Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

A Multi-Criteria Workforce Planning System For Contracting Companies, Yasmine Mamdouh Mohamed Abou Samra

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Construction-Related Market Trends In Apec Countries Using Gis, Low Sui Pheng, Benny Raphael, Faisal Manzoor Arain

Business Review

GIS (Geographical Information System) is a means of representing data in digital form that has been used increasingly in various domains. GIS has the ability to capture,model, manipulate, retrieve, analyze and present geographically referenced data. In managing overseas building projects, research and analysis are especially crucial. It is necessary to collect enough information of the country that is related to the rule of law, government policies, and the performance of individual economic sectors, among other things. Although GIS has been shown to be a useful tool in various types of planning and management, it has not been used so far …

A Qualitative Study Of Selected Quality Knowledge And Practices In Guangdong Province, China, Tyler R. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturing industry has become very competitive in today's global market environment. Many US companies are faced with the choice of keeping their manufacturing domestic or looking to low cost off-shore countries to take advantage of the labor costs differences. To gain an understanding of the state of manufacturing in China, a major focus in the manufacturing world today, this thesis was undertaken. This thesis presents the findings of research conducted in Guangdong Province, China in June - July, 2005. This research addressed customer focus, leadership and general manufacturing and quality knowledge and practices of small, medium and large sized …

An Analysis Of The Accounting Methods Used By Builders Producing Twenty-Five Or Fewer Homes Per Year, David Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

Accounting plays a crucial role in the success of any business, but it is particularly vital in the construction industry, a complex field that typically requires the coordination of multiple subcontractors and multiple jobs in any given year. Although small-volume home builders make up 70 percent of the membership of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a trade association of the home building industry, little is known about the accounting practices of these builders. This thesis undertook to study the accounting practices of small-volume home builders. Small-volume home builders were defined as those producing 25 homes or fewer in …

The Art And Science Of Discontinuous Innovation: A Case Study In Product Reinvention, Daniel C. Smoot

Theses and Dissertations

Divergence of new and old technologies is a source of tremendous innovation potential. As the dizzying pace of technological innovation accelerates indefinitely into tomorrow, not only do new paths diverge exponentially; doors already opened are increasingly abandoned for the allure of things undiscovered. Mature, late-stage life-cycle products left behind in today's fast-paced world open the floodgates to reinvention. This paper tests the hypothesis that innovativeness can be encouraged through the learning and application of universal innovation principles and processes. The implications of this research area are far-reaching. If innovation can be encouraged, then it can likely be taught. If it …

New Product Launch Decisions Under Competition And Uncertainty: A Real Options And Game-Theoretic Approach To New Product Development, James O. Ostler

Theses and Dissertations

New product development is central to many firms' future success. Not only as a means to continue to maintain their piece of the market, but product development can also be a strategic means for a company to diversify, and/or alter focus to adapt to changing market conditions.

Most of the research in new product development has been on how to do it cheaper and faster than the next guy. However, early commercialization does not guarantee a position of strength in the market. Failures of EMI in CT scanners and Xerox in personal computers illustrate that being first to market does …

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Louis Gunnigan, Alan V. Hore, Trevor Orr

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Louis Gunnigan, Alan V. Hore, Trevor Orr

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

Analysing Construction Risk : A Project Management Model, P K Dey

IIMB Management Review

The success parameters for any project are ontime completion within the specific budget, and requisite performance or meeting the technical requirements. The main barriers to achievement are changes in the project environment. The problem multiplies with the size of the project. Large-scale construction projects are exposed to an uncertain environment because they are subject to such factors as planning and design complexity, presence of various interest groups (project owner, owner’s project group, consultants, contractors, vendors etc), availability of resources (materials, equipment, funds etc), climatic environment, the economic and political environment and statutory regulations. Other risk factors include the complexity of …

Euroconstruction Report 1, Louis Gunnigan, Trevor Orr

Reports

This report was prepared on behalf of the Construction Industry Federation as Ireland’s initial contribution to the Leonardo da Vinci Project: Euroconstruction.

The report is divided into 3 sections.

Section 1 concentrates on the recent and likely future changes in the structure of the Irish construction market and the impact of these changes on project management and project financing. The recent growth of the industry is documented and predictions for the future of the industry in Ireland are summarised. The conclusions reached show that an increased involvement in the financing of public projects is required from the private sector if …

Hiring Practices For Skilled Craftsmen In The Construction Industry, Jimmy A. Off

Graduate Research Papers

The building construction industry experiences wild fluctuations in demand. Additionally, the industry is characterized by a competitive bid structure. A high labor turnover rate is the natural consequence of these conditions. Compounding this problem is the building industry's highly labor intensive nature. Since contractors will perform the hiring process so frequently, their procedures must be able to identify the best qualified applicants.

The current economic recession has brought many construction firms to a point of near idleness. The unemployment rate among skilled craftsmen is high. This has created a buyer's market in which the contractors can choose the most qualified …

Department Of Agriculture Moved To South Perth, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

After more than half a century in the historic but time-worn building, one of few adorned with the British Government crest of the Lion and the Unicorn, on the Eastern side of government gardens in St George's Terrace, the Departmnet of Agriculture has been transfred to a new location in South Perth.