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Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

Publisher:
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Emerald Publishing
ISSN:
0969-9988
Scimago Journal Rank:
63
journal article
LitStream Collection
Competitive strategy for quantity surveying practices the importance of information technology

JENNINGS, MARTIN J.; BETTS, MARTIN

1996 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021029

Strategic planning in pursuit of competitive advantage has become a widespread modern business objective. The construction industry shows some evidence of strategic planning implementation however such concepts are mainly adopted by large contracting companies that have the resources to identify and develop competitive weapons such as information systemstechnology ISIT. For professional service firms in construction, the nature of the service, the form of clientcustomer relations and thus the style of competition are quite different from those followed by contractors. The relevance of competitive strategy and the competitive use of weapons such as ISIT for professional service firms in construction has not, as yet, been quantifiably tested. Therefore this paper aims to address this imbalance in construction organization research by identifying the competitive strategies used by quantity surveyors based in the UK and assessing the support that ISIT provides to the competitive strategies of members of this profession. A survey of quantity surveying practices questioned which competitive strategies are followed, how these strategies are implemented and the extent to which ISIT is being used in each strategy's implementation. The results of this survey, in association with existing competitive strategy and IT literature, are used to derive a new model which proposes specific strategies that UK quantity surveyors can and are using to influence their competitive positioning.
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LitStream Collection
Model for assessing building contractors' project performance

MING TAM, CHING; HARRIS, FRANK

1996 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021030

This study describes the development of operational research models for predicting contractor performance in Hong Kong, using discriminant and multiple regression analysis techniques. An important aim was to determine the underlying factors that influence contractor performance as seen from the client's point of view, and also to develop accurate models to assist clients in vetting contractors for building projects. The resultant models produced six significant variables measuring three dimensions the inherent characteristics of the project, the contractor's internal attributes and the external influence of the project team. Specifically these were the complexity of the project, working experience of the project leaders, percentage of professionally qualified staff of the contracting firm, past performance of the contractor, origin of the contractor and the level of the architect's or client's supervision and control of the quality of work and work progress.
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LitStream Collection
Review of environmental assessment in UK building construction current awareness, concerns and issues

GRIFFITH, ALAN

1996 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021031

Environmental Assessment EA or Environmental Impact Assessment EIA is the recognized procedure for ensuring that the potential environmental effects of new building or engineering development are considered before planning approval is consented. There is no doubt that all construction projects have a profound effect upon their environs and therefore accurate and reliable environmental assessment is essential. As the concept of environmental assessment perpetuates and experience grows through application, greater attention is being directed towards the evaluation of its effectiveness. This paper focuses specifically on this issue. Drawing upon a series of interviews with respondents from regional planning authorities and local planning department offices, investigation identifies current thoughts, highlights some of the principal concerns and issues that have arisen in early application, and views the likely future orientation of environmental assessment in the UK. The principal intention of this paper is to review current opinion on environment assessment procedures and practice at this time. Many aspects concerning the concept, principles and practices of EA, some of which start to emerge in this paper, remain for future research and investigation.
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LitStream Collection
Planned construction times and labour utilization a comparison of UK and French contractors

PROVERBS, DAVID G.; OLOMOLAIYE, PAUL O.; HARRIS, FRANK C.

1996 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021032

The results of a model based survey of contractors' planning engineers in France and the UK suggest that planned completion times for constructing an identical highrise in situ concrete framed structure are significantly and dramatically lower in France than in the UK. Average planned construction periods in France were 13 weeks, some 9 weeks faster than the UK average of 22 weeks. Since planned construction periods reflect past experience, French contractors apparently achieve superior levels of production performance whilst at the same time working fewer hours per week, utilizing directly employed workers and employing fewer supervisors. If such planned completion times are truly representative, the findings indicate comparatively poor UK contractor performance, and signify future problems for the British builder in the emerging European marketplace. The causes of such poor performance are complicated, but based on indicative French best practices production is enhanced when scheduled overtime is avoided, a directly employed and mainly skilled workforce is engaged, and a maximum working time of 40 hours per week is the norm rather than the exception.
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LitStream Collection
An intelligent approach to the engineering management of subsidence cases

SCOTT, DARREN; ANUMBA, CHIMAY J.

1996 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021033

The engineering management of housing subsidence cases is an important field of work for many UK engineers, and remains of enduring interest to householders, insurers and other parties involved in the construction and maintenance of residential buildings. There are often difficulties in the diagnosis and repair of buildings subject to subsidence damage due to several factors, including the complex interaction between the various causative agents, the lack of a systematic investigation procedure, and the large number of available courses of remedial action. In many cases, inaccurate diagnosis of the subsidence problem has resulted in expensive remedial measures which are either unnecessary or inappropriate and fail to arrest the movement. This paper reviews the management of subsidence cases and describes the development of a knowledgebased system intended to improve existing procedures by ensuring greater accuracy, consistency and effectiveness of the management regime adopted by engineers. The system addresses three key aspects of the management procedure initial diagnosis, choice of an appropriate course of investigations, and the specification of effective remedial measures. The benefits of the knowledgebased system are contained in the concluding section of the paper.
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