Willis, C J (2010) Measuring the performance of the construction industry through the use of project performance benchmarking metrics in conjunction with maturity modeling. PhD thesis, University of New Brunswick, Canada.
Abstract
This research has developed and implemented an innovative approach of measuring the performance of the construction industry using project performance benchmarking metrics in conjunction with maturity modeling. A maturity model referred to as the Construction Industry Macro Maturity Model (CIM3) was developed to measure the maturity of the construction industry. Project performance benchmarking metrics were adopted from various sources, such as the Canadian Construction Innovation Council's pilot study to measure the lagging performance of the construction industry. Implementation of the CIM3 was done in both Guyana and New Brunswick. Overall, Guyana's construction industry is currently immature, whereas the New Brunswick construction industry is in a transitional state of maturity with a propensity to being mature. In both cases, the maturity assessment was done for cost and quality management, and was extended to include human resources and health and safety management for Guyana. Project performance benchmarking metrics cost predictability-construction, time predictability-construction, cost per unit, time per unit and cost for scope changes were used to measure the lagging performance of Guyana's construction industry. Based on data from approximately 270 projects across five project types, it was found that sea defence projects performed the worst, while health facility projects performed the best. Based on the assessment of cost management maturity for the two construction industries and the performance of their construction projects according to the metrics cost predictability-construction and cost predictability-tender award, it was demonstrated that there is a linkage between the maturity of the construction industry and it's lagging performance. The New Brunswick construction industry, which was measured as being significantly more mature than the Guyana construction industry, was found to be better performing with respect to both of these metrics. The underlying basis of the relationship is that the objectives of the cost management key practices are connected to the different types of costs considered by the metrics, resulting in the maturity of the key practices influencing the accuracy and consistency of the various types of costs. The main deliverables of the research included: the development of the CIM3, an assessment of the performance of Guyana's construction industry, which until now was never done; and the demonstration of the relationship between construction industry maturity and performance. The major implication of the research is that we are now provided with an alternative approach to construction industry performance measurement that overcomes the general weaknesses of current approaches, such as competitiveness and the use of average labour productivity. More so, we now have an approach that describes the performance of the construction industry using both leading and lagging indicators of performance, and therefore, provides insight as to the likely causes of poor lagging performance.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Rankin, J H |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accuracy; competitiveness; measurement; construction project; benchmarking; cost management; health and safety; innovation; productivity; quality management; safety; Guyana; industry performance; labour productivity; project performance |
| Index terms: | sea defence, construction innovation, benchmarking, human resource, construction project, accuracy, scope change, health and safety, health facility, quality management, construction industry, implementation, modelling, industry performance, health and safety management, project performance, labour productivity, competitiveness, linkage, productivity, cost management, Guyana, maturity model, construction industry performance |
| Subjects: | building construction, market analysis, financial analysis, quality assurance, industry analysis, infrastructure and transport systems, accounting and finance, performance measurement, management, project management theory and practice, evaluation, professional development, Geography, health safety and environment, production management, analytical methods, contractual arrangements, business, construction type, scope management |
| Topics: | Site Management, Human Resources, Construction Technology, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Quality Management, Procurement, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Geographical Context, Health and Safety |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here