Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

TIONG, ROBERT L.K.; ALUM, JAHIDUL

1997 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021041

The BuildOperateTransfer BOT model of development of privatized infrastructure projects is implemented through the award of a concession to a private sector consortium which will finance, build and operate the facility. In a competitive BOT tender, the selection of the successful consortium does not depend on the lowest tolls offered by the tenderer. Rather, it is dependent on the ability of the promoter to provide the most competitive package of distinctive winning elements in its proposal during the final negotiations. The promoter must fully understand the government's needs and concerns and be able to address them through the right package of the winning elements. In this paper, these elements are developed from subfactors of the critical success factors of technical solution advantage, financial package differentiation and differentiation in guarantees.

KUMARASWAMY, MOHAN M.

1997 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021042

It is necessary and useful to differentiate destructive from constructive conflict and avoidable from necessary claims and also to minimize disputes arising from unresolved conflict and claims in construction projects. This paper analyses such needs and proposes means of meeting them through an appropriate classification of construction claims an estimation of their relative significance in terms of magnitude and frequency and an identification of the proximate and root causes of the significant claims. A hierarchy of such claims, proximate and root causes is presented, based mainly on data collected from 61 projects and on 46 responses to questionnaires in Hong Kong. Measures of the relative significance of the claims categories are also presented. The results are reinforced by observations from parallel studies in Hong Kong and elsewhere, as well as from the literature. Strategies are suggested to avoid the avoidable and mitigate the unavoidable or unavoided claims, through controlling the controllable causes. Management focus is also recommended on controlling the causes of those categories of claims and disputes that are seen to be significant in terms of higher impact andor probability of occurrence.

SIMISTER, S.J.; GREEN, S.D.

1997 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021043

This paper reports on a survey of 17 value management exercises recently carried out within the UK construction industry. Twelve leading value management practitioners were asked to describe an example of a value management study which worked well and one which did not work well. They were further asked to explain the underlying factors which they considered had influenced the eventual outcome of the value management study. The subsequent analysis of the interview transcripts reveals six recurring themes which were held to have had a significant influence expectations, implementation, participation, power, time constraint and uncertainty. Whilst caution is necessary in extracting the themes from their individual contexts, they do provide a valuable insight into the factors which influence the outcome of value management studies.

LOMBARDI, PATRIZIA

1997 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021044

Decision making at local planning level is usually concerned with evaluation of alternatives and selection of a preferred action. This can be improved with the use of multicriteria MCA methods which provide a systematic process for trading off effects of various alternative, synthesizing, individual contributions. This paper illustrates three MCA methods for evaluating complex planning projects where multiple criteria are taken into account. These methods are applied to an example of urban regeneration. Subjective issues, such as those related to the perception of quality of life, are taken into account alongside more quantitative data. The results obtained using the three methods are considered when applied to three alternative design solutions.

COX, ANDREW; TOWNSEND, MIKE

1997 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management

doi: 10.1108/eb021045

This paper is based on research being undertaken by the Centre for Strategic Procurement Management funded by BAA considering best practice in construction procurement. The primary aim of the study is to establish how supply chains in construction may be managed more efficiently and effectively. This involves the amalgamation of conventional views on industry problems and initiatives for improvement, the theoretical and empirical consideration of supply chain optimisation, the identification of best practices in the procurement process, and the development of suitable change management strategies to allow organizations to move towards better practice. This paper discusses the limitations behind the current thinking for reforming the UK construction industry, and how Latham's team approach will not succeed where clients adopt a traditional approach to procuring their construction needs. There is a need to differentiate between process and commodity spend in construction. It is argued that the benefits of a collaborative approach can only be realized by those clients managing fitforpurpose supply relationships to satisfy their regular process requirements. An approach known as relational competence analysis is suggested as a methodology for helping clients to determine what is fit for their purpose.