Engineering Project Management Research Articles

Brief Discussion on the Strengthening Measures of Municipal Road Engineering Project Management

Brief Discussion on the Strengthening Measures of Municipal Road Engineering Project Management

Competency model for international engineering project manager through MADM method: The Chinese context

Due to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese engineering contracting companies have ushered in excellent opportunities in the international engineering market. However, for the lack of comprehensive talents, Chinese international engineering projects are currently facing various difficulties. How to select, evaluate, and train highly competitive engineering project managers is of great significance to them. In this paper, an improved Multi-Attribute Decision Making Method (MADM) is used to construct the competency model of international engineering project managers, so as to provide a reliable reference and suggestions for the evaluation process and future development.The current study of project managers’ competency is mainly focused on the local level rather than the international level, and discussed about the competency of general project managers instead of a specific industry of engineering. Also, we noticed the lack of a systematic method of competency evaluation for Chinese international engineering project managers.Aiming at the manager competency of international engineering projects, this paper firstly combines Repertory Grid technique (RepGrid) with the help of Chinese experts abroad and factor analysis to construct a competency evaluation index system, and then combines Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) to explore the interaction between various indicators and determine the weight of each indicator. Finally, through improved Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method the five candidates from a Chinese company in the case are evaluated. The final parts of this article provide a methodological reference and improvement suggestions for the recruitment, performance evaluation, training and career development of international engineering project managers based on the constructed model.

How Effectively Do We Communicate? An Analysis of Team Reflexivity in Transition and Action Phases of Team Collaboration

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Background:</b></i> Communication is the backbone of effective collaboration, enabling project success; yet, engineering projects often fail due to poor communication. Specifically, engineering teams may benefit from reflexivity interventions to improve decision making, problem solving, innovation, and performance. In this study, we focus on team reflexivity in direct application to engineering project management to identify reflexivity processes that facilitate effective communication. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Literature review:</b></i> Although research has shown that team reflexivity interventions—elicited through communication—can improve team interaction and performance, little empirical evidence exists into the temporal dimensions across the action and transition phases of team reflexivity processes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Research questions:</b></i> 1. How is team reflexivity expressed through text-based communication? 2. How and when do team members shift between reflexivity processes over time, especially across and between transition and action phases? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Research methodology:</b></i> We analyzed collaborative activity among 62 four-person teams in a computer-simulated microworld across two scenarios. The reflexivity processes exhibited during interaction were identified and analyzed using statistical and content analysis. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Results and discussion:</b></i> Analyses indicated that team reflection promoted discussions about key issues, facilitated frequent process shifts among transition and action phases, and resulted in overall better performance. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Conclusions:</b></i> Our findings demonstrate the importance of team reflexivity interventions in engineering project teams to strategically guide members to improve planning, responding, and quality of attention devoted to long-term outcomes. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the importance of deep structured team reflexivity through process shifts to help members understand strategies and goals, and develop shared objectives in complex environments.

Risk Management System in Municipal School Catering

Background: The solution of problems of school nutrition requires a creation of program and project management technologies of school catering focused on children’s health. Objective: To elaborate approaches to introducing the system of risk management in school catering. Materials and methods: In 2019–2021, specialists from various departmental authorities were brought together to conduct the study aimed at identifying and solving challenges related to school nutrition. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of 43,565 respondents from 135 schools in the city of Yekaterinburg for the purposes of an integral assessment of their satisfaction with school meals. We also analyzed 10,623 food samples, estimated nutritional values of dishes, and evaluated implementation of the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in 12 school canteens in view of the results of health checkups of 53,572 students. Results: We established the main reasons for refusal of school meals and proved the relationship between general satisfaction with school nutrition and school catering companies. In terms of nutritional value, 70.5 % of the collected food samples did not comply with the estimates provided in technical documentation. We observed no systemic risk management of food hygiene violations. The estimated proportion of schoolchildren with diet-related diseases ranged from 15 to 72 %. Our findings were used to develop recommendations for improvement of school meals and an algorithm of managerial decision-making envisaging cooperation of organizations of various levels in providing healthy nutrition to schoolchildren. Conclusion: A systemic approach and combined efforts of various authorities are necessary to promote healthy eating at school. Elaboration of methods for reliable assessment of the nutritional value of diets and health-related nutrition factors is essential. The developed comprehensive approach to managerial decision-making will contribute to providing healthy and appealing school meals. The effectiveness of joint activities will depend on each member of the team of specialists involved in organizing school catering.

Performance Evolution of Software Engineering Development and Project Management: A Critical Evolution Software Engineering Process

Among the many pressing concerns in the realm of computers, software project development is among the highest. System development life cycle is a part of this (SDLC). A key goal of the software development life cycle (SDLC) is to reduce the likelihood of errors while improving the quality of the final result. Without a well-defined set of steps, the software development process is a pretty complicated affair. Method established to standardize and streamline software development. The introduction of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) existence. What we have here is a methodical and organized approach to the process of creating software. Using the SDLC as a guide, entails a wide variety of steps and processes that must be completed before the final programmer is released. Software comes in many forms. Types of software development life cycles, each with their own benefits and drawbacks, are commonly employed in the software development process. Disadvantages Five of these software development life cycle (SDLC) models, including the waterfall model, the v-shaped model, and the prototype model, are presented in this study. Existing models are compared using a spiral and an iterative structure.

A Similarity-Based Hesitant Fuzzy Group Decision Making Approach and Its Application in Hydraulic Engineering Project Management

Hesitancy and uncertainty features of experts are common in the decision-making process, especially for the project management events. To solve this problem, a novel similarity-based decision-making approach is put forward, as well as an application to the hydraulic engineering project management. Several experts, who are invited in the decision-making process, are suggested to adopt hesitant fuzzy preference relations (HFPRs) to show their evaluations. To measure the similarity degree of experts, a novel integrated similarity index (SI) is given combining the alternative ranking-based similarity index (SIAR) and distance-based similarity index (SID) between HFPRs. The SIAR can be derived from the comparison of the alternative rankings, while the SID depends on evaluations’ distance degree. After that, on the basic of opinion transition probabilities, experts’ weights are allocated, which is necessary for the aggregation process. Then, the collective preferences can be aggregated from the individuals’ evaluations. Afterwards, the above methods along with a score function are adopted to obtain the optimal solution for an actual hydraulic engineering project management event. Finally, for verifying the feasible and effective features of the presented methods, some significative discussions and comparative analyses are provided.

СONFLICTS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

It is shown that in the case of people carrying out joint activities, including in the practice of using project management technology, conflicts may arise between performers and different groups of performers. They, as a rule, are due to differences in goals and motives, aspirations and interests of people, their psychological characteristics. Conflicts are undesirable, since they significantly complicate the interaction and relationships between the performers and, accordingly, prevent the achievement of the desired or expected results of joint activities in the implementation of project tasks. The nature and possible causes of the conflict and its types are analyzed. In particular, it has been found that not every difference causes conflicts. Their sources are basically only those situations in which the material interests of at least one of the parties, their dignity or social status are affected. This indicates the importance of taking into account in the practice of project management not only technological, but also psychological aspects of activity. The nature of the interaction between the level of cohesion, psychological compatibility and corporate culture of the project team and the impact of possible conflicts on it and on the relationship between members of the project team. It is shown that the likelihood of conflict increases significantly when the project team includes so-called conflicting personalities. The meaning and nature of the project manager's activity, aimed at preventing conflicts, as a manifestation of one of his important behavioral competencies, is revealed. Examples of the content and nature of the model of adequate behavior of a leader in a conflict, as well as behavior requiring correction, are given. The article considers the essence of the conflictological competence of the project manager, which includes the manager's knowledge and understanding of his possible violations that can lead to conflict situations and conflicts. Effective ways of preventing and managing conflicts in case of their occurrence are considered.

A Review of Recent Skills Required as Engineering Project Managers

Most of the project engineers are presumed to be promoted as the project manager after certain period of services. However, they are required to attain certain qualities in order to manage the project effectively. Hence, this paper summarised several recent skills required for an engineering project managers. This paper relates the role of the engineering project manager with the skills required to accomplish the managerial jobs. The skills are divided into six categories, which are conceptual skills, human skills, political skills, technical skills, negotiating skills and budgeting skills. Each of these skills were discussed with several examples as the reference. It was believed that these skills are needed for the project managers to boost up the management performance, in the real engineering project field, and the findings of this paper could become the appropriate guidelines for the young engineers as the motivation to climb up the promotional ladder as some successful project managers.

Innovation and Exploration of Power Engineering Project Management Mode

Innovation and Exploration of Power Engineering Project Management Mode

Legends of Artificial Lift (July 2022)

Legends of Artificial Lift This year, the SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition–Americas will be held 23–25 August in Galveston, Texas, with the theme “Modern Artificial Lift–Adapting to a Changing Industry.” The event provides opportunities for technical professionals to gain insights into current trends and field experiences and explore innovative solutions. A special Legends of Artificial Lift Luncheon on 23 August will celebrate three individuals for their outstanding contributions to the technical knowledge in this field: Norman Hein Jr., Ken Nolen, and Gabor Takacs. Norman W. Hein Jr. Norman W. Hein Jr. has worked for 45 years in upstream production, his distinguished career spanning from research, development, and testing to ventures in production engineering, manufacturing, onshore and offshore project management, industry standardization, and the principles of artificial lift. Hein joined the industry in 1977 as a research scientist with Continental Oil Company, where he learned about oil and gas production materials, failures, fatigue, and offshore construction. He then worked for Conoco and later ConocoPhillips in various engineering positions. In 2010, he joined the sucker-rod division of Norris Production Solutions as director of research, development, engineering, and quality; later at CONSOL Energy he was promoted to chief technology professional and senior advisor. Currently, Hein is president and managing director of Oil and Gas Optimization Specialists Ltd., which he established in 2003. Kenneth B. (Ken) Nolen Kenneth B. (Ken) Nolen for 62 years has been a key contributor to what he calls “the art and science of artificial lift.” “My college degree in mechanical engineering was largely devoted to science,” he explains, “and that’s a branch of knowledge dealing with the physical world of facts and principles. Art, on the other hand, uses science to create new technology and products—in my field, that is to enhance artificial lift.” His career in optimizing this art and science began after graduating from Texas A&amp;M and serving his country in the US Air Force for a 3-year tour. Nolen joined Shell Oil Company as a production engineer before teaming up with Dr. Sam G. Gibbs to become co-founderand vice president of Nabla Corporation in Midland, Texas—a technical service company that specialized in artificial-lift diagnosis, optimization, design, training on pumping wells, and manufacturing pumpoff controllers and fluid-level sounders. “It was at Nabla that I pursued my long-held passion for optimizing production from artificially lifted wells.” Gabor Takacs Gabor Takacs joins the Legends of Artificial Lift as an internationally recognized consultant with more than 35 years of consulting and teaching experience in the fields of production engineering, with a concentration in artificial lift. “The great honor of being nominated is an absolutely thrilling sensation for me,” he said. “It gives me a special satisfaction to be the first foreigner to join those wonderful people whom I have been privileged to meet and cooperate with during my career.” Takacs is a professor emeritus at the University of Miskolc, Hungary, where he led the petroleum engineering department from 1995 to 2012.

Fuzzy Multi-Mode Time–Cost–Quality Trade-Off Optimization in Construction Management of Hydraulic Structure Projects

Along with the increased use of water resources, some large water conservancy projects began construction to address power supply shortages and control flooding and drainage. As investment grows, construction cycles lengthen, external environmental impacts become bigger, and civil engineering project management becomes more complex. The real aim of the hydraulic-structure engineering project model is to manage ways of delivering the project on time while maintaining reasonable quality standards and building costs, to optimize project value. We note that the trade-off between conflicting objectives in a water conservancy project in an uncertain environment is a difficult task. To simulate the relationship between a project’s construction quality and its time limit, two new piecewise functions—a double exponential function and a quadratic function—were proposed, and then a fuzzy multi-mode discrete time–cost–quality trade-off concept for water-management projects was established. This model finds the best solution to an NP-hard problem using the particle-swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). A comparison of the calculations to previous studies validates the model and its computational approach. The optimized results of a water conservation project are provided as a conceptual framework for project planning and construction timeframes.

Brief Analysis of Construction Progress and Quality Management of Civil Engineering Projects

Brief Analysis of Construction Progress and Quality Management of Civil Engineering Projects

Decision-Making Problems in Construction Projects Executed under the Principles of Sustainable Development—Bridge Construction Case

The high environmental impact of bridge construction causes numerous dilemmas in decision making related to the choice of the best material and technological solutions and their consequences in subsequent phases. These decisions adopt from the management condition the successful investment in this type of project. A bridge construction project includes consecutive stages: design, construction, operation/maintenance, and decommissioning. The latter usually involves the demolition of the infrastructure, generating elements that cannot be reused. This waste-generating linear production process must be urgently replaced by closed-loop production, framed within the Circular Economy (CE) philosophy that provides a practical response to the challenges related to sustainable development goals (SDGs). This document performs an analysis of case studies in an attempt to sort out the management challenges related to the construction, operation and decommissioning of bridges. The research is based on a questionnaire carried out among civil engineering project managers and explores the possibility of adapting the principles of the Circular Economy in bridge construction projects, especially in the context of the traceability of construction materials used for the construction.

Analysis of Problems and Countermeasures in Civil Engineering Project Management

Analysis of Problems and Countermeasures in Civil Engineering Project Management

Problems and Countermeasures of Financial Risk in Project Management Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

Under the background of market economy, engineering projects are faced with a lot of financial risks. If we cannot prevent them effectively, it will undoubtedly bring serious negative impact to the entire engineering management work. Therefore, it is particularly important to actively manage risks, identify and evaluate risks in a timely and correct manner, manage risks efficiently, and minimize risk losses. At the same time, the development of wireless communication technology has brought many new branches of engineering project management. Some problems in the process of risk management are often not handled by traditional empirical calculation or mathematical methods, so it is necessary to find an appropriate way to define and describe the nonlinear relationship between a large number of uncertain causes and risk losses. In order to match the changes in the background of the development of wireless communication technology, this paper studies the financial risk problems and countermeasures in the engineering management of convolutional neural networks. The financial risk prediction model in network engineering management is constructed, and the volume neural network algorithm referenced by it is tested. The test results are highly consistent with the expert assessment. In the research process, the combination of questionnaire survey and mathematical analysis method was adopted, the extreme value of risk factors was determined by questionnaire survey, and then the accuracy of prediction was verified by a mathematical model. After many calculations, it has been proved that the convolutional neural network simulation system based on the scientific node selection method has greatly improved the accuracy of risk assessment.

Project characteristics, project management software utilization and project performance: An impact analysis based on real project data

Project management software packages are increasingly used by companies. These tools require a substantial financial investment, hence the importance of identifying the real contribution of project management software packages to the realization of projects. However, studies on the impacts of software packages on the performance of engineering project management are rare and mostly based on perceptions. The objective of this study is to investigate, from real project data, the level of utilization of a project management software package, developed by an engineering construction firm recognized internationally, and its link with project performance and project characteristics. Results stemming from non-parametric tests and correlation analyses show that the level of use of the software, and some of its subsystems, appears to be linked to project performance. Project duration also seems to be the most critical project characteristic.

On Localization Translation Teaching Mode in Local Colleges from the Perspective of New Liberal Arts

The construction of new liberal arts emphasizes the humanism of technology, that is, humanities + information technology. With the development of economic globalization and information technology, localization industry came into being. Localization is a new service integrating language technology, information technology and project management technology. The localization industry has an increasing demand for professional talents with professional translation skills and proficient use of translation tools. In the next five years, the localization industry will provide lots of employment opportunities for English majors. For teaching translation to English majors in local colleges, combining the specific situation of local colleges, and based on the characteristics of localization translation, innovating the teaching mode is the key to ensure the cultivation of localized applied translators. Taking Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics Dongfang College as an example, this paper puts forward a new translation teaching model of “Minor Course”, “Learning by Doing” and “Classroom + Practice” to ensure the teaching effect of localization translation.

The Application and Management System of Scientific Research Projects Based on PHP and MySQL

The application and management system of scientific research projects adopts the mature B/S mode, and uses the technologies of jqGrid, Layui, jQuery, PHP and MYSQL to design and realize the function modules of project application, online evaluation, project process management and project query statistics. At present, as a comprehensive management system of Weinan science and technology business, the system has been officially put into use, and has completed the application and evaluation of Weinan science and technology plan projects since 2018. The system is stable, beautiful interface, easy to operate, and can meet the daily needs of science and technology project management. It has produced certain economic and social benefits, and the system has certain application and promotion value in colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, science and technology management departments and other similar units.

Exploration of the Cost Control and Management of Municipal Engineering Projects

Exploration of the Cost Control and Management of Municipal Engineering Projects

Analysis of the Integrated Management Mode of Road and Bridge Engineering Supervision and Project Management

Analysis of the Integrated Management Mode of Road and Bridge Engineering Supervision and Project Management