The Implementation of Industrialised Building System Method
Project managers perceive the management of rebuilding dilapidated schools more challenging as compared to an entirely new project. There will be a need for more research because most of the work needed to be done will be on site (Hassim, Jaafar and Sazalli 2009). Assessing what needs to be changed and what needs to be maintained. The managers have to consider the professionals needed as opposed to a new project where the professionals required is common to all new projects. There might be fewer case studies for projects of rebuilding dilapidated schools.
The industrialized building system method is a better choice of construction method as compared to the conventional method. This is because the industrialized building system is much less complex and takes a shorter time to execute compared to the conventional method (Nawi et al. 2014).
The critical success factors in the industrialized building system contribute positively to the management of the rebuilding of dilapidated schools in Malaysia. These factors when implemented during the process of project implementation, the project is likely to have a successful completion.
Many schools are in conditions that need upgrading. There is a need for a conducive environment in which learning, as well as teaching, can take place. There should be good infrastructure to support excellent performance from the students.
In order to plan for the rebuilding of these dilapidated schools in Malaysia, the management should take into consideration the type of school building as well as the size of the project.
The critical success factors of industrialized building system method that can be used to ensure successful management of the rebuilding of dilapidated schools projects can be grouped into two; managerial skill and management technique (Kamar and Anuar 2011).
The managerial skills include; good working collaboration, effective communication channel, a competent project team, strong commitment, and sturdy key decision.
Collaboration is about the involvement of all the members of the project team in working together towards the achievement of the project goal. A working collaboration between the team members helps to ensure that the problems that come up due to complex interfacing between systems are solved faster (Nawi, Lee and Nor 2011). This makes sure that the processes of manufacturing materials are efficient both at the site and outside site, for prefabricated materials. Involvement of all the members of the project team in all the stages of design, ensures that the opinions of the team members are considered so that the design does not limit them at any point (Wi et al. 2009). This involvement also ensures that every team member inputs their ideas into work to come up with the best possible solutions.
Causal Conditions
An effective way of communication should be developed to enable information to flow in the chain of supply. This makes it possible to address issues that come up during scheduling of work throughout the process of the project implementation. Effective communication involves the downward flow of information from the management to the laborers at the bottom of the chain of command. It also includes the upward flow of information to the professionals at the top of the chain of command (Kerzner and Kerzner 2017). This ensures vital information reaches all the team members hence successful completion of tasks. Effective communication also makes sure the management gets notified about the challenges and problems encountered during the process of work. The managers are therefore able to intervene in time.
The professionals leading or forming a project team should be very competent in their areas of work. Competency comes from having a lot of experience in a particular field and having the professional knowledge and skill. The manager should have a team with members who have worked in projects related to rebuilding dilapidated schools or even rebuilding dilapidated buildings in general.
Having competent team also saves on time as they all have the skills needed for the work hence minimal or no supervision is required at all.
The managers should be fully committed to the success of the project. The project team should also be comprised of individuals who are and who will remain committed to the successful completion of the project. The project team members should be individuals who are ready to do anything within their capabilities to ensure that the tasks expected of them are completed and within a specified time.
The project manager has to make key decisions. For example, when a project is to start, the duration, choosing the project team members and even deciding when these members are to meet. The manager should be able to make clear decisions and take his ground about the decisions made. The manager should make sure that these decisions are followed. The manager should also be able to make decisions in time, for example in case of a problem. The manager should not leave anything to chance. This is important for the success of the rebuilding of dilapidated schools project.
The management techniques include; meticulous project planning, setting S.M.A.R.T project target, Reliable ICT support system, and close project monitoring.
Thoroughly scheduling and planning for the whole project activities before commencement of project implementation is very crucial in order to address issues like scope of project, coordination, planning for good performance to ensure a smooth operation during implementation.
Phenomena
A project that is planned to the least details can easily be understood even if it is a complex project. The detailed planning can drive the project to a successful completion (Munier 2013). The managers plan for all the tasks and also prepare the time schedule in which these tasks are to be completed. A good plan enables every project team member to know what is expected of them.
Setting S.M.A.R.T Project target
All projects have their targets in relation to time and the output. SMART targets are often described as targets that are achievable, time-bound, relevant, measurable and specific (Lateef 2009).
The project target should be very specific. It should answer the questions why, what, where, when and how.
The target should allow for a measure of progress. The target should also be attainable considering the resources that are available and the challenges on site.
The target should be relevant to what is expected of the project. The target should also have clearly specified deadlines for every task to be carried out.
ICT is an important tool that can be relied on for support in improving areas like comparison of costs, tendering, monitoring of work progress and distribution (Mehta, Hall and Byrd 2014).
ICT allows for faster sharing of important information between the team members as well as the team and the management. This is especially important where the projects are in different geographical areas. For example in the industrialized building system, the prefabricated materials need to be transported to the site, therefore communication is needed. ICT facilitates this communication.
A good ICT system also helps the managers to have an easier time while monitoring the progress of the work.
For a project to be successful there should be thorough monitoring of the project. Close project monitoring is done from the beginning to the end of the project (Turner 2014). Project monitoring is important for checking whether the project is going on as planned for. Project monitoring also enables the project managers to find out if there are problems encountered during the process of the project implementation.
The manager is able to measure the performance of the individuals. This enables the manager to know if the project will be successfully completed within the stipulated budget. This can also show whether the planned timelines will be realized.
All this prompts the manager to make changes accordingly. The manager draws a plan to solve the deviations that are realized after monitoring. The changes should be in such a way that they do not affect the overall plan to a large extent.
Successful rebuilding of dilapidated schools project is realized when the project is completed according to schedule. The project should also be completed within the estimated cost. The factors that could lead to failure of completion of the project in time and within cost include; expectations that are unrealistic, lack of detailed planning for the project, poor communication among the members, lack of monitoring of the project and poor management of risks (Kamar, Alshawi and Hamid 2009). When all these factors are dealt with, the project has a higher possibility of being successful.
References
Hassim, S., Jaafar, M.S. and Sazalli, S.A., 2009. The contractor perception towers industrialised building system risk in construction projects in Malaysia. American Journal of applied sciences, 6(5), p.937
Kamar, M. and Anuar, K., 2011. Critical success factors to industrialised building system (IBS) contractor (Doctoral dissertation, University of Salford).
Kamar, K.A.M., Alshawi, M. and Hamid, Z., 2009, January. Barriers to industrialized building system (IBS): The case of Malaysia. In Proceedings of the BuHu 9th International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPGRC), Salford, UK (pp. 29-30).
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken.
Lateef, O.A., 2009. Building maintenance management in Malaysia. Journal of Building Appraisal, 4(3), pp.207-214.
Mehta, N., Hall, D. and Byrd, T., 2014. Information technology and knowledge in software development teams: The role of project uncertainty. Information & Management, 51(4), pp.417-429.
Munier, N., 2013. Project Planning and Scheduling. In Project Management for Environmental, Construction and Manufacturing Engineers (pp. 119-150). Springer, Dordrecht.
Nawi, M.N.M., Lee, A. and Nor, K.M., 2011. Barriers to implementation of the industrialised building system (IBS) in Malaysia. The Built & Human Environment Review, 4(2), pp.34-37.
Nawi, M.N.M., Lee, A., Azman, M.N.A. and Kamar, K.A.M., 2014. Fragmentation issue in Malaysian industrialised building system (IBS) projects. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 9(1), pp.97-106.
Turner, J.R., 2014. Handbook of project-based management (Vol. 92). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Wi, H., Oh, S., Mun, J. and Jung, M., 2009. A team formation model based on knowledge and collaboration. Expert Systems with Applications, 36(5), pp.9121-9134.