bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empowering citizens to tell their own stories – the Cultural Objects In Networked Environments (COINE) project
Authors: Clarke Zoe
Published: March 2004

This paper introduces the reader to the Cultural Objects In Networked Environments (COINE) project. The concept and aims of the project are explained, together with the technical challenges facing the project consortium. The proposed software technical architecture is then presented. The second part of the paper presents possible COINE system application scenarios in educational settings at four demonstration sites.
The FILTER project: encouraging the use of digital images for learning, teaching and research
Authors: Evans Jill
Published: March 2004

The promotion of pedagogic use of quality digital images through improved metadata is the aim of the JISC‐funded FILTER project. Having funded many content creation projects, the JISC seeks to boost the take‐up of digital images in teaching and learning, in order to enhance the learning experience and improve outcomes. Discovery of appropriate images will be facilitated through a metadata schema developed in the project, and the definition of a range of image types to aid selection.
Enhancing a building construction technology course using digital images
Authors: Sandford Paul , Dunkeld Malcolm
Published: March 2004

With the support of the ADC‐LTSN and the CEBE, the Faculty of the Built Environment (FBE) and Learning and Information Services (LIS) at South Bank University are collaborating to develop electronic resources for students of a building construction technology degree course, in a one‐year project dubbed “HERBE” – Higher Education Resources for the Built Environment. Delivery will be via the Blackboard VLE and CD‐ROM.
Our student stakeholders: requirements for institutional portals
Authors: Pearce Liz
Published: March 2004

This article outlines the work of the PORTAL (Presenting natiOnal Resources To Audiences Locally) project. The recently published Stakeholder Requirements for Institutional Portals report involved consultation with over 600 stakeholders from across the higher and further education community and provides a valuable view of stakeholders’ perceptions of institutional portals and their features. This article will focus on the needs and views of students, a key stakeholder group in institutional portal deployments. The article will look at the key areas of resource discovery, communication, course administration and institutional information as well as students’ views of institutional portals generally. The article includes tables illustrating the popularity of various features amongst student groups.
The library portal marketplace
Authors: Ramsden Anne
Published: March 2004

There are a number of portal products and solutions in the library marketplace, many of which have been developed by library management system (LMS) suppliers. The main system features and some of the more significant examples of commercial library portal products are described in this article. These are sophisticated complex systems which can unlock the wealth of digital resources held in libraries. Most require a certain amount of customisation by the individual library and information services. However, for those libraries which can afford the base cost of one of these products, the return on investment is justified by maximised usage of key quality electronic library resources.
Portals: enabling discovery for all in higher and further education
Authors: Awre Chris
Published: March 2004

The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) information environment aims to offer seamless and integrated access to a wide range of digital collections and resources through a common interface. Portals are a primary means through which such resources will be delivered to users, facilitating the discovery of information. Portals can deliver their functionality by embedding distinct portal services in Web environments familiar to the user, such as an institutional portal or virtual learning environment. Initial work on such embedding has started, though this promises to be a major area for future development.
Where systems meet services: towards evidence‐based information practice
Authors: Booth Andrew
Published: March 2004

Evidence‐based information practice is an important paradigm that is now emerging in mainstream information work from within healthcare information. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the concept before considering the imperative for practitioners to use insights from research within their professional practice and day‐to‐day decision making. The importance of a focused question and a systematic approach to critical appraisal are rehearsed and similarities with the domain of information systems are briefly considered. The paper concludes with state‐of‐the‐art observations from a recent conference in Canada and recommendations for further development of the paradigm. The objective is to achieve the eventual extinction of the concept through complete integration as simply another tool for reflective practice.
Establishing an electronic document delivery service for the BMA library
Authors: Aitken Clare , Alom Mohammed , Brew Ann‐Emily , Davis Steve , Forrester William , Hickey James , Lines Cheryl , Martinez‐Roura Sonia , Martinez‐Roura Sonia , O’Brien Clare , Robertson Fiona , Rowlands Jane , Santana‐Feio Sandra , Staal Susanne
Published: March 2004

The paper describes the development of an electronic document delivery service for the professional association of doctors, the BMA. Workflow, including integration with searching services is described. Scanning hardware choices are reviewed; as are staff development needs. Copyright issues were also a major issue. Today, 60 per cent of document delivery is electronic.
NMAP: the UK’s nursing Internet gateway
Authors: Ward Rod
Published: March 2004

The massive growth in health related information on the Internet has led to concerns about the quality of that information. This paper explores the need for quality filtering and describes the development of NMAP, the UK academic gateway to high quality Internet resources for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. The gateway provides rapid access to resources that have been quality filtered. Issues and processes involved in setting up this national project are discussed, including the collaboration between many disparate organisations, and the quality criteria developed for the inclusion or exclusion of resources. Usage data for the gateway are included, which validates the need for the service and that it is well used. A user evaluation was undertaken during November and December 2001 with over 600 users completing an online questionnaire, and some of the results are presented. The paper intends to assist anyone involved in the evaluation and use of Internet resources to consider quality criteria and filtering or describing the massive volume of information now available.
The research‐practice spiral
Authors: Childs Sue , Dobbins Sharon
Published: March 2004

This article describes a partnership between the Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University and the Durham and Teesside Health Libraries Alliance which aims to put research into practice, conduct practitioner focussed research and develop the research capacity of NHS librarians. The work of the partnership is illustrated by looking at how the Alliance has used the findings of one of IMRI’s research projects “Partnerships in Health”. The Alliance has used these findings to inform their work plan, but in addition they have amended the project’s models in the light of their experiences of implementation and of NHS changes. These amendments in their turn generate new research questions and new research projects. Thus a research‐practice spiral is produced. The partnership is one example of evidence‐based librarianship in practice.
Interactive Web design for cardiac patients
Authors: Boehm Maria , Rogers Paul , Watt Pamela , Spyt Tom
Published: March 2004

Long term follow up of heart patients in Leicester leads us to believe that there is a need for another form of communication with patients, their families and friends. The “Yourheart” Web site was developed as a combined effort of De Montfort University and local health professionals. The technical and legal aspects were particularly challenging. A year after its launch, it has proved to be very popular with patients. Informed patients are not only less anxious about forthcoming treatment but also take more responsibility for their own health care. There is also a demand for expansion of the service to provide up to date information for doctors and nurses in the community.
The People’s Network: challenges for Cambridgeshire
Authors: Day Robert
Published: March 2004

This paper describes the challenges faced by Cambridgeshire Libraries during the implementation of the People’s Network. The critical success factors – the need for staff communication, involvement and training at all levels throughout the county, and the importance of sound and robust technical design – are explored in some detail, along with possible future challenges to be overcome.
The People’s Network and ICT provision in Lincolnshire
Authors: McInroy Rob
Published: March 2004

Lincolnshire Libraries have taken an integrated approach to the provision of information and communications technology (ICT) for lifelong learning, culture, economic and social improvement. Its approach has put it at the forefront of developments within the county, particularly with regard to e‐government. The People’s Network has been a catalyst, but Lincolnshire’s approach, focusing on the basics of training, access and content, and rooted firmly in the requirements of its communities themselves, has developed the People’s Network from being simply a collection of 270 networked computers into a comprehensive and coherent resource, one which is bringing huge benefit to the people of Lincolnshire. It has taken access to ICT outside library buildings through the use of mobile learning units, developed a range of content provision – both in‐house and by communities themselves – and worked with training providers and learndirect to offer tailored training programmes.
Delivering e‐government – the Derbyshire experience
Authors: Gent Robert
Published: March 2004

The government has set challenging targets for the availability of all public services electronically by 2005. This paper describes the strategy adopted by Derbyshire County Council, and the role of the library service within the overall corporate approach. The authority has adopted a “putting people first” change management strategy which places information and communications technology (ICT) development within the broader framework of culture change across the organisation, with the aim of making services more accessible and responsive. The paper describes the success of the library service in recovering from severe budgetary problems to create a network of public ICT provision which has become a national exemplar and shows how this is being used to help deliver the corporate targets for e‐government.
How user‐centred content delivers success on the Web
Authors: Van Riel Rachel
Published: March 2004

Argues that libraries need to keep pace with social changes and specifically must provide better services for the browsing majority. Describes whichbook.net, a ground‐breaking Web site developed for the People’s Network with support from the New Opportunities Fund. Demonstrates how user‐centred functionality and design lead to success on the Web in terms of recognition and high levels of use among communities of Web‐users.
The People’s Network: creating and delivering content
Authors: Woodhouse Susi
Published: March 2004

Creating content for the People’s Network (PN) of relevance to users and its effective delivery are critical to its continued success and take‐up of services. Material produced as part of the New Opportunities Fund’s (NOF) digitisation programme is a key component of this but there is a growing body of other materials which must be taken into consideration. Recent experience has demonstrated the need to develop a core framework for content delivery. This article looks at how this is happening with NOF and other content and discusses the potential for further developments in the context of the PN as a service.
The new People’s Network service
Authors: Potts David
Published: March 2004

The community reach of the People’s Network (30,000 terminals in over 4,000 public libraries) provides a powerful delivery mechanism for e‐Initiatives. Public libraries have an opportunity to utilise the network beyond the standard provision of public Internet access. The People’s Network is already viewed as a “ready made” outlet by many providers or co‐ordinators of electronic content. This article examines how the challenge of channelling content to all libraries in England through a single interface and across a diverse set of library networks is being approached by the People’s Network team at Resource.
Joining forces: developing a network to raise awareness of digital library resources in health care
Authors: Turner Alison , Rosen Nick , Wilkie Fran
Published: March 2004

The National electronic Library for Health has launched an informal network, Digital Libraries Network, focused on supporting marketing and training in the health community. This article discusses the development of the Digital Libraries Network, including the rationale behind the network and the building of support mechanisms. DLnet is proving popular with over 170 librarians signing up as DLnet representatives. DLnet offers a range of benefits, including the co‐ordination of local and national activities, a clearly identifiable communication route, the sharing of best practice and avoiding duplication of effort.
From local project to open source: a brief history of the Loughborough Online Reading List System (LORLS)
Authors: Brewerton Gary , Knight Jon
Published: March 2004

Following a proposal at Loughborough University that “reading lists should be made available online” the university library undertook responsibility to design and develop a system to achieve this aim. Using open source tools the rapid development of a reading list management system soon followed, and by Autumn 2000 the solution had been successfully implemented at the university. The system is now available to other institutions as open source software.
Small but perfectly formed, and uniquely tailored to nurses’ needs: the Royal College of Nursing’s electronic journals service
Authors: Cull Sarah
Published: March 2004

This article examines the way in which the Royal College of Nursing Library and Information Service has made a carefully tailored, purposely small, collection of electronic journals available remotely to its members. It highlights the reasons for, and advantages of, providing a hand‐picked collection of journals, and suggests reasons why this approach has been successful.
Social economics and social capital
Authors: Wallis Joe , Killerby Paul , Dollery Brian
Published: March 2004

This paper evaluates key developments in the social capital literature over the past decade. It then examines empirical work on the purported the link between social capital and economic performance. Although these results indicate that good governance and social cohesion make a measurable contribution to economic development, the offer little guidance for policy formulation. Early contributors to the social capital field were pessimistic about the ability of the state to stimulate social capital formation. More recently, there has been a groundswell of interest in the application of community development principles to foster social capital at the micro level. This paper incorporates a critical evaluation of the mainstream social capital literature from a social economics perspective. The various strands within the social economics tradition share a common concern with the “disembedding” of social context from mainstream economics.
Rejections and the importance of first response times
Authors: Azar Ofer H.
Published: March 2004

Previous studies about the academic publishing process consider the publication delay as starting from the submission to the publishing journal. This ignores the potential delay caused by rejections received from previous journals. Knowing how many times papers are submitted prior to publication is essential for evaluating the importance of different publication delays and the refereeing process cost, and can improve our decisions about if and how the review process should be altered, decisions that affect the productivity of economists and other scholars. Using numerical analysis and evidence on acceptance rates of various journals, estimates that most manuscripts are submitted between three and six times prior to publication. This implies that the first response time (the time between submission and first editorial decision) is much more important than other parts of the publication delay, suggesting important policy implications for editors and referees.
The Taylorization of Lenin: rhetoric or reality?
Authors: Wren Daniel A. , Bedeian Arthur G.
Published: March 2004

Lenin advocated “Taylorization” (i.e. scientific management), to rebuild post‐revolutionary Russia's economy. The evidence, however, indicates that Lenin's advocacy caused conflict within the communist party, and scientific management was rarely implemented successfully. Noting a rhetoric‐reality gap, the paper explains the difference between Lenin's advocacy and actual practice. Lenin wished to convey the message that his regime was progressive, using the latest management techniques. Rather than following scientific management precepts, pressure was placed on Soviet workers to increase productivity without improving work methods. The paper's conclusion is that Lenin's advocacy of scientific management was a leader's rhetoric, a political expediency, and it would be misleading to connect scientific management with the practice of management in post‐revolutionary Russia.
Learning to see work flow: an application of lean concepts to precast concrete fabrication
Authors: Ballard Glenn , Harper Nigel , Zabelle Todd
Published: March 2004

Reducing the lead time for engineered‐to‐order products can allow more time for exploration and testing of design alternatives, reduction of project durations, or some combination of both. Combined with improved reliability of work flow on site, more fabricated products can be pulled to site when needed, thus avoiding unnecessary inventories. Lead time reduction benefits both the design and the construction phases of projects, and it benefits the fabricator as well. Integration of engineering and detailing may offer the greatest potential for lead time reduction. However, fabrication lead times can also be reduced. This paper describes the application of lean production concepts and techniques to structural precast concrete fabrication. The key change was learning to identify and utilise work flow as opposed to focusing management effort on keeping workers and plant busy. Results included shop cycle time and lead time reduction, increased throughput rate, and improved productivity.
The effects of the variability of project planning on cost commitment curves: a case study
Authors: Kaka A.P. , Lewis J. , Petros H.
Published: March 2004

Standard value/cost flow models (often referred to as S‐curves) are widely used in cash flow forecasting, particularly at the tender stage. A substantial amount of research has concentrated on improving the accuracy of these curves. Categorizing construction projects into groups and subgroups has helped, but the fact remains that different construction projects possess different profiles of cost flow. This paper is an attempt at assessing the extent of influence of planning and programming the work on the cost flow curves. One real project was used as a case study and four planners were independently asked to produce programmes for executing the project. These programmes were analysed and converted to cost flow curves using one database of productivity and unit cost rates. Results confirmed that the variations in programmes produced less variations in cost flow curves than the errors to be expected from the use of average curves derived from project groups (mean SDY 2.88 compared to previous studies of 5.5, 8.5 and 10.67). The results suggest, taking due account of the limitations of the scope of the study, that further effort at the categorisation of projects into subgroups will result in a reasonable improvement in accuracy.
Hong Kong construction foremen’s safety responsibilities: a case study of management oversight
Authors: Rowlinson Steve , Mohamed Sherif , Lam Sum‐Wah
Published: March 2004

In total, 69 foremen from 13 Hong Kong construction companies were invited to participate in a study designed to investigate foremen’s opinions regarding 27 safety supervisory tasks. These fell into six categories, including handling new workers, training, safety, discipline, coordinating, and motivating. Results of the survey and subsequent follow‐up interviews showed that over two thirds of foremen claimed that they had the responsibility to perform certain tasks but only half said that they had the authority to perform these tasks. Further interviews and on‐site observations of foremen were then conducted in order to validate the findings by way of case study material. It is concluded that foremen play a key role in ensuring that safety management systems operate effectively. It appears, from the results of the study, that this role is not being performed properly and that the key interface between worker and management, the role of the foreman, is not paid sufficient attention by senior management and is an area requiring urgent attention if Hong Kong’s poor site safety record is to be improved.
The analysis of pre‐tender building price forecasting performance: a case study
Authors: Skitmore Martin , Drew Derek
Published: March 2004

The financial management of the construction procurement process is dependent on the performance of the managers involved. This paper describes an analysis of pre‐tender building price forecasts (estimates) made by a Hong Kong consulting organisation for a series of 89 building projects from 1995 to 1997 to identify factors influencing the accuracy of the forecasts made for possible improvement in performance. This involved the consideration of two distinct sets of models, the purpose of which was: (1) to identify and explain the underlying systematic causes of errors; and (2) to assist in improving the predictive ability of the forecasts. The analysis for (1) used ANOVA to detect significant differences between the errors grouped according to building size (value), building size (floor area), forecasting (estimating) method (approximate quantities and superficial), nature of the work (new build and alteration work), type of client and type of project. This was followed by a Gunner‐Skitmore price intensity theoretic analysis. For (2), MRA was used by using cross‐validation analysis to simulate the ex‐post errors.
Assessment of risks in high rise building construction in Jakarta
Authors: San Santoso Djoen , Ogunlana Stephen O. , Minato Takayuki
Published: March 2004

Risk is inherent in every construction project, especially complex projects like high rise buildings. It is helpful to understand the significant risks in order to anticipate their possible negative effects on projects. This research identifies, ranks and categorizes high potential risks in high rise building projects in Jakarta. Questionnaire surveys and interviews were conducted on engineers from contracting firms in the city. The result shows that risks related to management and design are the most significant in high rise construction projects. It is also shown that client interference should be avoided or reduced in tandem with good communication and teamwork between contractors and consultants to minimize defects. Contractors also need to give attention to the maintenance of equipment in order to sustain high productivity levels.
Building competitive advantage: construction education in Japan
Authors: Tan Willie
Published: March 2004

This paper examines the way the Japanese education system strategically channels talent towards its elite universities, turning out a high proportion of engineers and architects for the construction industry. At the same time, it provides limited education for construction workers and technicians in public vocational institutes and technical colleges, preferring to turn out a highly educated workforce of generalists who are trained for specific jobs by employers through the training centres of large firms, private vocational institutes, or on‐the‐job training by smaller subcontractors.
Comparison of low‐waste building technologies adopted in public and private housing projects in Hong Kong
Authors: Poon C.S. , Yu Ann T.W. , Ng L.H.
Published: March 2004

Hong Kong is running out of both reclamation sites and landfill space for the disposal of construction and demolition waste. This paper reports on the findings of a study, consisting of a questionnaire survey, interviews and work‐site visits, to compare the use of low‐waste building technologies in public housing and private residential projects in Hong Kong. The results show that large panel formwork and prefabricated building components are widely used in public housing projects in Hong Kong. Due to the difference of the design with public housing, the use of smaller aluminium panel formwork is more common in the private housing projects. The barriers for the adoption of low‐waste building technologies in the private sector are identified and discussed.
An XML metadata approach to seamless project information exchange between heterogeneous platforms
Authors: Underwood Jason , Watson Alastair
Published: March 2004

A three year Esprit project – ProCure – is ultimately aiming to take a significant but achievable step forward in the application of available information and communication technology (ICT) to the large scale engineering (LSE) construction industry. The ProCure consortium consists of five industrial partners supported by four associated research and expert partners. The project combines leading expertise from three member states to support ICT deployment by three industrial collaborative groups, i.e. UK, Germany and Finland. The basis of the project is in the partners’ belief that sufficient ICT is now available to achieve deployment, with care, in real projects, with an acceptable risk of failure. This paper presents work undertaken within the project to investigate the various metadata standards that exist in order to define a minimum metadata set based on these standards for the implementation of two demonstrators for XML based automated document exchange between a simulation of a corporate document management system and a simulation of a collaborative construction project Web site.
Fuzzy optimisation of labour allocation by genetic algorithms
Authors: Tong Thomas K.L. , Tam C.M.
Published: March 2004

Multi‐skilled labour allocation in a defined time frame falls into the class of non‐polynomial (NP) hard problems, solutions to which can only be obtained through repeated trials and errors. The application of fuzzy genetic algorithms (GA) optimisation model provides an efficient way to arrive at a “near‐optimal” solution. In this paper, a fuzzy GA optimisation model of labour allocation is presented to illustrate how the near optimal solution can be obtained.
Photo‐net: an integrated system for controlling construction progress
Authors: Abeid Jorge , Arditi David
Published: March 2004

A scheduling and progress control system called Photo‐net is introduced where a digital movie of construction activities can be played back along with an animation of as‐built vs. as‐planned performance of these activities. A technique to make time‐lapse digital films of construction activities is used. A method to store a digital film is developed allowing thousands of pictures to be stored and managed in a Windows environment. A program is developed that generates critical path method (CPM) derived bar‐charts. A recording system is devised enabling the user to specify the day‐by‐day progress achieved in construction activities, allowing the program to link the playback film with the progress observed on the construction site. A set of input screens are generated by the system that provide a friendly, intuitive and easy way to enter project data. A case study is presented where the system is used, the performance of the system is discussed and the results are analyzed.
Construction contracts in a competitive market: C3M, a simulation game
Authors: Nassar Khaled
Published: March 2004

Simulation games provide practical decision‐making and strategy development experiences to students in a classroom setting. Having the ability to develop a bidding strategy that secures work and increases market share is vital in a competitive market. This paper presents a simulation game, called C3M (Construction Contracts in a Competitive Market), which mimics a bidding situation and allows users to experiment with different strategies. It is aimed at upper undergraduate students taking courses in construction management or cost and bid analysis, but can be utilized also in a professional training program. The game introduces the principles of competitive bidding through a series of simulated bidding decisions and provides for interaction between the bid prices of the competing teams over a simulated period of time. It can be implemented on any commercial spreadsheet, as described. Trial runs are provided to test the interlocking nature of the decisions made.
An example of developing a business model for information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption on construction projects – the National Museum of Australia project
Authors: Duyshart Bruce , Walker Derek , Mohamed Sherif , Hampson Keith
Published: March 2004

Effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is necessary for delivering efficiency and improved project delivery in the construction industry. Convincing clients or contracting organisations to embrace ICT is a difficult task, there are few templates of an ICT business model for the industry to use. ICT application in the construction industry is relatively low compared to automotive and aerospace industries. The National Museum of Australia project provides a unique opportunity for investigating and reporting on this deficiency in publicly available knowledge. Concentrates on the business model content and objectives, briefly indicates the evaluation framework that was used to evaluate ICT effectiveness.
Towards total project quality – a review of research needs
Authors: Toakley A.R. , Marosszeky M.
Published: March 2004

The focus of quality management (QM) in the construction industry, and its literature, has been on during construction and on product quality. The construction phase represents the final step in the construction procurement process, however it is the outcome of the previous stages of analysis, planning and design and represents but a small fraction of the overall cost and value that is created in the construction and use of buildings and built infrastructure. In other industry sectors and through the international quality movement, the focus in QM has moved to total quality. This is reflected internationally in the criteria for quality awards in which product quality represents only some 20 per cent of the total score for an enterprise. This paper briefly reviews the development of the quality movement and its application within the construction sector and suggests a broader scope for the application of quality concepts within the procurement process from a whole‐of‐life perspective. Identifies also areas which require further research.
Investigating interpersonal communication during construction progress meetings: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Gorse Christopher A. , Emmitt Stephen
Published: March 2004

Progress meetings provide a central forum for requesting and exchanging the information necessary for the successful completion of construction projects. Although common to the majority of projects, little is known about the interaction between participants during these meetings. Reviews appropriateness of methodologies for the study of group interaction and discusses the problems encountered when piloting them. The review led to a focus on Bales’ interaction process analysis (IPA) as an appropriate methodology for observing, analysing and interpreting social interaction in small groups. Pilot testing and subsequent use found the method to be reliable and robust. Bales’ IPA was used to categorise and quantify communication acts of 30 site‐based progress meetings. Results indicate that the management and design team interaction is subject to interaction norms: this is predominantly task‐based, but subject to outbursts of emotional interaction, which was found to be very influential on the groups’ behaviour.
The accuracy of housing forecasting in Australia
Authors: Mills Anthony , Harris David , Skitmore Martin
Published: March 2004

Forecasting is an integral part of all business planning, and forecasting the outlook for housing is of interest to many firms in the housing construction sector. This research measures the performance of a number of industry forecasting bodies; this is done to provide users with an indicator of the value of housing forecasting undertaken in Australia. The accuracy of housing commencement forecasts of three Australian organisations – the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the Indicative Planning Council for the Housing Industry (IPC) and BIS‐Shrapnel – is examined through the empirical analysis of their published forecasts supplemented by qualitative data in the form of opinions elicited from several industry “experts” employed in these organisations. Forecasting performance was determined by comparing the housing commencement forecast with the actual data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on an ex‐post basis. Although the forecasts cover different time periods, the level of accuracy is similar, at around 11‐13 per cent for four‐quarter‐ahead forecasts. In addition, national forecasts are more accurate than forecasts for individual states. This is the first research that has investigated the accuracy of both private and public sector forecasting of housing construction in Australia. This allows users of the information to better understand the performance of various forecasting organisations.
An integrated system for duration estimation in design/build projects and organizations
Authors: Kanoglu Alaattin
Published: March 2004

Overruns to planned schedules are common in civil construction projects worldwide. Yet, the construction industry fails to recognize the criticality of the problem, and while models have been developed, their lack of adequate sophistication fails to alleviate the problem. Additionally, there is resistance from construction professionals to use such models due to the lack of software integration models and modular functionality. This paper presents a performance‐based duration estimation model integrated with an automation system model, MITOS – multi‐phase integrated automation system, that was designed primarily for design/build firms. An experience‐based computational model is used for the estimation of the duration of construction projects and the performance results are discussed.
The strategy process within large construction orgnisations
Authors: Price A.D.F.
Published: March 2004

This paper investigates current approaches to the process of managing strategy within the construction industry. The results from nine case studies have been summarised under the headings of: defining the process of developing strategy; activities and outputs associated with the strategic process; strategic tools and techniques used in the process; outputs to the strategic process and factors that govern strategic success time scale for planning horizons; the level of personnel involvement; and the most important factors for successful implementation of strategy. The strategic frameworks adopted by the case study organisations have been combined into a single framework for managing the strategic process. Several issues of strategic concern were identified and recommendations have been put forward under three headings: development of the strategic process; improvement of internal and external audits; and increased application of appropriate tools and techniques.
A comparison of two editions of the RIBA Plan of Work
Authors: Hughes W.P.
Published: March 2004

The RIBA Plan of Work describes the way a construction process should be organized. Although not officially approved by the RIBA council, a new plan of work was published in 2000 with the intention of replacing the RIBA Plan of Work, so it is useful to analyse both in terms of the organizational structure they impose upon construction projects. Using analytical principles from organizational theory, both plans are analysed by converting them into organizational matrices and assessing their relative complexities, the load on participants, decentralization of responsibility, number of interfaces and the extent to which they provide for co‐ordination and control. This demonstrates first, that the analysis of organizational structure is an appropriate approach for undertaking comparisons of such documents; and second, that while both plans of work are of roughly equal complexity, the new one is more demanding on the participants; produces a higher number of interfaces between processes, and provides for more co‐ordination than the old one. Neither plan deals with controlling the output of individuals, leaving it as an internal matter for each participating organization.
Factors influencing contractor performance: an international investigation
Authors: Xiao Hong , Proverbs David
Published: March 2004

International comparisons of contractor performance can provide robust benchmarks for contractors in different countries and help to identify ways towards performance improvement. Based on a hypothetical construction project, overall contractor performance (OCP) in Japan, the UK and the USA is compared. Overall contractor performance is defined to embrace construction cost, construction time, construction quality and sustainable development, the philosophy being that the achievement of one aspect of performance should not be at the expense of another. Multiple regression analysis reveals that overall contractor performance is dependent on: their past performance on previous similar projects; their commitment towards lifetime employment; their perceived importance of time performance; their relationship with subcontractors; and the number of design variations during construction. To improve their overall performance, contractors are advised to focus on construction time, reduce delays, maintain a stable workforce and establish partnerships with their subcontractors. Clients should attempt to reduce design variations during construction.
Dilettantes, discipline and discourse: requirements management for construction
Authors: Fernie Scott , Green Stuart D. , Weller Stephanie J.
Published: March 2004

Requirements management (RM), as practised in the aerospace and defence sectors, attracts interest from construction researchers in response to longstanding problems of project definition. Doubts are expressed whether RM offers a new discipline for construction practitioners or whether it repeats previous exhortations to adopt a more disciplined way of working. Whilst systems engineering has an established track record of addressing complex technical problems, its extension to socially complex problems has been challenged. The dominant storyline of RM is one of procedural rationality and RM is commonly presented as a means of controlling dilettante behaviour. Interviews with RM practitioners suggest a considerable gulf between the dominant storyline in the literature and how practitioners operate in practice. The paper challenges construction researchers interested in RM to reflect more upon the theoretical debates that underpin current equivalent practices in construction and the disparity between espoused and enacted practice.
Experiences with multiskilling among non‐union craft workers in US industrial construction projects
Authors: Carley Lynn Ann , Haas Carl T. , Borcherding John D. , Goodrum Paul M.
Published: March 2004

Multiskilling refers to a labour utilization strategy in which workers learn multiple skills in one or more trades outside of their primary trade. Over 700 non‐union craft workers across the USA were surveyed as part of a research effort. The data collected show that a slight increase in the breadth of skills positively impacts a worker’s hourly wage, but only a weak relationship was found between multiskilling and more continuous employment.
Application of the analytic hierarchy process to prioritise irrigation asset renewals: the case of the La Khe irrigation scheme, Vietnam
Authors: Xuan My Tran Thi , Malano Hector M. , Thompson Russell G.
Published: March 2004

In recent years, many organisations responsible for economic infrastructure have developed asset management systems to improve the financial and service performance of their facilities. Asset management is an integrated approach to improving the ability of an irrigation system to deliver water at a defined level of service in the most cost‐effective manner. This paper describes how the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to identify priorities for asset renewals in the La Khe irrigation scheme in North Vietnam. The AHP methodology was coupled with the expected maximum utility (EMU) to evaluate renewal priorities of assets grouped by types and by location within the hydraulic system.
Knowledge management in consulting engineering – joining IT and human resources to support the production of knowledge
Authors: Koch Christian
Published: March 2004

This article discusses how information technology and human resource oriented management tools can be integrated using their respective strengths to enable knowledge production. Two companies’ KM strategies encompassing a strong IT‐component in combination with organisation, training and office design are analysed. Their experience shows that joining information technology with the human resource oriented tools is a necessary precondition for success in KM‐efforts. Second, in the large company, there is still a relative overemphasis on “circumstantial” frames for knowledge production and too little focus on dynamics in knowledge producing processes. In contrast, the medium sized company is experimenting with soft tools used directly in the processes of the customer‐oriented projects.
Rule induction in productivity analysis: a rough set approach
Authors: Attoh‐Okine Nii O.
Published: March 2004

This paper describes the application of rough set theory to equipment productivity estimate. Rough set theory offers a novel approach both in generation of rules and statistical classification of the equipment productivity data. The approach is based on upper and lower approximations of a set in terms of positive, negative and boundary regions. The information about the equipment productivity is organized in productivity information table. The table contains data about the object of interest characterized in terms of some attributes. The paper is more of an exploratory research to determine how rough set theory can be applicable to specific construction engineering problems.
Applications of value management in the construction industry in China
Authors: Shen Qiping , Liu Guiwen
Published: March 2004

Value management (VM) was introduced in China during 1978, when the reform and open door policy started. After a surge of VM applications that emerged in the late 1980s, the development of VM has declined sharply in the recent years in China. Although some successful applications of VM in China's construction industry have been observed, many actions should be taken to exert its full potential to improve value for money for clients. Aims to draw a holistic picture of the current VM practices and provide recommendations for its future development in China's construction industry. Provides a comparison between China's VM approach and the international mainstream to highlight the major differences.
Sequencing problems in methods of organising construction processes
Authors: Hejducki Zdzisław
Published: March 2004

This paper presents the algorithm of construction work graphic schedule which considers the proper sequencing problem. Describes the algorithm step by step, i.e. the construction work organisation methods with zero couplings between realisation means, work fronts, and their combination. It also shows the calculation process of limit possible minimum by considering technical and organisation limits. In the second part of the paper, the practical example which shows the method and the optimisation algorithm for the work organisation method with zero couplings between realisation means is presented.
Psychological contract expectations of construction project managers
Authors: Dainty Andrew R.J. , Raiden Ani B. , Neale Richard H.
Published: March 2004

The past 20 years have seen a period of fundamental change for many construction businesses as they have restructured, downsized, de‐layered, merged and de‐merged to survive turbulent markets and rapidly changing demand cycles. Such change places significant new pressures, challenges and constraints on the employer/employee relationship. This paper argues that these changes are likely to have reconstituted employee expectations of the less formal aspects of the employment relationship, known collectively as the psychological contract. Explores this inductive research which examines the psychological contract of 30 construction project managers.
Planning, estimation and productivity in the lean concrete pour
Authors: Dunlop Paul , Smith Simon D.
Published: March 2004

With an increasingly competitive global market, the UK construction industry finally realised that in order to survive, a marked increase in efficiency and effectiveness have to be achieved in all areas. This paper will describe the UK's approach to planning and designing the concrete operations that form a major part of many civil engineering construction projects. A productivity study has been carried out on three different construction projects and over 200 concrete pours have been observed. The data and knowledge collected on site have been subjected to lean construction philosophies, producing a “lean” measure of productivity, and it has been shown that major productivity increases could be achieved by implementing several relatively simple principles.
Assisting the searcher: utilizing software agents for Web search systems
Authors: Jansen Bernard J. , Pooch Udo
Published: March 2004

Much previous research on improving information retrieval applications has focused on developing entirely new systems with advanced searching features. Unfortunately, most users seldom utilize these advanced features. This research explores the use of a software agent that assists the user during the search process. The agent was developed as a separate, stand‐alone component to be integrated with existing information retrieval systems. The performance of an information retrieval system with the integrated agent was subjected to an evaluation with 30 test subjects. The results indicate that agents developed using both results from previous user studies and rapidly modeling user information needs can result in an improvement in precision. Implications for information retrieval system design and directions for future research are outlined.