Schedule Metrics Research Articles

A Guideline of Earned Value Method (EVM) Implementation as Decision Baseline on Acceleration Solutions for Construction Project Scheduling

Implementing an efficient performance monitoring system is necessary to complete a facility building project on time, on budget, and by established standards and specifications. Inappropriate system monitoring process could lead to project failures such as delay which commonly occurs. If the delay happens, it is necessary to accelerate work productivity to overcome it. Earned value method (EVM) is one of the suggested global standards for measuring project performance. It effectively combines scope, cost, and schedule metrics and can provide a clear picture of the state of the project as of the control date. It also predicts the time prolong and completion budget. This paper proposes a guideline to implement EVM as a decision baseline on acceleration solutions for construction project scheduling by conducting an article review, since the EVM can predict the project’s time estimates at completion (TE). According to the guideline, when arranging network planning based on construction actual work performed, it is essential to use TE as the completion time. From the critical activities in network planning, contractors can conduct the acceleration process such as additional work hours (overtime) and additional manpower. This acceleration scenario later could be implemented in the project as the solution to overcome the delay.

P108 Association of drowsiness events with a combination of sleep loss and other work metrics

Abstract Introduction Heavy vehicle drivers (HVDs), carrying approximately 75% of non-bulk domestic freight on Australian roads, are at risk of drowsiness due to night-time, long drives, or short sleep. Drowsiness comprises 46% of all driver-impairment-related factors in HVDs fatalities. However, the specific role of sleep loss in HVDs' drowsiness is less known. This study assessed the association of sleep loss, independent of other work metrics, with real-time drowsiness in HVDs. Methods Eight HVDs aged 49.8± 8 years, 27± 10.3 years of experience, worked for 3-28 (13± 6) shifts. A composite ocular measure of drowsiness (John's Drowsiness Score) and drivers' sleep-wake was monitored by Optalert glasses and Actiwatches, respectively. The drowsiness event (response variable) was defined as at least one event of JDS≥ 2.6 /h, and sleep loss (exposure) as the variation of sleep opportunity pre-shift from the 9-hour recommended rest break in Europe. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the odds of drowsiness events under sleep loss when adjusted for time of day, shift start time and hours of drive. Results Data comprised 1061 observations of work metrics or JDS and 694 records of sleep duration. Sleep loss ranged from 1 to 6.3 hours (3.4 ± 1.1h). Compared with a 1- 2.5-hour sleep loss, sleep loss> 4 hours doubled the likelihood of drowsiness events when controlled for other covariates (p=0.019). Discussion Sleep loss increases the odds of drowsiness events in HVDs with similar work schedule metrics. Further research should assess if Australia's 7-h minimum break provides adequate sleep under different schedule conditions.

A benchmarking program to support software process improvement adaptation in a developing country, a Pakistan case.

BackgroundStandardization of software development processes using the software process improvement (SPI) frameworks like capability maturity model integration (CMMI) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are vital for better performance and defect-free delivery of software engineering projects.ProblemThe studies from developing countries show that the organizations are unable to get the desired SPI benefits during early adaptation due to lack of benchmarking initiatives. These initiative needed bridging of the gap between major software engineering fields such as project performance, productivity, and SPI measurement metrics like effort, schedule, cost, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.MethodThis research quantifies SPI benefits by bridging the existing gaps and identifying a commonly defined set of 44 significant base metrics related to ESCPQC and applies a conceptual framework over the collected data of 62 projects from three leading software organizations.ResultThe results have quantified the “the introduction of change effect” and showed that the adaptation of SPI has shown SPI benefits like improved quality, customer satisfaction, and effort. In contrast, schedule metrics showed a high reduction at level 3 and again increased at high maturity levels values. The last benefits are communicated following a trustable mechanism.

Duration Estimate at Completion: Improving Earned Value Management Forecasting Accuracy

Earned Value Management (EVM) has been established as a project management technique for project monitoring and control. The traditional EVM performs well in forecasting Cost Performance index and other cost metrics. However, in terms of schedule performance, the accuracy of the forecasted schedule metrics through the traditional EVM approach are always questionable. The schedule performance is not measured in time unit but rather in monetary units or uses cost information, which may cause misleading in the interpretation of the EVM schedule metrics. The schedule performance is not accurately forecasted, resulting in underestimating the estimate at completion (t). Even the renowned Earned Schedule also uses cost as a proxy to determine the earned schedule. This paper presents a new EVM tool, Duration estimate at completion (DEAC-model) developed to accurately forecast the time estimate at completion. DEAC-model uses the actual time spent on each activity, either in progress or upon completion, where the Performance is measured in time units. The benefits of DEAC-model to project management team and researchers are that it can be used: 1) to forecast schedule metrics accurately so that resources can be effectively allocated to complete the remaining activities, 2) as a gauge to assess if the project can be completed within the plan schedule, and 3) to apply time series and simple linear regression model concepts using excel worksheet syntax to forecast duration estimate at completion that is easily applicable.

Implementing Project Schedule Metrics to Identify the Impact of Delays Correlated with Contractors

Schedule management reduces schedule delays while optimizing positive opportunities to the project timeline. The built industry continues to struggle to capture project metrics that will improve supply chain management. The lack of performance metrics on construction projects filters the actual project performance of the project stakeholders. Contractors can easily be blamed for schedule delays because of the nature of construction projects. A large university capital improvement organization recognizes their lack of performance information and begins implementing a performance measurement system in 2005. The university measurements focus on project impacts to cost, schedule, and quality in hopes that additional information will improve risk management processes. This article reviews the schedule impacts that contractors create within projects. Data was collected directly from both contractor and client project managers of 254 construction projects. Actual delays from contractors were found to be a small percentage of the overall project schedule delays. More than half of the delays that contractors produced were found to be correlated to the material suppliers.

Best-Value Process Implementation at the City of Peoria: Five Years of Research Testing

The City of Peoria is Arizona’s ninth largest city. It covers nearly 178 square miles and is home to over 153,000 residents. The projected 10 year growth of the City is estimated to be over 204,000, which has prompted a significant expansion of the City’s municipal services and facilities. In an attempt to efficiently meet the demands of the projected growth, the City of Peoria partnered with the Performance Based Studies Research Group out of Arizona State University in 2004. The objective of the partnership was to test and implement a best value structure within the City’s construction program, specifically as applicable to capital projects. This paper presents a five year summary of the test implementation results, the evolution of the best value structure within the city, project performance, service expansion to include non-construction projects, and lessons learned from the research. The research effort has included $385,691,802 in total projects awarded and implemented under the best value structure, with documented performance increases in cost metrics, schedule metrics, and customer satisfaction.

Dashboards for Transportation Operations

Dashboards are an increasingly common method for executives in the private sector to monitor the effect of business decisions on business operations. These dashboards integrate business intelligence databases into relatively simple web-based reporting mechanisms accessible to multiple decision makers. Some states in the public-sector transportation arena have developed dashboards to monitor delivery on relatively long-term agency processes, such as project budget and schedule metrics. Few efforts have focused on monitoring relatively short-term operational performance measures. Berkeley Transportation Systems, Inc., has worked with the California Department of Transportation to develop an operational performance measure–based dashboard for transportation agency executives using the Performance Measurement System. This paper outlines an application of this dashboard to a specific agency program aimed at improving traffic detector health.

Economic Value of Combined Best Practice Use

This paper measures the value of best practices based on data taken from the Construction Industry Institute Benchmarking and Metrics database. A three-step process provides the basis for measuring the potential benefits of increased best practice use. First, a practice use index is derived to model the way in which best practices are utilized on actual projects. The index combines data from eight best practices to create a single measure of practice utilization. Second, a project performance index, combining cost and schedule metrics, is derived as an indicator of overall project performance. Third, the practice use index is correlated with cost, schedule, and overall project performance metrics. Both owners and contractors benefit from increased practice use. Potential cost savings for owners range from $1.7 to $3.4 million, depending on industry group and project size. Potential cost savings for contractors are higher, averaging $7.2 million for the typical $88 million heavy industrial project. Benefits from schedule reductions are most apparent for owners. On large building projects, schedule reductions for owners average 27 weeks. Finally, improvements in overall project performance on the order of 30% are observed for both owners and contractors.