The Primacy of As-Built Drawings in the Management of Underground Utility Operations: A New Zealand Study

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An empirical analysis of construction organisations’ competitive strategies and performance

Purpose – The essence of strategy formulation is to assist an organisation obtain a strategic fit with its environment and help enhance organisational continuous improvement in achieving performance excellence. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the type of competitive strategies used by construction organisations in attaining their strategic goals in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs an inductive research approach using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information from large construction organisations based in South Africa. Findings – The research identifies five strategic attributes that could assist organisations to grow their businesses and enhance their returns. It reveals that all Porters’ generic competitive strategies are significantly related to organisational financial performance measures except focus strategy. The research found that three generic competitive strategies are positively related to non-financial performance and that differentiation and cost-leadership strategies are capable of assisting organisations’ achieve their financial performance goals. Practical implications – The study results will be of immense benefit to chief executive officers as well as managers of construction organisations in growing their businesses and enhancing their corporate performance. Originality/value – The paper contributes both theoretically and empirically to the current discussion and findings on competitive strategy and its relationship with organisational performance. The results presented in the paper have important implications for the implementation of competitive strategies in construction companies and future studies in the area of strategic management

Comparative life-cycle cost (LCC) study of green and traditional industrial buildings in Sri Lanka

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Rework causes classification model with liable parties of the contract in construction projects

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A study of design change management for infrastructure development projects in New Zealand

Design changes seem to be an inevitable part of engineering, procurement and construction EPC projects. Such changes create a need for a proactive approach to adjusting project scope, cost and time (the triple constraints) for efficiency and effectiveness in overall delivery. This study investigates the causes and implications of design changes in order to improve design change management practices. Data for the study were obtained through online interviews with New Zealand industry practitioners. Thematic analysis was used to collate the results into meaningful data. The study found that design changes were predominantly caused by clients’ inadequate strategic planning, insufficient attention to design, EPC contractors’ inadequate design ability, and on-site variations. There were three categories of such design changes: direct impact on the project, the reciprocal and complementary effect on stakeholders, and the far-reaching impact on the community. The study concludes by suggesting improvements, such as strengthening the integration of project teams to enhance design quality, strategic alignment of stakeholders at the planning stage, early contractor involvement (ECI) between the planning and design phases, and improving collaboration between design and construction teams. Further, a combination of high technical skills (e.g., design ability) and soft skills (can-do attitude, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, documentation skills, etc.) are needed to generate the desired improvement in design change management.fals

Sustaining construction organisations in NZ: A linear regression model approach to analysing determinants of their performance

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Lean and BIM Implementation Barriers in New Zealand Construction Practice

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Implementation of the LPS Using an Excel Spreadsheet: A Case Study From New Zealand Construction Industry

Purpose This study investigated the implementation challenges of one of lean construction’s recent tools, the Last Planner System (LPS), by exploring issues in the New Zealand construction sector to identify potential areas for improvement. To achieve this aim, the study formulated two objectives: 1) to present the challenges in LPS use; and 2) to explore solutions through using an Excel spreadsheet to facilitate LPS applications. Design/methodology/approach The study drew primarily upon a case study approach. A fieldwork study and document analysis of a New Zealand construction project were conducted with an extensive literature review undertaken on the LPS concept. Findings The findings revealed that, although an automated spreadsheet could be a simple and inexpensive option for using the LPS, data collection, storage and transfer into the spreadsheet could significantly influence the LPS outcomes’ reliability. Most data utilisation challenges were found to occur around the three data sets included in the Weekly Work Plan (WWP). The study presented several automation solutions which had been applied to overcome data utilisation challenges. Originality/value Among the first of its kind in the construction industry, this study, with its first-hand account of an organisation which uses the lean paradigm, provides an in-depth insight into LPS tool implementation. The study extends the current body of knowledge through unearthing the challenges of LPS integration into construction activities and presenting efforts undertaken in a construction case project to overcome relevant issues. This adds value through enhancing the reliability of the LPS and, consequently, the effectiveness of its implementation in practical terms

Adequacy of ventilation systems: An explorative study of the perspectives of designers and occupants of high rise buildings in Nairobi, Kenya

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Knowledge transfer and management in the construction industry: Trends and future challenges

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