BIM adoption and implementation for architectural practices

Severe issues about data acquisition and management arise during the design creation and development due to complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. BIM (Building Information Modelling) is a tool for a team based lean design approach towards improved architectural practice across the supply chain. However, moving from a CAD (Computer Aided Design) approach to BIM (Building Information Modelling) represents a fundamental change for individual disciplines and the construction industry as a whole. Although BIM has been implemented by large practices, it is not widely used by SMEs (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises). Purpose: This paper aims to present a systematic approach for BIM implementation for Architectural SMEs at the organizational level Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is undertaken through a KTP (Knowledge transfer Partnership) project between the University of Salford and John McCall Architects (JMA) a SME based in Liverpool. The overall aim of the KTP is to develop lean design practice through BIM adoption. The BIM implementation approach uses a socio-technical view which does not only consider the implementation of technology but also considers the socio-cultural environment that provides the context for its implementation. The action research oriented qualitative and quantitative research is used for discovery, comparison, and experimentation as it provides �learning by doing�. Findings: The strategic approach to BIM adoption incorporated people, process and technology equally and led to capacity building through the improvements in process, technological infrastructure and upskilling of JMA staff to attain efficiency gains and competitive advantages. Originality/Value: This paper introduces a systematic approach for BIM adoption based on the action research philosophy and demonstrates a roadmap for BIM adoption at the operational level for SME companie

Project Management Methodology for University-Industry Collaborative Projects

University-industry collaborative (UIC) in Malaysia has received very little research attention in the literature. Furthermore, worldwide development of UIC project management approaches has been carried out without due consideration of the unique attributes associated neither with this specific environment nor with the high degree of uncertainty intrinsically associated with research projects. This investigation leverages on the available literature, interviews with university-industry research partners and our own works to understand the nature of UIC R&D. This work focuses particular attention on the factors that relate to current project management practices and the methodology applied. It present the findings of qualitative interviews conducted with respondents from universities and industries involved in collaborative R&D projects in Malaysia. Two aspects were investigated; the development process and project management practices in UIC. The study concludes by presenting an outline of the requirements and components required of a project management methodology (PMM) designed specifically for the management of UIC projects. It will provide valuable information and insights to both universities and industries on how to embark on designing a PMM specifically for use in the UIC research environment.Project management methodology, university-industry, collaborative, qualitative.

Enhancing knowledge management in online collaborative learning

This study aims to explore two crucial aspects of collaborative work and learning: on the one hand, the importance of enabling collaborative learning applications to capture and structure the information generated by group activity and, on the other hand, to extract the relevant knowledge in order to provide learners and tutors with efficient awareness, feedback and support as regards group performance and collaboration. To this end, in this paper we first propose a conceptual model for data analysis and management that identifies and classifies the many kinds of indicators that describe collaboration and learning into high-level aspects of collaboration. Then, we provide a computational platform that, at a first step, collects and classifies both the event information generated asynchronously from the users' actions and the labeled dialogues from the synchronous collaboration according to these indicators. This information is then analyzed in next steps to eventually extract and present to participants the relevant knowledge about the collaboration. The ultimate aim of this platform is to efficiently embed information and knowledge into collaborative learning applications. We eventually suggest a generalization of our approach to be used in diverse collaborative learning situations and domains

Comparing inductive and deductive methodologies for design patterns identification and articulation

Design patterns offer a valuable format to communicate knowledge of successful design solutions to recurring problems. However, there is a lack of research into design patterns that differentiate the applicability of the proposed design solutions across different nations. This paper discusses inductive and deductive methodologies for analyzing qualitative data in order to identify and articulate design patterns for cross-cultural computer-supported collaborative design learning. It proposes a methodology how patterns for facilitating intercultural design education can be identified and articulated. Within this research, an inductive, deductive and comparative methodology for identifying and articulating design patterns was developed. Therein, eleven patterns for intercultural computer-supported collaboration were identified and written. This paper introduces the proposed methodology taking the design pattern “MOOD OF THE MOMENT” for example

git2net - Mining Time-Stamped Co-Editing Networks from Large git Repositories

Data from software repositories have become an important foundation for the empirical study of software engineering processes. A recurring theme in the repository mining literature is the inference of developer networks capturing e.g. collaboration, coordination, or communication from the commit history of projects. Most of the studied networks are based on the co-authorship of software artefacts defined at the level of files, modules, or packages. While this approach has led to insights into the social aspects of software development, it neglects detailed information on code changes and code ownership, e.g. which exact lines of code have been authored by which developers, that is contained in the commit log of software projects. Addressing this issue, we introduce git2net, a scalable python software that facilitates the extraction of fine-grained co-editing networks in large git repositories. It uses text mining techniques to analyse the detailed history of textual modifications within files. This information allows us to construct directed, weighted, and time-stamped networks, where a link signifies that one developer has edited a block of source code originally written by another developer. Our tool is applied in case studies of an Open Source and a commercial software project. We argue that it opens up a massive new source of high-resolution data on human collaboration patterns.Comment: MSR 2019, 12 pages, 10 figure

Collaborating with competitors : value through coopetition in the New Zealand forest industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Supply Chain Management at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

The purpose of this research is to investigate the scale of possibility for coopetition to be applied to the logistics activities in the export log supply chain in New Zealand. The research ascertains there are financial benefits of approximately $200million to the industry from cooperating in port logistics and shipping activities while continuing to compete in other sectors of the chain. The research tests to see if the existing theory on barriers and facilitators applies in this case study. Two research methods were used: 1. Qualitative interviews with exporters to probe for specific factors that support or hinder coopetition adaptation. 2. Quantitative research looking at financial implications, involving data collection from industry, building a simulation model, and simulating four degrees of coopetition adoption. The research identifies that small levels of cooperation between exporters can produce the most cost reduction benefits, with decreasing returns to scale through further collaboration attempts. As well as providing overall cost reductions the research indicates that there is a significant reduction in cost volatility by collaboration in shipping and logistics. While exporters used various terminology the themes that emerged, through semi-formal interviews, the barriers and enablers that were identified in this context relate closely to those models of other authors. The alignment of the physical world in time and space, the connection between strategic business models and relevant levels of autonomy and risk and the alignment of values, history and ability to communicate with relationship and their cost were all found to be significant factors that could both enable or disable cooperation between competitors in this case. Levels of trust and communication were found to be generally low in the log export industry the input of an independent third party may assist in supporting cooperation. The research concludes that there is potential for at least small and medium sized players in the industry to adopt some level of coopetition to reduce costs in the supply chain. However, the findings indicated that there are significant invisible costs associated with coopetition outside of the operational costs. The full cost of building and maintaining relationships required for it to persist still needs to be investigated further. These factors should be considered when analysing the savings as they may easily erode any gains made through coopetition