Factors contributing to information technology software project risk : perceptions of software practitioners

The majority of software development projects normally connected with the application of new or advanced technologies. The use of advanced and, in most cases, unproven technology on software development projects could leads to a large number of risks. Every aspect of a software development project could be influenced by risks that could cause project failure. Generally, the success of a software development project is directly connected with the involved risk, i.e. project risks should be successfully mitigated in order to finish a software development project within the budget allocated. One of the early researches on risk of software projects was conducted by Boehm (1991) where the research identified top 10 risk factors for software project. Boehm research had been the starting point of research in risk of software projects. For the past 10-15 years, many researches had been conducted with the introduction of frameworks and guidelines. However, still software development project failures had been reported in the academic literatures. Researchers and practitioners in this area have long been concerned with the difficulties of managing the risks relating to the development and implementation of IT software projects. This research is concerned specifically with the risk of failure of IT software projects, and how related risk constructs are framed. Extant research highlights the need for further research into how a theoretically coherent risk construct can be combined with an empirical validation of the links between risk likelihood, risk impact on cost overrun, and evidence of strategic responses in terms of risk mitigation The proposal within this research is to address this aspect of the debate by seeking to clarify the role of a project life cycle as a frame of reference that contracting parties might agree upon and which should act as the basis for the project risk construct. The focus on the project life cycle as a risk frame of reference potentially leads to a common, practical view of the (multi) dimensionality setting of risk within which risk factors may be identified and which believe to be grounded across a wide range of projects and, specifically in this research, for IT software projects. The research surveyed and examine the opinions of professionals in IT and software companies. We assess which risk factors are most likely to occur in IT software projects; evaluate risk impact by assessing which risk factors IT professionals specifically think are likely to give rise to the possibility of cost overruns; and we empirically link which risk mitigation strategies are most likely to be employed in practice as a response to the risks and impacts identified. The data obtained were processed, analysed and ranked. By using the EXCEL and SPSS for factor analysis, all the risk factors were reduced and groups into clusters and components for further correlation analysis. The analysis was able to evidence opinion on risk likelihood, the impact of the risk of cost overrun, and the strategic responses that are likely to be effective in mitigating the risks that emerge in IT software projects. The analysis indicates that it is possible to identify a grouping of risk that is reflective of the different stages of the project life cycle which suggest three identifiable groups when viewing risk from the likelihood of occurrence and three identifiable groups from a cost overrun perspective. The evidence relating to the cost overrun view of risk provided a stronger view of which components of risk were important compared with risk likelihood. The research account for this difference by suggesting that a more coherent framework, or risk construct, offered by viewing risk within the context of a project life cycle allows those involved in IT software projects to have a clearer view of the relationships between risk factors. It also allows the various risk components and the associated emergent clusters to be more readily identifiable. The research on strategic response indicated different strategies as being effective between risk likelihood versus cost overrun. The study was able to verify the effective mitigation strategies that are correlated to the risk components. In this way, the actions or consequences conditioned can be observed on identification of risk likelihood and risk impact on cost overrun. However, the focus of attention on technical issues and the degree to which they attract strategic response is a new finding in addition to the usual reports concerning the importance of non-technical aspects of IT software projects. The research also developed a fuzzy theory based model to assist software practitioners in the software development life cycle. This model could help the practitioners in the decision making of dealing with risks in the software project. The contribution of the research relates to the assessment of risk within a construct that is defined in the context of a fairly broadly accepted view of the life cycle of projects. The software risk construct based on the project management framework proposed in this research could facilitates a focus on roles and responsibilities, and allows for the coordination and integration of activities for regular monitoring and aligning with the project goals. This contribution would better enable management to identify and manage risk as they emerge with project stages and more closely reflect project activity and processes and facilitate the risk management strategies exercise. Keywords: risk management, project planning, IT implementation, project life cycl

Investigation on energy efficiency of lighting system in a university library

The electrical lighting system is one of the most significant contributors to energy consumption and operational cost for a library building. The extended operation of the lighting system in the library building consumes a high amount of energy, which requires the adoption of energy efficiency implementation to reduce energy consumption and to overcome energy waste. The objective of this paper is to present the outcomes of investigation on the energy efficiency of the lighting system in a university library building. The lighting system operated in a library building in one of the universities in Malaysia was chosen as the subject of the case study. A semi-structured face to face interview was carried out to interview four respondents who currently in-charge in the lighting system operation of university library building under the study. Looking at the results of the study, the lighting system of the university library is not energy efficient which leads to high energy consumption. To overcome energy waste, the results revealed that a proper guideline for the adoption of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the lighting system is essential to be developed by the university authority for the university library

Bridging BIM and LCSA to greening existing buildings : From a literature review to development of conceptual framework

Instead of looking into new building, this study shifted the focus to existing buildings considering the area has been less explored although the amount of energy released during the phase has significant influence towards sustainability impacts. Deriving from the situation, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of bridging BIM and the four-steps approach of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) as an assisting tool to improve the performances of existing non-green buildings. To achieve aforementioned aim, an extensive literature review to identify the nexus between the two areas is done, as well as possibilities and challenges surfaced pertaining to the idea. Literature review process consists of several approaches including literature searching, classifying, and analysis were conducted. Based on literature review, a research gap is identified, and an initial conceptual framework is developed. The framework entails several areas of research that highlight on integrating LCSA approach, sustainability indicators and BIM functions. Apart from that, several implementation considerations to integrate both areas have been identified too. The conceptual framework presented in this study will serve as a basis to further develop an implementation framework that integrates BIM and LCSA to greening existing buildings. The final implementation framework is expected to assist project stakeholders including project manager (or facility manager), building owner, and consultants in making decision towards improving existing buildings' sustainable performance

The Role of 5D Building Information Modelling in Construction Project Cost Management: An Overview and Future Directions

The significance of 5D BIM in construction project cost management is increasing as the construction industry has experienced significant technological advancements. Despite the growing importance of 5D BIM in construction project cost management, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding its full potential and the necessary skills and training required by professionals in utilizing this technology. Thus, there is a need to explore the benefits, challenges, and best practices of implementing 5D BIM in cost management, as well as the role of professionals in utilizing it for optimal results. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review and provide insights into the future of 5D BIM in construction project cost management. The paper discusses the benefits, challenges, and best practices of implementing 5D BIM in cost management. Furthermore, it examines the role of professionals in utilising 5D BIM for cost management, including the necessary skills, training, and team-building strategies. Additionally, the paper delves into the future of 5D BIM in cost management, exploring emerging trends and technological advancements. The conclusion summarises the key points and highlights the insights into future research direction

Risk Disclosure and Performance of Malaysian Construction Public Listed Companies

Due to regulatory reforms, corporate governance has evolved with Enterprise Risk Management become prominence since the 1990s. In Malaysia, Statement of Risk Management and Internal Control with Malaysian Corporate Code of Governance are regulatory compliance on risk management for the Public Listed Companies. Companies are required to make risk disclosures in their annual report based on Risk Management Framework, which indirectly provided insights for shareholders and investors to assess the company’s performance. This study aims to determine the extent of risk implementation based on Risk Management Framework and the effect on construction Public Listed Companies performance. The sample of this study consists of 227 construction Public Listed Companies in Malaysia Bourse from 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Content analysis is conducted on the company’s annual reports for the five years based on Risk Management Framework components and financial ratios. The study revealed the presence of both guidelines had increased risk disclosure among construction Public Listed Companies but there was no significant improvement in their financial performance

Methodology to investigate the quality of cost data as inputs for LCC analysis of new flexible pavement construction in the Malaysian construction industry

In the face of high cost of new road construction and maintenance, a large amount of money was required over the years by the Malaysia Government to spend on building new road and maintaining the quality of existing road pavements throughout the anticipated service lifespan. Many commentators pointed out that it is crucial to the road owners or clients, and related government agencies to give greater emphasize on optimising the total ownership cost on the new road pavement construction from the very early stage of the project life cycle. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is a an economic assessment technique that is applied to calculate the total ownership cost of an asset, which can produce useful cost information to the clients and cost estimators in facilitating them to achieve the best value for money decision making on the investment of new road construction throughout the anticipated design lifespan. LCC compares the overall long-term economic efficiency between the competing road design alternatives over the anticipated lifetime to identify potential cost savings. The process of LCC estimation is divided into three main phases; i.e. data inputs, conversion, and outputs. However, the quality of data used in LCC analysis is significant to ensure the LCC estimation process can produce correct and reliable outputs to the clients and cost estimators. This paper presents the proposed methodology to investigate the quality of data used as inputs for LCC analysis of new flexible pavement construction. There are two types of road pavements, which are flexible and rigid pavements. The methodology proposed for the study is a qualitative research strategy that comprises of literature review and semi-structured interview. This paper is prepared as part of a two-year master programme of research undertaken by the first author to investigate the quality and readiness of the cost data as inputs for LCC analysis of new flexible pavement construction in the Malaysian construction industry

Factors affecting the ownership of low-cost housing for socio-economic development in Malaysia

Malaysian government has a special commitment to provide the adequate, affordable housing and quality to all income levels, particularly for low-income group. Over the recent years, Malaysian property market was not balance in terms of supply and demand, where the demand is exceeding supply especially for low-cost housing. However, high demand for housing in urban areas could affect the homeownership issue for low-income group. The first objective of this paper is to study the relationship between household income and housing affordability. Besides, the second objective is to examine housing satisfaction level by the residents focusing on the public low-cost flats under the supervision of Kuala Lumpur City Hall. A survey has been carried out using questionnaires distributed to 500 residents of the three-low-cost housing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The finding contributes to an establishment of a strategy to improve homeownership of the low-income earners to own PPR house. This study is recommended that more effort should be taken by the government to improve quality of house to ensure the better life of low-income population in the current PPR flats

Defects of Tensioned Membrane Structures (TMS) In Tropics

The wide use of tensioned membrane structures (TMS) becomes prominent in many designs because of its aesthetic, ergonomic, and economical nature. Recently, TMS has been applied in the tropics with success, yet defects specific to this region have received little attention. Through a questionnaire survey of 890 uses and technicians of TMS in three different areas in Malaysia, this study identified the most frequently occurring TMS defects in the tropics, such as "deterioration of roof coatings", "corrosion or fatigue in fixings", "fungal decay, mould growth, and dirt in membrane", "corrosion in anchor cables", and "degradation of fabrics". These defects are quite different from those in other climatic zones. The top five causes of TMS defects in the tropics are weather, aging, design, construction/installation, and material selection. However, only "corrosion or fatigue in fixings" is a significant predictor for "deterioration of roof coatings". While this is not a causal effect, a practical implication is that TMS maintenance workers do not have to climb up to the roof to check the deterioration in coating but only need to predict the deterioration through the corrosion levels of the fixings. Further, seven countermeasures for TMS in tropic are recommended. This study is the first comprehensive study examining tensioned membrane structure defects in the tropics

Integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Sustainability to Greening Existing Building: Potentials in Malaysian Construction Industry

Apropos to numerous environmental issues highlighted globally and locally, Malaysia has now moving forward towards new agenda of greening the cities. A positive movement trend of new green building in the country can be seen as number of projects going into green rating application are increasing yearly. Nevertheless, sustainability impact is considered as significantly small since newly developed green building represent small percentage as compared to the existing non-green building. Therefore, the idea of greening the existing building through refurbishment emerged in order to achieve wider sustainability objectives. Apart from that, supported with recent evolvement of technology and digitalization in construction industry, in lieu with governments’ strategies to adopt Industry 4.0, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has also been acknowledged and used broadly as a solution to integrate and facilitate management of information throughout building lifecycles. Considering these two areas; sustainability and BIM are continuously gaining momentum these days, this paper attempts to explore BIM’s potentials as an enabler to help greening the existing non-green building. Literature review is conducted focus on reviewing BIM and sustainability present status in Malaysian construction industry, also their relationship including examining potential areas where BIM may contribute to enhance the buildings’ sustainability performances. Based on the reviews, there is a potential of bridging the two areas considering both has becoming a national construction industry agenda since the government released CITP2016-2020. To further concur the ideas, literature reviews has also proven that the ability of BIM to facilitate various functions has enable it to support several sustainability analyses such as energy, carbon emission, lighting, water, materials and waste, building and site, and costing analysis