Extending the IFC Standard to Enable Road Operation and Maintenance Management through OpenBIM

Open Building Information Modelling (OpenBIM) is a collaborative project management process. Its application to road infrastructures is currently limited. OpenBIM standards for infrastructure are still under development. One of these standards is the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), which is a data architecture for modelling infrastructure projects. The current and upcoming releases of IFCRoad focus on structuring data for the design and construction phases of an infrastructure’s lifecycle. Semantics of the O&M process phase are not fully integrated within these standards. This paper proposes an extension of the IFC schema to enrich this standard with semantics inherent in the O&M phase of road infrastructures. This extension, based on IFCInfra4OM ontology, allows the OpenBIM process to be fully applied to road infrastructures. Its implementation on a case study relative to the A7 Agadir–Marrakech Highway in Morocco enables, on the one hand, analysis and compliance with O&M management requirements on the basis of a single container: the IFC-BIM-based model. On the other hand, it allows comparison of the OpenBIM process with that of ClosedBIM for the integration of O&M data into BIM for a road infrastructure.

The Project Management of Industry 4.0 Strategy for Software Houses

Nowadays, Industry 4.0 is becoming a strategic issue for software companies. Because of fast digital conversion, they should review their visions and strategies. In this study, a project management framework is proposed for software companies considering Industry 4.0 as a future strategy. Global ERP firms try to find a good integration of ERP and Industry 4.0 applications. A global ERP firm's solution partner is used as a case study in this chapter. The study includes: the development of an internet-based portal application that integrates all their business partners (customers, suppliers); a collaborative project management software; and an industry 4.0 portal. The benefits of this study after applying in the software house are explained.

Inter-organizational collaboration challenges and preconditions in industrial engineering projects

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to achieve an understanding of the challenges and preconditions for inter-organizational collaborative project practices in industrial engineering projects. A framework for identifying the challenges and preconditions for inter-organizational collaboration is presented.Design/methodology/approachThe adopted research method is qualitative, and empirical data were collected from the industrial engineering project sector in Finland. The literature related to industrial engineering projects and inter-organizational collaborative project management practices is summarized, informing the qualitative design of the study.FindingsBy analyzing empirical data from industrial engineering projects, the challenges for inter-organizational collaboration are identified in each industrial engineering project stage. A framework of preconditions for inter-organizational collaboration is identified, in which investors are advised to pay attention when deciding on the use of collaborative project management methods.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study help practitioners deal effectively with mechanisms aimed at fostering and hindering inter-organizational collaborative practices. The identified preconditions for inter-organizational collaboration provide support for decision-making in every phase of an engineering project and can be used as guidelines throughout the process.Originality/valueInter-organizational collaborative project management practices have recently been attracting attention in the industrial engineering project setting. This research is an attempt to identify the underlying forces supporting and preventing inter-organizational collaboration in industrial engineering projects. This study offers a framework that can help academics and project management practitioners deal with the challenges affecting inter-organizational collaboration at each project stage and consider preconditions for inter-organizational collaboration in industrial engineering project settings.

The Project Management of Industry 4.0 Strategy for Software Houses

Nowadays, Industry 4.0 is becoming a strategic issue for software companies. Because of fast digital conversion, they should review their visions and strategies. In this study, a project management framework is proposed for software companies considering Industry 4.0 as a future strategy. Global ERP firms try to find a good integration of ERP and Industry 4.0 applications. A global ERP firm's solution partner is used as a case study in this chapter. The study includes: the development of an internet-based portal application that integrates all their business partners (customers, suppliers); a collaborative project management software; and an industry 4.0 portal. The benefits of this study after applying in the software house are explained.