Specialist contractors – generally known as subcontractors – perform the majority of the work on commercial construction projects. They face significant challenges in allocating their resources across multiple, concurrent projects (O’Brien and Fischer 2000). Despite their central nature to project performance, relatively little research has been performed to formally model their operations. Without such modeling, there exists little basis from which to measure or improve performance. This dissertation attempts to address the limited literature by providing a formal, information model for subcontractor resource management. There are three main contributions: First, addition to the general literature on subcontractor management as a precursor to formal modeling. Second, an information model for subcontractor resource management. This model is expressed in UML (the Unified Modeling Language) and implemented in code. Third, as part of the information model, an extension to the Process Connectors architecture (Siddiqui et al 2008) to add resource constraints to distributed schedule coordination. Model development and validation is performed through case studies with subcontractors and general contractors. Collectively, the contributions of this research provide a practical basis for describing and representing subcontractor resources that can improve practice as well as provide a foundation for future prescriptive research.
1.1 Motivation: Subcontractor Multi-Project Resource Allocation
On construction projects, it is common that the majority of work is performed by subcontractors. Thus, understanding subcontractor’s issues, concerns and the ways how they coordinate with general contractors are vital. Existing literature, case st...
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...cation processes. The model is as generalizable as possible but maybe slightly unsuitable to all subcontractors because the nature of their business and business strategies.
This research aims to support descriptive modeling. The developed model as well as the implementation software represent resource constraints and support human decision makers. What-if analysis and the incorporation of local resource constraints are the specific focus of this research.
This research does not provide an optimization nor resource assignment algorithm. Optimization techniques to solve resource constraint problems have been argued computationally impractical for most real-life large projects because of the enormous number of variables and constraints (Abeyasinghe, Greenwood et al. 2001). Focus is placed on descriptive modeling that supports human directed scenario analysis.
Design, implement and coordinate complex projects that deliver effective business unit outcomes and meet client service delivery needs by using project management methodologies to ensure consistent quality outcomes.
Moving away from the functional silo structures to the pure project structure works well in some industries such as the construction industry. It entails a fixed ...
Lewis, J. P. (2011). Project planning, scheduling, and control: A hands-on guide to bringing projects in on time and on budget (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
The findings of this research had shown both the progress of BIM implementation that have taken place over the years and at the same time the limitations to BIM usage in the management of projects. In the view of the limitations, this researcher is of the opinion that certain steps can help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of BIM implementation in construction projects. The research results had suggested that BIM is applicable and beneficial to all stakeholders in all phases of construction projects. It is also found that BIM have collaboration, legal and implementation problems of which this researcher recommends as follows;
This project is an open-ended project designed to help you learn more about a topic related to resource management that is of high interest to you. Your end product will be a poster presentation along with a written document that addresses all components of your investigation. This document provides an outline of the steps you should complete for this assignment.
S.KENNEDY & A. AKINTOYE (1995) Quantity Surveyors’ role in design and build procurement method, [online] London : Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Available from :
Kezner, H. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 6th. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1998. Print.
Identify the Project Constraint based on the Critical Path Network. Once defined the critical chain as the constraint to performing the project faster, look to reduce the planned time through the use of the Project-Task Estimates (in particularly the optimization estimation)
In every project there are always some universal characteristics that will be shared. They all have a comprehensible and established purpose and very distinct life durations. Overall, all projects are doing something that may possibly be new or yet a one time endeavor but have explicit requirements which include; time, price, and performan...
Project Management Institute (PMI) (2013). Project Management Professional (PMP) Handbook. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pmi.org/certification/~/media/pdf/certifications/pdc_pmphandbook.ashx. [Last Accessed 20 April 2014].
Three distinct decision making processes are programed decisions, operations research, and non-programed decisions (Dunn, 2010). Programed decisions are those made routinely and are well-known to the person making the decision (Dunn, 2010). Often these issues have standard rules and regulations that encompass them (Dunn, 2010). As stated by Dunn (2010), “operations research is closely aligned with systems analysis and is defined as the use of mathematical models, analytical methods, or structured inquiry to analyze a complex situation and identify the optimal approach” (p. 44). The third decision making process is non-programmed decisions, which are out of the ordinary having no typical solution (Dunn, 2010).
Requirements engineering begins during the communication activity, continues into the modeling activity, and builds a bridge from the system requirements into software design and construction. Through requirements engineering, there is an examination of the context of software work performed. It is essential for the software engineering team to understand all requirements of a problem before the team tries to solve the problem. An identification of specific needs that the design and construction must address is also included. Further is a need for the identification of the priorities that guides the order for the completion of work. This i...
This traditional project management tool can provide many key benefits for Sabre because they have recently relied on a large modelling software package to help their company make flight schedules more profitable. When the WBS is used accurately,
This paper examines the legal aspects of procurement management and specifically how procurement management can be used as an effective tool for the overall management of a project. This paper focuses on the basics of common contract laws, the basics of agency law, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), and some aspects of that pertaining to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). A summation of the company’s position in relation to a given supplier (provided the company decides not to procure all of the material in a contract) will be examined along with how that position is strengthened by understanding the legal aspects of procurement management. Finally, the paper will analyze how the project manager is supported by the contract management function. Fleming (2003) posited that there is a clear and important distinction that should be made that delineates the work of the project from the inside work of the company.
In the literature review we explain the modeling process first before discussing different methods of simulation and modelling and interpreting the methods in enterprise-wide modeling.