Construction Project Management In Australia: Analysis And Critical Appraisal

Description of the project

Construction project management refers to a service using project management techniques for overseeing planning, designing and constructing projects, from starting to end (Harrison and Lock 2017). Here, the problem of cost forecasting under the context of Australian construction project is chosen.

Here, at first, the scenario is described and related articles are analyzed. Then a specific article is reviewed as per its relevancy, and various primary research questions are discussed. Lastly, an individual reflection is demonstrated in this particular scenario.

To analyze the current context of a construction project at Australia, UDA ConstructionSuite, is used to mix powerful project management, proposals, contracts, scheduling and documents. This is done with an industry-specific CRM. This suit customizes costs to reflect prices for particular vendors (Ashworth and Perera 2015). Its job templates would decrease the time spent over the initial estimate and is customizable well. Its scheduling function would help users for setting up reminders for future job milestones and different expiring subcontracts certificates of insurances. Further, purchase orders and invoices can be generated from that estimates, and as the activity ends, the suite helps top compare estimates with real job costs (Salling and Leleur 2015).

Here the first article is chosen for analyzing from the above table. Here a social network analysis is done that reveals that they differ from the organizational structural capital. This has been nurtured through various network ties. This also includes a configuration that effectively enables project knowledge dissemination processes under arrangement allowing the project to knowledge procedures of dissemination under construction companies in Australia. The findings of the authors have led to the development of a different research framework. It is also argued that social capital has been comprised of three separate and related dimensions. They are described to be relational, cognitive and structural. The article has explained structural dimensions as a pattern of various connections among acting of a network. Again, conductive aspects have been focusing on the learning process among different people.  Further, relational elements have been highlighted to the personal relationships developed by people with others through a history of interactions. The study also states that presently attentions have been directed at a structural dimension of social capitals (Senaratne, Jin and Srirathan 2015).

The article described the structural dimension of social capital. Here among the significant features of fundamental aspects are the absence and presence of network ties between actors and various network configurations. The next one is the network ties. It is shown that weak relations have been helpful for searching useful knowledge and the impending transfer of complicated knowledge. Then the structural capital is analyzed as the enabler of construction project dissemination of knowledge. Here the lesson is learnt from construction project relating to interaction between knowledge transfer and social capital. Here four conditions are found that are exchange capability, motivation, value anticipation and access to a social network.

The study has effectively investigated how their structural capital is helpful as an enabler to disseminate project knowledge under construction organizations. This is helpful to develop organizational learning and performance. The study had indicated that different structural capital nurtured from the primary drivers has been network roes and configurations and is enabled by conditions. Here an experimental phase is carried out that has been enabling to assess network configurations quantitatively. This is helpful to recognize string networks and factors that have been allowing those. Here five contracting organizations operating at Sydney, Australia is selected. The data has been beneficial to create network pattern robust Netminer SNA software. These data have been further included a qualitative analysis phase. Here the primary influencing factors have been determined through the study that is compared with the recognized network patterns.

Analysis of proper articles on a construction project in Australia

The research questions are identified below:

• What is the prudent construction management regarding sustainability?
• What is the applicability of green engineering solution?
• How can be green technology applied in construction?
• How does the theory of constraints applied to construction projects?
• What are the elements of cost overrun, risks and delays included in construction management?
• What are the effects of types of equipment, technology and pre-fabrication on profitability?

The article accepted has concentrated on the construction industry. However, the findings require more exploration for finding missing significant research works. The paper has formed a useful framework of knowledge management research in construction. Further, it has predicted various orientations of potential research. The article has helped in understanding the changing and diversified nature of works in the area warranting stocking, taking and recognizing changes and map out knowledge management system for further exploration.

It is also found that knowledge management has highly developed with high potential. There have been highly significant topics of knowledge management as per attribute, organization, technique and technology of knowledge and research aims. The previous studies have been centered across management arrangement, methods and approach. Under the above research framework, project level, organizational-level and team level knowledge management have been understood. This is to gain competitive, organizational and project objectives through different kinds of integrated methods of knowledge management tool, common technique and information technology. Ultimately, a broad research framework is understood for encouraging and guiding further research activities in these areas.

Conclusion:

The above study shows that a useful tool thus requires to include historical and trend-based data and various competent judgments from knowledge and experience of construction. The review is helpful to create an alternate approach in forecasting that must use both human perception and historical data under a formal forecasting model. It is seen that predicting is a highly vital strategic task under project control framework. This job of forecasting is helpful to seek answers to various primary questions of project management. It helps in finding when the proposed project in Australia would get completed and what should be cost. Huge variances as per costs and schedules have been affecting profitability, cash flow and at full cases viability of projects for construction at Australia.

References:

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Ashworth, A. and Perera, S., 2015. Cost studies of buildings. Routledge.

Clayton, R.A., 2015, September. Improvements in full depth asphalt pavement specifications and construction practices in Western Australia. In AAPA International Flexible Pavements Conference, 16th, 2015, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Guerin, T., 2017. A case study identifying and mitigating the environmental and community impacts from construction of a utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant in eastern Australia. Solar Energy, 146, pp.94-104.

Harrison, F. and Lock, D., 2017. Advanced project management: a structured approach. Routledge.

Hay, A., Zuo, J., Han, S. and Zillante, G., 2017. Lessons Learned from Managing a Remote Construction Project in Australia. In Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate (pp. 939-948). Springer, Singapore.

Liu, L., Bannerman, P.L., Ding, X., Elliott, E.J., Ewart, G. and Kong, X., 2016. The Motives for and Consequences of Underpricing for Construction Contractors—Evidence from Australia. The Journal of Modern Project Management, 3(3).

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Salling, K.B. and Leleur, S., 2015. Accounting for the inaccuracies in demand forecasts and construction cost estimations in transport project evaluation. Transport Policy, 38, pp.8-18.

Senaratne, S., Jin, X. and Srirathan, S., 2015, December. Knowledge management in construction organisations in Australia using social network analysis: a research framework. In Making Built Environments Responsive: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of the Faculty of Architecture Research Unit (FARU), University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 11 December 2015 (pp. 333-343).

Smith, A.J., 2017. Estimating, Tendering and Bidding for Construction Work. Macmillan International Higher Education.

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