Relative Importance Index Method Research Articles

Analyzing the critical delay factors for construction projects in the public sector using relative importance index and machine learning techniques

This study aims to identify the causes of delays in public construction projects in Thailand, a developing country. Increasing construction durations lead to higher costs, making it essential to pinpoint the causes of these delays. The research analyzed 30 public construction projects that encountered delays. Delay causes were categorized into four groups: contractor-related, client-related, supervisor-related, and external factors. A questionnaire was used to survey these causes, and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method was employed to prioritize them. The findings revealed that the primary cause of delays was contractor-related financial issues, such as cash flow problems, with an RII of 0.777 and a weighted value of 84.44%. The second most significant cause was labor issues, such as a shortage of workers during the harvest season or festivals, with an RII of 0.773. Additionally, various algorithms were used to compare the Relative Importance Index (RII) and four machine learning methods: Decision Tree (DT), Deep Learning, Neural Network, and Naïve Bayes. The Deep Learning model proved to be the most effective baseline model, achieving a 90.79% accuracy rate in identifying contractor-related financial issues as a cause of construction delays. This was followed by the Neural Network model, which had an accuracy rate of 90.26%. The Decision Tree model had an accuracy rate of 85.26%. The RII values ranged from 68.68% for the Naïve Bayes model to 77.70% for the highest RII model. The research results indicate that contractor financial liquidity and costs significantly impact construction operations, which public agencies must consider. Additionally, the availability of contractor labor is crucial for the continuity of projects. The accuracy and reliability of the data obtained using advanced data mining techniques demonstrate the effectiveness of these results. This can be efficiently utilized by stakeholders involved in construction projects in Thailand to enhance construction project management.

Exploring the Determinants of Quality of Work Life in the Construction Industry: A Quantitative Approach

This research aims to identify and quantify the factors affecting quality of work life (QWL) among professionals in the Indian construction industry. The study employs a structured questionnaire, distributed to 900 construction professionals, yielding a response rate of 80.44%. The QWL construct was assessed through eight factors: career growth, management, job satisfaction, remuneration and fringe benefits, the work–family interface, emotional intelligence, work culture, and work commitment. Both descriptive and inferential analysis were carried out. The relative importance index method was used to rank these factors based on their relative importance. Work commitment (RII = 0.772) ranked as the most important factor, this was due to work commitment including significant items. The high ranking of this factor suggests that commitment to work is highly valued in the construction industry. The study also employed structural equation modelling to validate the association among these QWL factors. The findings reveal that job satisfaction (t = 0.765) and career growth (t = 0.751) play significant roles in QWL, suggesting that these factors should be prioritized to enhance QWL in the construction industry. The results of this study provide valuable insights for organizations, HR practitioners, and researchers in the construction industry, emphasizing the need to focus on job satisfaction and career growth to enhance QWL. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of QWL in the construction industry, offering valuable insights for organizations, HR practitioners, and researchers. Future research could adopt longitudinal study designs or qualitative methods to further explore the QWL among construction professionals.

Organizational factors affecting supply chain vulnerability of building project

Abstract The project construction supply chain can be particularly vulnerable to disruptive events because of the dispersed nature of temporary project teams and the unpredictability of the operating environment. Supply chain vulnerabilities are the fundamental elements that leave the business subject to disruption. It is necessary to identify the vulnerabilities in the supply chain before attempting to improve its resilience. This study proposes to identify the primary causes of organizational vulnerability in the supply chain of construction projects based on these problems. The study focuses on medium-sized and large construction companies that work on building projects in Aceh Province between 2018 and 2022. This study used a data collection technique by distributing questionnaires to contractor companies involved in construction projects. The primary data collection was analyzed using descriptive analysis and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The results obtained show that management vulnerability is the main vulnerable factor in the organization of the supply chain of construction projects, with the highest index being delayed in information and decision-making with an RII value of 0.9118. The findings of this study may be useful to contractor firms in managing the construction project supply chain.

Brine waste from seawater desalination in Malaysia: Assessment on public awareness and understanding

Abstract Water scarcity is a growing concern, and saltwater desalination is being explored as a potential solution, including in Malaysia. Therefore, it is important to assess public awareness of the outcome of desalination and the harmful effects of improper disposal of brine in the ecosystem. Hence, a survey was conducted and analyzed using the relative importance index method to gather information on public awareness of brine waste management practices and the negative impacts of brine waste. One hundred respondents from the public in Malaysia were randomly selected for this sample study. The results indicated that the public has an average level of awareness about desalination. Despite that, their perception of brine waste and its impact on the ecosystem ranges from average to high. Nevertheless, the study also reveals significant findings related to the low understanding among Malaysians regarding the detrimental effects of untreated brine wastewater disposal. Thus, the experts emphasize the importance of education and awareness to the public and encourage the government to implement stricter regulations on brine disposal with more effective policies. Moreover, the output of this paper gauged the public awareness level in Malaysia regarding the increasing use of desalination technology and the potential negative consequences of brine waste. It later equips the policymakers with the necessary information to make well-informed decisions by actively engaging the understanding of local communities' needs, perspectives, and aspirations on matters that directly affect them.

Quantifications of service quality factors using the relative importance index method for passenger ferry service in Bangladesh

Service Quality (SQ) of passenger ferries greatly influences passengers' travel experience. The purpose of this article is to identify the passenger ferry's SQ factors and evaluate them using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. After a thorough review of the literature and passenger interviews, 28 distinct SQ elements are identified, categorised into six major groups, and depicted using the Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram. Different SQ factors are ranked according to their relative importance using the relative importance index method. According to the SQ, the groups and factors are prioritised. Based on the study’s findings, recommendations are made to enhance the passenger ferry's SQ. The factors and groups influencing the SQ (those in need of attention) are discussed.

Blighted properties:

A blighted property is a property that has deteriorated, is vacant, has been abandoned, or has been foreclosed. This occurs when property depreciates over time due to neglect or damage. The study examines the factors contributing to vacancy and unutilised state-owned properties under the custodianship of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). Most of the Department's properties are older than 100 years. Some of the vacant and underutilised properties are susceptible to theft, vandalism, vagrancy, and illegal occupation. Furthermore, maintenance on these properties has been lacking. The cost to the State of maintaining vacant buildings without any return on investment, continuous municipal payments, and security for safekeeping necessitates a discussion of strategies to address this problem. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to 105 DPWI employees responsible for managing vacant properties and ensuring their welfare. The relative importance of the contributing factors was quantified by the relative importance index method. According to the findings, external factors like poor public sector planning and policy are the most significant factors influencing vacancy in State-owned properties. In addition to that, there are challenges related to regulation, framework, and policy under the management of assets, as well as internal issues indicating weak procurement.

Analysis of Benefits of RFID Technology Implementation in Improving Precast Concrete Material Management Systems in Indonesian Construction

Material management is a crucial factor that needs to be considered in any construction project. Poor material management can significantly impact the construction's quality, time, and cost. In Indonesia, the implementation of technology in construction, particularly in the field of materials management, is still not developing rapidly. Therefore, this study aims to identify the issues with the precast material management system in Indonesia and the benefits of implementing RFID technology to improve it. The methods employed include quantitative surveys with expert validation, pilot surveys, questionnaire surveys, data testing, and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The quantitative survey involved 50 respondents, selected based on specific criteria. The primary issue arising from the absence of RFID technology in precast material management in Indonesia is the inconsistency between the quantity and quality of precast materials arriving at the construction site. The lack of an automated tracking and data collection system is a contributing factor to these issues. Meanwhile, the main benefit of implementing RFID technology in improving precast material management systems in Indonesia is the ability to maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory records of precast materials. RFID technology enables real-time storage of comprehensive information, thereby minimizing material data recording errors.

Barriers to Knowledge Sharing: A Case Study of Construction Companies in Surabaya

Knowledge-sharing (KS) barriers prevent organizations from capitalizing on their skills and knowledge assets. This research aimed to investigate the main barriers to knowledge-sharing and identify the commonly used practice of the knowledgesharing process in the construction company in Surabaya. Data was collected by sending questionnaires to the top management of large contractors (Qualification B) in Surabaya. Fifty-four questionnaires were collected and considered eligible for analysis. The Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used in this research. The results showed that internet/social media, e-mail, and face-to-face interaction are commonly used for knowledge-sharing. The results also showed that the top barrier to knowledge sharing was the lack of top management support and participation. Meanwhile, the top personal barrier was difficulties in generalizing knowledge from one project to another project. This study helped to understand the main barriers to the knowledge-sharing process in construction companies and provided some practical guidance for companies to deal with these barriers. Moreover, this study helped top management to provide strategies to alleviate the barriers to knowledgesharing within their organization in order to achieve the success of construction projects.
 Keywords: knowledge-sharing barriers, construction industry, knowledge-sharing practices

Critical Risk Factors influencing Time Schedule of Residential Projects in Pakistan

Delays in residential construction projects are common issues in both developing and developed countries. This research aims to identify the key reasons behind these delays in Pakistan. When the projects run behind schedule, this can lead to problems such as exceeding the budget, reduced productivity at the construction site, and potentially lower quality work. The study involved a detailed survey using questionnaires that were addressed to industry professionals. Their responses were used to rank the critical factors causing delays. The most significant factors were found to be fluctuating material prices, financial challenges for contractors, underestimating project duration, poor site management, inexperienced contractors, ineffective project management, communication gaps among project stakeholders, shortage of skilled workers, changes in project design, unqualified contractors, and inadequate project planning. Identifying these critical factors through the Relative Importance Index (RII) method can help in addressing and preventing delays in Pakistan's construction projects, ensuring timely completion and better project outcomes in the future.

A structural equation modeling approach to understand users' perceptions of app-based CNG auto-rickshaw services in Dhaka City

AbstractThe use of CNG auto-rickshaws is increasing in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. CNG auto rickshaws are a crucial component of the transportation system of Dhaka City. These offer the dwellers a quick and affordable way to navigate the city’s congested streets. This study aims to determine how commuters in Dhaka City perceive the quality of app-based CNG auto rickshaw service. A structured questionnaire is developed based on the users’ reported attitudes and perceived risks. In order to comprehend how users feel about an app-based CNG auto rickshaw service, collected data were used to create a Structural Equation (SE) model. The responses are also evaluated using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method, which validates the SE model. The study shows that women’s safety and better safety experience are the most significant parameters while accepting app-based CNG auto rickshaw services. The results of this study will help the service providers involved in this operation better understand the best course of action to be taken in order to provide better service to commuters.

Evaluating causes of construction waste in East Java Province of Indonesia using RII method

Indonesia’s construction industry is still expanding. The construction sector is a major contributor to global waste production. Over 30% of construction waste is disposed of in landfills, leading to a detrimental impact on the environment. This study aims to identify the causes of construction waste in East Java’s Construction industry. The causes of construction waste were divided into two categories: causes of natural material waste and causes of fabricated material waste. Data for this study were collected using the questionnaire. The sample consisted of 32 respondents from medium-to large-scale construction enterprises involved in 4 building construction projects. The method used to identify the dominant waste is mean analysis, meanwhile the causes of construction waste is analyzed using Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The results show that the main cause of natural material waste is inaccurate field measurements resulting in excess volume, and the main cause of fabricated material waste is the cutting of leftover materials that cannot be used anymore. Through the findings the prevention or minimization of construction waste can be carried out according to the causes.

Project Management Practices to Address the Challenges in International Construction Joint Ventures in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry

ABSTRACT International Construction Joint Ventures (ICJVs) offer benefits to both local and foreign partners. However, their failure rates tend to be high, leading to poor ICJV performance. Effective Project Management (PM) is considered a means to resolve challenges in a construction project. Therefore, this research aims to address the challenges in ICJV projects within the Sri Lankan construction industry through PM practices to establish successful ICJVs. The research adopted a mixed-method approach. A preliminary survey was conducted to validate the challenges in the Sri Lankan context. After that, challenges were ranked based on their significance level using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method through a questionnaire survey. Then, Semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the PM practices that can address significant challenges through code-based content analysis. The study revealed 38 challenges applicable to ICJVs and identified 88 PM practices for resolving 10 significant challenges out of the 38 identified in ICJV projects in Sri Lanka (SL). Finally, a framework was developed for successful ICJVs by addressing challenges through PM practices. This study marks the first attempt to establish a framework for successful ICJVs by addressing challenges through PM practices in the Sri Lankan construction industry.

Success Factors in Managing Wastewater Infrastructure through Community Participation (Case Study: Wastewater Infrastructure in Residential Areas of Medan Deli Subdistrict, Medan)

Both central and local governments strive to implement sanitation programs, especially in the management of wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on community involvement from planning to maintenance. The Medan Deli Subdistrict, engaged in wastewater infrastructure management through community participation, faces challenges, including a decline in users and dysfunctional management groups. The limited community involvement also impacts the failure of management. The research was conducted in the Medan Deli Subdistrict using survey and exploration methods. The analysis of survey questionnaire data with the Relative Importance Index (RII) method identified five key success factors, used as research indicators to identify obstacles through structured interviews. The research results show that these factors involve the choice of technology, organization, and leadership, which have proven to have a significant impact. Additionally, service convenience, operator performance, and clean and healthy living habits also prove to be drivers of success in this management. In this context, it can be concluded that technical factors, especially the selection of technology and organization, dominate the success of wastewater management. The success of wastewater infrastructure development through community participation also heavily depends on institutional elements and social approaches. However, after identifying success elements, some analyzed obstacles include the process of selecting technology means that are not in line with the needs and preferences of the community, managers responsible for wastewater infrastructure management often relocating without replacement, hindering the administrative process of management, infrastructure maintenance requiring operators to routinely perform operational functions, and a community that is not fully committed to implementing clean water infrastructure management.

Analyzing the barrier factors in implementing on-site construction waste management: a structural equation modeling approach

Waste Management Plans must be implemented on all construction sites regardless of site size. With an effective site waste management plans (SWMPs), the amount of waste generated can be controlled, minimized and partially prevented, and financial losses can be monitored and quantified. There is non-compliance with construction SWMP as well as recycling at construction sites. The goal of this study is to conduct ranking of the barrier factors in implementing effective SWMP and in addition to that a structural equation modeling (SEM) of factors to find correlations between them. Data collected through a questionnaire survey are checked for reliability using Cronbach's alpha test using IBM SPSS 22 software and analyzed and evaluated using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The barriers overcome with the highest RII value were unavailable waste management procedures and technological support within the organization and insufficient environmental training of construction workers in waste management. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of barriers, correlation, and hypothesized significance of the relationship between these factors was performed using smartPLS 3 software. The final SEM results showed that the construction-related factor had the highest path coefficient, indicating that the technical factor significantly affects legal aspects. The higher the beta coefficient, the stronger the effect of the exogenous latent construct on the endogenous latent construct. All hypotheses found to be significant have since been accepted. This is mainly useful in policy making in waste management Plans.

Identifying the significant causes of waste of housing infrastructure projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Construction waste issues have worsened globally due to the fast development of construction activities. The environment, expenditures, duration, productivity, and social dimension of the country are all negatively impacted by construction waste. The construction sector needs an in-depth knowledge of the development and construction management waste to minimize its detrimental effects. The infrastructure works of housing projects play a substantial role in many economies, including Saudi Arabia. Lean is presented as an improvement management approach for construction projects through lean techniques (less waste, time, and cost). Thus, optimizing project profitability is considered. This paper introduces the adoption of Lean in the construction of Housing infrastructure works in Saudi Arabia, in which waste can be eliminated or reduced when the causes are identified, thereby improving the reliability, stability, and optimizing profitability of construction operations. This article aims to establish the main sources of waste in Saudi Arabia's housing infrastructure projects. A questionnaire survey was conducted among owners, consultants, and contractors in Saudi Arabia. The Partial Least Square Structure Equation Model (PLS-SEM) and Relative Importance Index (RII) methods were used to analyze the collected data. The main finding revealed that the ten most important causes of waste are distributed among owners, consultants, and contractors by 20%, 10%, and 50% using the PLS-SEM method. At the same time, those percentages differ in the case of using the RII method as follows: 20%, 80%, and 0%. The consultant's causes have a mutual influence on the owner's causes and the consultant's causes. The research is considered one of the first such studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and may enhance stakeholders' understanding of performance improvement from a lean system viewpoint in the Saudi Arabian construction industry.

Faculty perception of online education: considerations for the post-pandemic world

In the post-COVID era, academic institutions adapted curricula, utilizing aspects of the online delivery in full or partially. Consequently, this research focuses on identifying the factors that influence faculty perceptions of effective online delivery in higher education and comparing them with students’ perceptions. The study involves semi-structured interviews with 15 faculty members at a renowned university to gain insights into their online teaching experiences during the pandemic. Additionally, 51 faculty members participated in a survey using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method to determine the most significant practices impacting online delivery. The results indicate that the most concerning factor for faculty during online delivery is facilitating students’ engagement and interactions in class, with an RII of 0.94. Controlling academic dishonesty during assessments receives a relatively lower concern with an RII of 0.67. Making lectures interactive is identified as the most challenging practice for faculty. Comparing the findings with students’ perceptions based on previous studies, both groups emphasize the significance of effective communication, interaction, and the use of technology. Faculty prioritize the delivery and organization of lectures, while students focus on engagement and interactive elements. Faculty value organization and relevance in assignments, while students emphasize instructor qualities and responsiveness.

Risk Factors for Time and Cost Overruns of Pipeline Projects in Saudi Arabia

Evaluating risks is crucial for the smooth execution of pipeline projects. In Saudi Arabia, pipeline building projects frequently experience delays and cost overruns. This study tries to identify these risk factors. Thus, risk factors were collected from the literature and presented to four experts to identify the 26 most common factors for pipeline construction in Saudi Arabia. The risk factors were then assessed using a questionnaire to measure the degree of impact of the 26 factors by 135 participants. Partial least square structure equation model (PLS-SEM) and relative importance index (RII) methods were utilized to rank the significant factors after performing the reliability and discriminant validity of the questionnaire data. The findings show that the top five factors based on PLS-SEM were discrepancy between implementation requirements and specifications, financial failure/bankruptcy, poor pipeline material quality, supplying invalid materials, and weak ability to identify and monitor the threats. The ranking of the factors using PLS-SEM is different in the RII method. This difference is due to applying the Cronbach’s α formula in the two methods. The PLS-SEM computes the coefficients of the groups, while the RII computes the coefficients for all factors. The study results can assist pipeline project managers in identifying and ranking risk variables to efficiently utilize the limited financial and human resources available for the risk management.

Factors Affecting Variation Orders in the Construction Project of Antasari Place Jakarta Apartment

A Variation Order is a modification of the contract content that has been agreed at the pre-implementation stage. Variation Order often occurs in a construction project and has the possibility to have a positive or negative impact on the project implementation time. In the implementation of the Antasari Place Jakarta apartment construction project, there are 22 site instructions as an order for Variation Order work. In identifying factors affecting the Variation Order in this study, a questionnaire that has been validated by experts was used. This study identified 21 factors from the aspects of construction, administration, parties involved, and others that affect the Variation Order on the Antasari Place Jakarta Apartment construction project, with the most dominant factor affecting the Variation Order is the addition of work scope. Ranking of the most dominant factors using the Relative Importance Index (RII) method and ranked three factors with the highest RII values, namely due to the addition of the scope of work with an RII score of 0.900, design changes from planning with an RII score of 0.680, and changes in the scope of work at the construction implementation stage with an RII score of 0.620. The Variation Order work in the Antasari Place Jakarta Apartment construction project has no impact on the final completion time of the project contract because the project implementation has not entered the critical trajectory of the implementation time and is carried out during slack time.

Risk Management in The Oil Sector / Oil Exploration Company as A Case Study

This paper aims to propose a decision tool that helps estimate the risk probability in the petroleum sector in Iraq, which has many benefits for identifying the most important factor. This model was developed by using the relative importance index (RII) method incorporated into fuzzy Logic. An extensive literature review was conducted, and a questionnaire was distributed to the private and government sectors to scan all possible risks in the petroleum sector. As a result, forty–eight risks in the petroleum sector were identified and categorized into four groups: operational risks, financial and administrative risks, economic and political risks, and potential risks. Over 170 questionnaire forms have been distributed to engineers, managers, experts, and technicians, and 153 forms have been adopted for the analysis. The SPSS software was used to execute the statistical analysis concerning statical mean and relative important index. Also, the questionnaire results were analyzed using the relative importance index. The ranking of the groups and factors was demonstrated according to their level of effect on risk. Finally, a fuzzy assessment model was constructed and tested being appropriate to identify the probability of risk in the Iraqi petroleum sector to assess and estimate risk. Oil exploration company, one of the associations of the ministry of oil in Iraq, has been taken as a case study of this research to determine the risks and validate the model. This paper will seek the best solution to eliminate or minimized risks in the Iraqi patrolmen sector, especially at the Iraq oil exploration company as it has been taken as a case study. Three types of risk solutions were tested and optimized and those solutions are the avoid, the mitigate, and the transfer of the risks. The ANP mothed was used to determine the priority or the effectiveness of each type of solution to find the best alternative option for each risk factor. The result shows that the best way to deal with oil and gas risks in the Iraq petroleum sector is to avoid these risks. Because the solutions belonging to this group have an effective value of 65.4 %. The other two groups of mitigation and transfer have less effectiveness of 19.8 % and 14.8 % respectively. Moreover, the local and global priorities of the most important risk factor are also determined to validate and optimized the result. Finally, a list of alternative solutions recommended by the experts has been illustrated.

Determination of Significance of 4D-BIM Features

Planning is one of the advancements in Building Information Modeling (BIM) domain which enables the practitioner to visualize the relation of time with 3D objects. Notwithstanding the fruitful existing studies, the awareness of the practitioners concerning 4D-BIM features is not sufficient. Moreover, the construction industry suffers from the lack of features of the existing 4D-BIM software. Furthermore, the existing features vary from software to software due to a lack of awareness with respect to the importance of the features of 4D-BIM. These drawbacks result in unsuccessful 4D-BIM applications in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to define 4D-BIM features and detect their importance in the construction industry. Hence, 4D-BIM features were detected via an in-depth literature review and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) conducted with 10 experts. Consequently, 16 4D-BIM features were detected. Later, the features were evaluated by 35 experts who have experience in the 4D-BIM domain, and the obtained data were analyzed via Relative Importance Index (RII) method to detect the significance levels of 4D-BIM features. As a result, the significance level of each feature was found to be greater than 0.5 according to RII method, which indicates that each of the features in 4D-BIM has critical importance in the planning of the project. It is highly believed that this study will pave the way for future 4D-BIM-related studies as well as increase the awareness of the practitioners, software developers and researchers in terms of the current needs of the construction industry.