECH20045;Moselhietal.19918).
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Thegoalofacomprehensivetoolasanaidtoprojectmanagersshouldnotbeacquisitionofdatabuttheinterpretationandprocessingofsuchdatasoastoenablethemtomakedecisionsincongruencewithallstakeholders(FIATECH20045).
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Projectmanagerslackinformeddecisionmaking,especiallywithmanychangeshappeningsimultaneously(FIATECH20045).
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Thereisalackofintegrationofknowledgeandinformationmanagementsystemswithintelligentcontrolsystems(FIATECH20045).
Consideringthese,thereisaneedtofocusonthefunctionalcapabilitiesofsuchadvancedtoolsandtheirdeliverables,whilekeepingthecompatibilityandimplementationperspectivesofcurrentconstructionmanagementapplicationsinmind.
Hypothesis
Asexplainedabove,variousprocessesandphasesinconstructionprojectplanningandexecutionarebeingscrutinizedandresearchedinordertocovermostgrayareasthatmightresultinbetterprojectplanning,execution,anddelivery.Notwithstandingthese,thefactthatsuchadvancedprotocolshavenotyetpenetratedtheindustryiswellacknowledged.Keepingthedeliverablesofthisworkinmind,thestudywasconductedtounderstandthegenesisorreasonsthatnecessitatedtheuseofcomputingtools,theirramifications,andhowtheyhaveevolvedandhavebeenimplementedovertime.
Thestudywasbasedonthehypothesisthatmanyoftheproblemareasasidentifiedbyresearchorganizationsandrelevanttothenatureoftheindustryanditsworkforceneededsubstantiationanddeeperinsightthancurrentlyexists.
PMITWorkEnvironmentSurvey
ThequestionnaireforthisstudywasdesignedinordertoquantitativelyassesssomeoftheprimaryinfluencesonITsystemsandPMworkenvironmentsbycollectinginformationtoestablishsomegenerictrendswithintheconstructionmanagementITarea.Thesurveywasdesignedonlineinordertofacilitateeasydisseminationtoselectparticipants,easierdatacollection,interpretation,andanalysisaswellaseaseofusefromtheparticipant’sperspective.
Thequestionnairewasdividedintofourlogicalsectionsincludingpersonalinformation,generalinformation,projectmanagementworkenvironment,andprojectmanagementapplications.Thepersonalinformationsectioncontainedquestionsaboutthecompanythattheparticipantworksforandhispositioninthefirm.Thegeneralinformationsectionincludedquestionspertainingtotherespondentandhisfirm.Thethirdsectionincludedtheparticipant’sopiniononvariousPMfunctionssuchascollaborationandcommunication,ITtraining,anddeploymentissuesandgenericinformationabouttheirexistingprojectmanagementapplicationssetup.ThefourthsectionincludedquestionsregardingtheopinionsoftherespondentwithrespecttothefunctionalityoftheirPMapplications.
RecruitmentofParticipants
Personale-mailsweresenttorequestparticipationafterreviewingthecredentialsoftherespondentinordertoensurethereliabilityoftherespondentsaswellastheresponses.Thiswasdonebycollectingcontactandbusinessinformationofprospectiveparticipantsfromvariousmemberlistsprovidedbyesteemedacademicandindustryinstitutions.E-mailsweresenttoprofessionalsbelongingtocompaniesthatvariedinsize,geographicallocation,areaofoperations,andthetypeofprojectstheycaterto.
ResponseRates
Theresponserateforthequestionnairewascloseto18%.Ofthetotalof372mailssent,109peopleresponded.Ofthese,14werecompletelyemptyrecordsand30weremostlyincomplete.Allofthesecouldnotbeincludedinthedataanalysissinceitwouldaffecttheclassificationofrecordsetslater.Anyresponsesetwheretheparticipanthadskippedanentiresectionwasnotconsidered.Sixty-fiveresponseswereconsideredforthefinaldataanalysis.
IndustryRepresentation
Inordert