A qualitative system dynamics approach to modeling the causes and effects of design deficiencies in construction projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahab Shoar ◽  
Shamsi Payan
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative System Dynamics ◽  
Design Deficiencies

Purpose Poor quality of design documents and Design Deficiencies (DDs) are critical factors that can potentially cause time and cost overrun and lead to project failure. Despite the importance of this issue, few studies have been conducted to explore the underlying relations among the causes and effects of DDs, and it is not clear how they exert influence on each other. However, it is imperative to have a clear understanding of their interrelationships so as to devise intervention strategies. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to explore these causes and effects. Design/methodology/approach To this aim, a qualitative system dynamics model was provided to visualize how various factors interact with one another. The model was developed and validated by drawing on the expertise of industry-related experts. The key causes and effects of the DDs were identified through the investigation of the model. Findings It was concluded that design management of project and the composition of design teams are critical. The obtained results also showed that more attention should be paid to the enhancement of knowledge circulation and communication within design firms and increasing the awareness of managers and owners from the technical consequences of their managerial decisions. Research limitations/implications It is worth mentioning that the design process could be deeply affected by the quality, frequency and strength of relationships among the project’s parties. Early involvement of contractors, for example, can significantly contribute to enhancing design quality. This study investigates factors’ interactions in projects delivered using the traditional design-bid-build method. As relationships between the project’s parties could be different in various project delivery methods, further research is indeed needed to assess factors’ interactions in projects delivered using other methods. Originality/value It is believed that the proposed model by providing a better insight into the connections of causes and effects could aid project managers of different parties with planning the strategies to reduce DDs and mitigate their effects.

A system dynamics approach to conceptualise causes of cost overrun of construction projects in developing countries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ohene Asiedu ◽  
Collins Ameyaw
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
System Dynamics ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Conceptual System ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Interactive Approach ◽  
Cost Overruns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Using Data

PurposeThis study aimed at developing and empirically testing a system dynamics causal loop (SDCL) model for investigating factors related to the risk of cost overruns, associated with the performance of construction projects in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachUsing data derived from the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI), a conceptual system dynamics model was hypothesised and empirically tested.FindingsSupported by empirical evidence, the study established that the low technical capacity of consultants is the underlying cause of cost overruns in government projects. There is a strong proof of the relationship between the results of the SDCL model and poor contract planning and supervision, change orders, competence of the project team and the lack of effective coordination amongst the contractual parties.Practical implicationsThe final SDCL model has revealed key risk components that would require standard mitigation measures in order to achieve “acceptable success” in construction projects.Originality/valueThe study presents an interactive approach for construction practitioners in developing countries to prioritise the causes of cost overruns in order to initiate quick responses.

Modeling cost overrun in building construction projects using the interpretive structural modeling approach: a developing country perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahab Shoar ◽  
Tak Wing Yiu ◽  
Shamsi Payan ◽  
Majid Parchamijalal
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Nominal Group Technique ◽  
Structural Modeling ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Cost Overruns ◽  
Content Type

PurposeAlthough several studies have been conducted on the causes of cost overrun, they have mainly assumed that the causes of cost overrun are independent of each other, and few of them scrutinized the complex interrelationships between the causes. To fill the gap, this study aims to investigate the mutual interactions between the causes of cost overrun using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and proposing strategies to tackle the causes considering their interactions.Design/methodology/approachCritical causes of cost overrun were identified through a comprehensive literature review. In total, 22 key causes are then refined based on the opinions of relevant experts involved in the Iranian building and construction sector. Using the nominal group technique, the causes' interactions were examined and represented via the ISM diagram. The causes were also classified using “matrix cross-reference multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC)” technique.FindingsThe results showed that price fluctuation, claims, execution delay, delay in payment and change order positioned at the highest level of the obtained model can directly result in cost overrun, and corruption and poor contract management located at the base of the model are two major root causes of cost overruns. It was also concluded that more attention should be paid to the precontract phase of the project to address and prevent corruption and managerial issues deeply rooted in this stage.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide a clear understanding of how different causes of cost overrun are related to each other and can ultimately assist project managers of different parties in choosing strategies to mitigate cost overrun in building construction projects.

Schedule and cost overrun analysis for R&D projects using ANP and system dynamics

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1551-1567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar ◽  
J.J. Thakkar
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Analytic Network Process ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Individual Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Process

Purpose Schedule and cost overrun analysis for a typical research & development (R&D) project is necessary to identify and mitigate the non-feasible alternatives at the design stage. Typically, this should include an analysis of technological and economic factors of R&D project. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This research proposes an integrated analytic network process (ANP) and reusable system dynamics (SD) model for a quick and strategically consistent decision making. The technological and economic factors of R&D project were first identified and compiled through a systematic literature review. An ANP model was first developed for calculating Risk Priority Index (RPI) for set of technological and economic factors. The computed RPI are considered as an input to SD models. Two SD models (technological and economic) are developed to undertake a detailed investigation on effect of individual factor on schedule and cost overrun. The approach is exemplified for a case of government R&D project in India. Findings ANP identifies “Testing & qualification facility” and “Raw material availability” as the highest RPI factors. A detailed sensitivity analysis of SD models suggests that technological factors such as “Design Changes,” “Hidden Activities,” and “Lack of Expertise” and economic factors such as “Project delays,” “Unexpected incidents” and “Conflicts” have the highest influence on schedule and cost overrun. Practical implications The outcomes of this research can help managers to estimate the severity of various technological and economic factors on cost and schedule overrun and develop an adequate risk mitigation contingency plan. Originality/value In case of R&D projects where systems are being developed for the first time, changes are inevitable, and hence schedule and cost management plays a very important role in its success. This paper proposes an integrated reusable approach of ANP and SD for analyzing the influence of technological and economic factors on schedule and cost overrun of R&D project.

The influence of project team relationships on cost growth

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Oloruntobi Dada
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cost Growth ◽  
Project Participants ◽  
Procurement Method ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Using projects executed with both traditional and integrated procurement methods, the study sought to investigate relationships that exist among project participants and the influence of those relationships on cost growth. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were administered among 274 construction projects located in 12 states including the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Responses were obtained from 96 projects. Data were subjected to both descriptive and inferential analyses. Findings – In terms of cordiality, relationships between client and contractors ranked highest, while those among in-house project teams ranked lowest. Cost growth or cost overrun is significantly correlated with client-contractor relationship, consultant-contractor relationship, client-consultant-contractor relationship and in-house team relationships. No association between procurement method and cost growth was found. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of generalizability of results due to the sampling method used is acknowledged. One implication of the findings is that in the context of this research, any explanation for cost growth has to be found outside procurement methods. Practical implications – Findings may assist project participants on variables to consider in anticipating, preventing or managing cost growth in building construction projects, beyond formularization of contracts and structures. Originality/value – The research has uniquely investigated the association between intangible project team relationships and tangible variable of cost growth.

Appraisal of stakeholders' willingness to adopt construction 4.0 technologies for construction projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temidayo Oluwasola Osunsanmi ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Muredini Liphadzi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Willingness To Adopt ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

PurposeConstruction 4.0 technology has the capabilities for improving the design, management, operations and decision making of construction projects. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the willingness of construction professionals towards adopting construction 4.0 technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a survey design, and construction professionals in South Africa are assessed using a convenience sampling technique through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was analysed with SPSS while statistical test like; mean score, t-test and principal component analysis was used to present the data.FindingsThe findings, from the analysis, revealed that the construction professionals are willing to adopt construction 4.0 technologies for construction project. However, the possibility of fully integrating the technologies into the construction industry is low. This is because the major technologies such as; Internet of things, robotics, human-computer interaction and cyber-physical systems that encourage smart construction site are rated as not important by the construction professionals.Practical implicationsIt is believed that the findings emanating from this study will serve as an indicator for investors that are interested in procuring construction 4.0 technologies for the construction industry.Originality/valueThis paper presents a framework for the application of construction 4.0 technologies for the construction industry. It also contributes to the development of digitalising construction industry in South Africa.

Designing a qualitative system dynamics model of crowdfunding by document model building

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Haji Gholam Saryazdi ◽  
Ali Rajabzadeh Ghatari ◽  
Alinaghi Mashayekhi ◽  
Alireza Hassanzadeh
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
System Dynamics Model ◽  
Dynamics Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leverage Points ◽  
Qualitative System Dynamics ◽  
First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to design a qualitative model of crowdfunding dynamics through the document model building (DMB). Design/methodology/approach Methodology in this paper is the qualitative system dynamics through DMB. In DMB, the authors identify the variables that are drivers of its growth and collapse, and the model will be developed by using the systematic review of the literature. Findings Designing of the dynamics of crowdfunding model through DMB. Identifying variables that are drivers of crowdfunding growth and collapse. Determining leverage points in crowdfunding diffusion. Originality/value This paper, for the first time, with the aim of identifying and explaining the efficient positive and negative dynamics in this method, examines crowdfunding systematically and structurally.

Inflation rate and labours’ wages in construction projects: economic relation investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali Musarat ◽  
Wesam Salah Alaloul ◽  
M.S. Liew
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Inflation Rate ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman Correlation Test ◽  
Key Resources ◽  
The Impact

PurposeLabours are one of the key resources of construction projects having a significant impact on economic development. With time, the construction industry is getting a boom due to numerous construction projects in which labours’ contribution is significant. Project betterment is associated with the project productivity which relates to the labours. Wages play a vital role in retaining labours in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThis study focuses on investigating the increasing and decreasing behaviour of labour wages in the construction industry and observing the impact of the inflation rate in deviating labour wages. Initially, the percentage deviation was calculated to observe the changing behaviour of the data and then the Spearman correlation test was used to find the relationship between the inflation rate and the labour wages.FindingsIt is evident that even with a good economy and a stable construction sector, still, the labour wages faced a decline over time, which is a matter of concern. Also, based on the correlation coefficient, it was revealed that several labour wages categories are moderately and strongly correlated with the inflation rate and can impact project cost if the inflation rate is not considered while finalizing the budget. Besides that, the changing behaviour of labour wages due to the inflation rate impacts significantly on gross domestic product (GDP); therefore, it requires vital attention.Originality/valueChanges in labour wages are not considered in budget estimation which drag the project towards cost overrun. This study brings the attention of the stakeholders on the issue with experimental justification. Also, how the inflation rate is affecting the labour wages has also been addressed.

Hybrid fuzzy-system dynamics approach for quantification of the impacts of construction claims

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1261-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farnad Nasirzadeh ◽  
David G. Carmichael ◽  
Mohammad Jafar Jarban ◽  
Mozhdeh Rostamnezhad
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Fuzzy System ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Related Structure ◽  
Flexible Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Claims

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a novel hybrid fuzzy-system dynamics (SD) approach for the quantification of the impacts of construction claims. Design/methodology/approach The most significant claims affecting a project are identified. The various factors affecting the impacts of claims are identified. Then, the qualitative model of construction claims is constructed considering the complex inter-related structure of the influencing factors. The mathematical relationships among the variables are determined and the quantitative model of claims is built. Finally, fuzzy logic is integrated into the proposed model to take into account the existing uncertainties. Findings To show the capabilities of the proposed simulation model, it is implemented on a real project and the impacts of the identified claims on the project cost are quantified. It is shown that the external interactions among different claims can intensify their overall impact. Research limitations/implications Identification of interactions among various influencing factors is not an easy job when there are a large number of claims in a project. Well-qualified experts and the existence of historical data may limit the application of the proposed method in projects with limited data and/or qualified experts. Practical implications The proposed hybrid fuzzy-SD approach provides a practical and flexible tool that can be used in various construction projects to assess the cost impacts of construction claims taking into account their complex interactions. Using the proposed method, the accuracy of achieved results is increased compared to conventional methods that are used for the quantification of claims since the complex inter-related structure of influencing factors and the claims interactions are taken into account. One of the capabilities of the proposed hybrid fuzzy-SD method is its flexibility. Depending on the type of contract and the parties involved in the project, the proposed hybrid fuzzy-SD method can be used during different stages of the project life cycle to model and quantify claims. Originality/value The proposed approach may present a flexible and robust method for quantification of construction claims. The novelty aspects of this paper are as follows: the extensively complex structure of claims arising from both internal and external interactions is accounted for using SD. The existing uncertainties affecting the impacts of a claim are taken into account.

The instructional factors that lead to cheating in a Korean cyber university context

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Costley
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Academic Dishonesty ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Cyber University

Purpose This paper looks at a particular type of cheating that occurs in an online university setting. That is, when students who have a connection from outside the online learning environment conspire to cheat together. It measures the correlations between student variables and cheating, instructional variables and cheating and learning outcomes and cheating. The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationships between these factors and cheating, in the hope that the multifaceted nature of academic dishonesty can be better understood. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed a group of students (n = 88) who participated in cyber university classes in South Korea. The study investigates the correlations between student characteristics, student attitudes, instructional design, lecture quality and learning outcomes with cheating. Findings The research looks at correlations between stable demographic factors and student attitudes towards cheating and finds no strong relationships. On the other hand, this study finds statistically significant negative correlations between instructional design quality and cheating, and lecture quality and cheating. This shows that instructors can affect the amount their students cheat through improving the quality of their courses. Also, there was a significant relationship between students’ levels of learning, satisfaction, engagement and interest and cheating. Originality/value Looking at cheating from a variety of angles within a single research agenda gives a clear understanding to instructors as to how cheating in their class will manifest, and how it will negatively impact the quality of a student’s experience.

Validation of an integrated influential factors (IIFs) model as a panacea to curb projects completion delay in Yemen

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-811
Author(s):  
Najib Al-Fadhali ◽  
Dodo Mansir ◽  
Rozlin Zainal
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Adaptive Controller ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Stakeholders

Purpose Influential factors attributed to causing project completion delay (PCD) differ because of prevailing variability of local conditions. Construction projects specifically in Yemen (and other developing countries) experience devastating effects of PCD which include litigation, cost overrun, arbitration, abandonment and failure. While existing works have investigated the causes and effects of PCD, not much exist on approaches to optimizing its occurrence in Yemen. In a bid to enhance the effects of PCD in Yemen, the integrated influential factors (IIFs), which is a construction-party specific model, was developed to mitigate the effects of PCD in Yemen. As a build up to the development of this model, this paper aims to validate the IIFs model with a view to foster its application to enhance PCD in construction project delivery in Yemen. Design/methodology/approach The validation of the IIFs model was done through seeking the opinions of 12 selected construction industry experts. This involved using a structured questionnaire to seek information on the sustainability of implementing the IIFs model. Findings The findings revealed that if the IIFs model is vigorously implemented, it would go a long way in curbing delay in the delivery of construction projects, making construction delivery less risky due to the effects of delay. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to only influential factors of internal stakeholders of the construction phase. Similarly, the study was only conducted in the state of Sana'a, Yemen. The implication of the adoption of the IIFs model is that it can hopefully serve as an adaptive controller to construction project delivery relative to the specific parameters and factors investigated in this study. Originality/value The IIFs model is a novel approach to optimizing PCD in Yemen specific to both the construction-phase and internal stakeholders. Existing studies on PCD in Yemen, although investigating the causes and effect of PCD, hardly proffer any approach to optimizing PCD for successful construction project delivery.

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