Search

Abstract We present a novel framework to assess 27 earned value management system (EVMS) environment factors and investigate their impact on project performance. A study of the EVMS literature, a survey of practitioners, and focus group meetings with 36 EVMS industry and government experts, supported the development of the framework. Focus groups involving 80 practitioners refined and tested it. We analyzed performance data from 35 completed projects/programs representing over US$21.8 billion in total cost; a project demonstrating a positive environment could save up to 25% in cost versus baseline. Practitioners can develop an effective EVMS environment by following the provided guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earned value management systems (EVMS) are used by industry practitioners to successfully manage projects and programs; however, there has been no past study to characterize and evaluate the impact of EVMS maturity on project performance. This paper introduces a novel framework, developed to measure the EVMS maturity, composed of 56 attributes arrayed across ten subprocesses, which together make up an integrated project/program management system. This paper describes how the framework was conceived and developed, based on literature review and data collected from industry workshops. Then, it examines the relationship between EVMS maturity and ten project performance metrics through statistical analyses. The study analyzed project data from 35 projects and programs worth over $21.8 billion in total cost. For this sample, results showed statistically significant differences between projects with high and low EVMS maturity; on average, projects exhibiting high EVMS maturity have 54% less cost overruns and 19% less change orders versus their performance measurement baseline. Higher maturity projects and programs also achieve better customer satisfaction, meet business objectives more often, and are more often in compliance with EVMS standards and guidelines. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a practical and novel framework for assessing the maturity of earned value management systems. Practitioners can use the framework to improve their integrated project and program management. A novel framework was developed using inputs from literature sources, a broad survey, and industry practitioners that facilitates the measurement of maturity of earned value management systems (EVMS), and tested on 35 completed projects and programs. The framework consists of 56 EVMS maturity attributes that make up ten EVMS subprocesses (e.g., organizing, planning and scheduling, risk management, etc.) with each allowing measurement in terms of five maturity levels. These attributes are core characteristics or qualities of subprocesses that are essential to fielding an effective EVMS. Organizations can use the framework presented here to assess and/or "tailor" the EVMS applied to their projects and programs to support the needs for an integrated project and program management. Out of 35 projects and programs studied, those with higher EVMS maturity showed 54% less cost overruns and 19% less change orders versus baseline on average, than those with lower EVMS maturity. Projects with higher EVMS maturity were found to achieve better customer satisfaction, business objectives and were significantly more compliant with EVMS standards and guidelines. Owners and contractors can use the framework on large and complex projects to screen EVMS application and highlight specific gaps to achieve best-in-class EVMS leading to better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods to collect data in construction engineering and management (CEM) research are evolving, informed by recent technological advancements. One such method is research charrettes that allow effective interactions and knowledge sharing between expert industry practitioners and academic researchers, all colocated in a single venue, enabling rich data collection and live communication. A pivot point in technological evolution occurred with the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing a global shift to remote work. Hence, planned in-person research charrettes had to shift to remote sessions, relying on virtual conferencing platforms and online data collection mechanisms. Technology-enabled charrettes have allowed the authors to collect significantly richer data sets and ensure a more diverse representation of participants, while saving tremendous amounts of time. With the continuing emergence of technological applications, the world might not go back to functioning fully in person. The authors believe remote research charrettes (RRCs) will still be used in a post-COVID-19 world because of their superior performance. This paper builds on a previous publication that described traditional research charrettes as a method to enhance CEM research a decade ago; it offers a significantly updated and improved RRC method based on the knowledge gained from transitioning a dozen in-person charrettes into RRCs. It also presents performance comparisons between RRCs and traditional charrettes by quantifying metrics indicating how RRCs are more time-efficient and cost-saving, harness more participants from more diverse locations, and enable the collection of richer data sets and four times more industry comments and expert feedback. This paper also provides guidance on the integration of technology with traditional research charrettes, hence contributing to the CEM body of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With population growth, the demand for building construction is continuously increasing. This comes at the price of the built environment where the building sector is contributing to large energy consumption and carbon footprint releases. To encourage sustainable construction, contractors need to see the market benefit of "going green". Previous studies of green building contractors (GBCs) mainly relied on qualitative discussions and lacked studying the market performance which drives contractors' decisions the most. This paper collects GBC revenue data from the Engineering News-Record magazine for the top 100 GBCs over a 13-year period and performs trend analysis to assess the market performance of GBCs and time series analysis to forecast future revenues. In addition, k-means clustering technique was used to divide the firms into subsets of similar behavior to understand growth trends for different firm sizes. The results show a continuous increase in green building revenues (GBRs), where commercial office buildings contribute the most to it. Furthermore, the firm ranks responsible for most of the growth are identified; mainly the top 9. Predictions show the expected steady increase in GBR in the upcoming years which is anticipated to reach 83 billion USD in 2025. The findings inform contractors considering executing green buildings by understanding the market trends and forecasted revenues. Moreover, contractors who are already in the green building business can use this information to increase their revenues in their respective market subset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earned value management (EVM) is a project management approach that can enhance the probability of project success. It is applied widely across different industry sectors (e.g., energy, aerospace, construction, defense, and manufacturing), generally through the use of an earned value management system (EVMS). A holistic and up-to-date literature review on EVM and EVMS does not exist. A literature review can provide a comprehensive perspective on the topic, identifying and summarizing the existing body of knowledge, as a foundation to advance the state of practice of EVM/EVMS. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate the EVM/EVMS state of the art by critically reviewing academic and industry publications, with a specific focus on the maturity of EVMS and the environment surrounding its implementation. By performing a systematic literature review, the authors identified 600 publications since the inception of the EVM concept in 1962, and then narrowed down this list to 160 relevant publications from the last decade for closer review. The findings include the discovery of eight emergent themes. Of these themes, "forecasting/prediction" constitutes the largest portion of the recent literature, followed by "application of EVMS." One interesting finding is that EVMS maturity, although being a critical topic, is only discussed in one publication. Publications focused on EVM/EVMS have increased in the last decade and significant differences were found between academia and industry literature in terms of the limitations and extensions of EVM/EVMS, EVMS environment, and compliance. A key finding is that designing a reliable EVMS should combine both technical and social aspects of implementation. This forward-looking paper provides a state-of-the-art review while highlighting gaps in the existing EVM/EVMS body of knowledge and introducing new perspectives to support EVMS research and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Front-line construction workers possess the hands-on knowledge required to execute projects. However, insufficient research has been conducted on the drivers of workers' behavior with respect to knowledge sharing. This study aims to develop an integrative understanding of the factors affecting knowledge sharing intention among construction workers. Starting with factors from the literature, a survey was prepared to record the responses of construction workers to questions about their view of the work environment and the knowledge sharing process, and 137 usable responses were collected from 16 construction building sites. Advanced statistical methods—exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM)—were used to identify the factors, among which are social and professional contributions, and study the links between them. The results indicate strong links among organizational climate factors, professional contributions, social contributions, and attitude. These results were used to propose methods to improve the working environment, enhance the knowledge sharing process, and, therefore, improve productivity and overall project performance. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on construction labor and, generally, knowledge management in construction by offering a data-driven framework to understand the drivers of workers' behavior with respect to knowledge sharing and propose techniques to enhance the knowledge sharing process. The results lay the foundation for sustaining knowledge on construction sites and develops the groundwork for future research on the link between construction workers' behavior and project performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]