An innovative mobile application for construction programme managers

Construction programme management is a complex and information-intensive environment. The construction programme management team requires access to construction information in real-time and when needed. The current increasing use of mobile devices offers an opportunity to meet this need. The efficient management of construction programmes is one of the major factors for improving stakeholders’ satisfaction. An innovative tool is needed in accessing the right information at the right time, especially when spontaneous and urgent decision-making is needed. To this end, the innovative use of a mobile device in delivering information and services to the management team in real-time and based on their current context offers significant benefits. This paper discusses context-aware computing, the enabling technologies for geolocation and the development of a prototype, mobile, context-aware application for construction programme management. The prototype system developed is based on the findings from an earlier study of user requirements which showed that the ability to provide relevant information and services at an appropriate time and at the most appropriate location has the potential to improve the monitoring and control of construction programmes. The prototype system demonstrates the provision of context-specific information and services to construction programme managers using a mobile device. The benefits and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed and conclusions drawn about the potential impact of enhanced information delivery for the efficiency of the construction programme managers

When will we learn: key factors and potential barriers

The overall aim of this research was to improve the dissemination of Lessons Learned in construction projects so that contractors’ project teams have access to the most relevant lessons at the most appropriate time, in the most appropriate format. The outcome of the research aimed to provide (1) an understanding of the different systems and tools used for recording Lessons Learned amongst major construction contractors; (2) an understanding of the needs in terms of what sort of lessons are required, the level of detail required and how best these should be made available; and (3) an approach on how best to disseminate Lessons Learned. The key objectives of the research were to: 1. Investigate current practice for recording and disseminating Lessons Learned; 2. Identify potential barriers for successfully disseminating Lessons Learned; and 3. Identify key factors affecting company processes to encourage a more systematic dissemination of Lessons Learned. The study was conducted in three phases. The first investigated contractors’ current practices for recording and disseminating Lessons Learned through a questionnaire survey. The second phase identified key factors that would encourage the institutionalisation of Lessons Learned and also the factors that inhibit their use. The third phase examined how current processes could be adapted to develop a process that would embed the systematic dissemination of Lessons Learned within an organisation’s existing practices. This report focuses on the second stage of the project that identified from the end users those factors that would encourage the institutionalisation of Lessons Learned and also the factors that inhibit their use of Lessons Learned

Lessons learned practices in the engineering, procurement and construction sector

The exploitation of lessons learned to improve performance on future projects is highly desirable for many construction organisations. The vision of an organisation that can readily recall what went well on a project and attempt to recreate those successes as well as avoiding the repetition of past mistakes offers commercial sense. This paper adopts a case study methodology to investigate how Canadian Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies address lessons learned on their construction projects. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for UK companies regarding how the process may be improved in terms of encouraging lessons learned to occur, the timing of lessons learned sessions, identifying participants, the format for documenting lessons learned and how these should be disseminated

Mergers and acquisitions in the construction industry: an exploratory study

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are major strategic initiatives undertaken by many organisations. Within the construction context, these have been used, amongst others, to accelerate growth, reduce the effects of the construction cycle, enter into new markets, and spread risk. During the last decade, M&A were recognised as the preferred vehicle for expansion into the global construction market. Major European and international construction organisations use mergers or acquisitions to increase their geographical coverage and business portfolio. Mergers and Acquisitions impact on a number of organisational dimensions ranging from `soft' issues such as organisational culture to `hard' issues such as IT integration. Four specific aspects of mergers and acquisitions are investigated within this thesis. These are as follows: Strategy, Business Portfolio and Performance Measurement of construction organisations and the impact of M&A on subsequent performance; the Acquisition Strategy adopted for entering emerging markets such as Central and Eastern Europe; the Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on construction companies' Information Systems and Information Technology (IS/IT); and an Investigation of Knowledge Management Strategies for organisations that have undergone mergers and acquisitions. The thesis adopts a qualitative research methodology. An extensive literature review was conducted on mergers and acquisitions with particular emphasis on its use within the construction sector. The literature review provided a sound basis for theory development and identified areas in which further understanding was requiired. A multiple case study approach was selected for each of the four aspects studied and the data was obtained using semi-structured interviews. Based on the case study data, analysis and discussion were conducted resulting in conclusions for each of the four aspects investigated. The research concluded that Mergers and Acquisitions were an important vehicle for construction organisations to achieve growth, and expand geographically into new markets and new sectors. However,. the implications of mergers and acquisitions need to be understood and the processes . before, during and after the merger or acquisition is finalised need to be carefully planned and communicated to the relevant parties. Mergers and Acquisitions'- can offer' tremendous advantage to an organisation and several recommendations are made regarditig how the process may be improved within the construction context

The knowledge management to learning organization connection

The changes in the engineering-construction (E-C) industry of the 21st century require organizations to take a more active role in developing knowledge management and learning organization initiatives. The need to both retain knowledge within the organization and focus on continuous human resource development throughout all levels of the organization is becoming a primary challenge throughout the industry. This paper addresses this challenge by focusing on the question of the link between knowledge management and learning organizations and how to transform an organization from a focus on knowledge management to a focus on developing a learning culture. Based on a series of studies by the PIs into the characteristics of both knowledge management and learning organizations, this paper outlines models of each of these concepts and introduces a bridge that details the level of knowledge management implementation that must be in place prior to an organization having the capacity to move to a learning focus. Additionally, the case studies conducted during the current study provide a basis for presenting potentially unsuccessful paths that may be selected by organizations during the implementation of a knowledge management to learning organization transition

The potential of knowledge management processes for facilitating PFI projects

Knowledge management (KM) is one of the strategies that can be used to improve organisational competitiveness and performance. Like the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), KM attempts to improve service performance. Facilities Management (FM) now has an increasingly important role to play in PFI projects. It is therefore important within the PFI-FM context, to manage knowledge for facilities, particularly on its processes, the approaches to dealing with problems, and the management of day-to-day operations. This allows facilities managers to be more effective at both the operational and managerial levels. The aim of this paper is to identify knowledge management’s potential and its relevance to the integration of facilities management practice in PFI projects. Reviews on current practice, issues and problems, indicate that it would be beneficial to adapt knowledge management in FM organisation, particularly at the operational level. By adopting KM, it could facilitate the effectiveness of managing services and later overcome the shortfalls in meeting expectations and the desired performance level of FM organisations. A discussion is also included on the future research direction for the development of a conceptual framework to support the integration of facilities management practices with relevant knowledge management principles

Exploiting knowledge management: the engineering and construction perspective

Construction companies have always relied on their knowledge assets to provide services to clients. In recent years the terminology ‘knowledge management’ has been introduced. Knowledge management (KM) seeks to formalize the manner in which companies exploit their knowledge assets by harnessing organizational knowledge, promoting greater collaboration between groups with similar interests, capturing and using lessons learned on previous projects, etc. This paper investigates how major US engineering design and construction firms are implementing knowledge management initiatives in order to identify best practice. It adopts a case study methodology to investigate companies’ Strategy and Implementation, People Aspects and Metrics for Performance. The study finds that there is a clear distinction between the knowledge management activities undertaken by large engineering design firms and those of construction firms. There is also a much greater emphasis on knowledge sharing, which is just one component of knowledge management. Moreover, some companies have specific KM initiatives whilst others have activities that are part of their normal business processes

Knowledge management to learning organization connection

The changes in the engineering-construction (E-C) industry of the 21st century require organizations to take a more active role in developing knowledge management and learning organization initiatives. The need to both retain knowledge within the organization and focus on continuous human resource development throughout all levels of the organization is becoming a primary challenge throughout the industry. This paper addresses this challenge by focusing on the question of the link between knowledge management and learning organizations and how to transform an organization from a focus on knowledge management to a focus on developing a learning culture. Based on a series of studies by the PIs into the characteristics of both knowledge management and learning organizations, this paper outlines models of each of these concepts and introduces a bridge that details the level of knowledge management implementation that must be in place prior to an organization having the capacity to move to a learning focus. Additionally, the case studies conducted during the current study provide a basis for presenting potentially unsuccessful paths that may be selected by organizations during the implementation of a knowledge management to learning organization transition

A PCR-based method for discriminating between high molecular weight glutenin subunits Bx7 and Bx7* in Triticum aestivum L

The correct assignment of high molecular weight glutenin subunit variants is a key task in wheat breeding. However, the traditional analysis by protein electrophoresis is sometimes difficult and not very precise. This work describes a novel DNA marker for the accurate discrimination between the Glu-B1 locus subunits Bx7 and Bx7*. The analysis of one hundred and forty two bread wheat cultivars from different countries has highlighted a great number of misclassifications in the literature that could lead to wrong conclusions in studies of the relationship between glutenin composition and wheat quality

Diversity and Genetic structure of the Spanish collection of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L) landraces

The objectives of this study were to assess diversity and genetic structure of a collection of Spanish durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L) landraces, using SSRs, DArTs and gliadin-markers, and to correlate the distribution of diversity with geographic and climatic features, as well as agro-morphological traits. A high level of diversity was detected in the genotypes analyzed, which were separated into nine populations with a moderate to great genetic divergence among them. The three subspecies taxa, dicoccon, turgidum and durum, present in the collection, largely determined the clustering of the populations. Genotype variation was lower in dicoccon (one major population) and turgidum (two major populations) than in durum (five major populations). Genetic differentiation by the agro-ecological zone of origin was greater in dicoccon and turgidum than in durum. DArT markers revealed two geographic substructures, east-west for dicoccon and northeast-southwest for turgidum. The ssp. durum had a more complex structure, consisting of seven populations with high intra-population variation. DArT markers allowed the detection of subgroups within some populations, with agro-morphological and gliadin differences, and distinct agro-ecological zones of origin. Two different phylogenetic groups were detected; revealing that some durum populations were more related to ssp. turgidum from northern Spain, while others seem to be more related to durum wheats from North Afric