project management
The main aim of project management is to ensure the quality of the project is achieved while at the same time considering the cost of the project and the schedule laid down for the completion of the project. As a result, if a project is appropriately managed, success will be realized, leading to quality work. Since time immemorial, some ways have been widely articulated in project management to help get the best practices in project management.
The Delphi method and construction engineering and management that focused on the quantitative perspective and Lean Construction that majored on the practical approach that can be used in project management have been selected to achieve proper project management. The two research reports are presented to describe each research (what the study is about, how it was done, data analysis and interpretation, and the conclusions made)—finally, the report detailing the comparisons and similarities observed in the information. The two types of research that were conducted can help us in getting an insight into project management.
LEAN CONSTRUCTION: AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The researchers defined the Delphi method that it is a way in which the experts are consulted and give their feedback concerning an issue that has emerged. Therefore, the study is examining the use of the Delphi method compared to other qualitative methods of finding a solution to a problem. On the other hand, Lean Construction is out to examine how waste can be avoided in the construction industry. As a result, Lean seeks to address proper management in complex projects to achieve a minimum of wastage on the construction site.
Lean construction research and literature survey
Lean Construction has been based on the idea that the waste should be managed and avoided to avoid wastefulness. As a result, the study aims to get ways in which project management can go about managing the site. Therefore, the research is descriptive in the way it presents the study and the finding as well. For instance, there is a description of how Lean Construction is put into use compared to other conventional methods that can be put into use. The aims of the study were; how wastes can be reduced significantly on the site, how Lean Construction intends to tackle wastes by minimizing any interruptions from occurring when the works are ongoing, and the use of the pull system that it describes as delivering the materials when they are required or when they are needed.
Research and methodology
The literature research methodology used in this case study was the extensive use of literature materials. The authors of the research analyzed several literature materials to help understand Lean Construction and the practices involved in it. Information used in the study was obtained from other literature sources cited in the journal as a reference.
Data interpretation
From interpreting the literature survey carried out in the research, it was evident that the existing principles have not been fully put into use. This has resulted in lots of wastages that can be avoided if the principles and benefits highlighted are adequately put into use to add value to the construction industry and prevent the wastes that are currently witnessed.
APPLICATION OF DELPHI METHOD IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH: A QUANTITATIVE PERSPECTIVE
Introduction
As earlier specified, the Delphi method is whereby experts try and reach a common consensus regarding a problem. Much research has been done on this method and its works, and how best it can be improved, but analyses on how it can be applied with other techniques in the research have not been exploited. In this research paper, other modeling research methods such as Fuzzy sets, Analytical Hierarchy Process have been examined (Ameyaw, E.E., et al. 2016)
The Delphi Research Methodology
The researchers, in this case, comprehensively conducted reviews of other research papers that employed the Delphi Method as their primary or subordinate research methodology. As a result, the research was based on journals that were published between 1990 and 2012.
Identified Delphi papers published between 1990 and 2012
Source: Journal
Data collection
The researchers had ten journal resources that were the most important in giving information about the Delphi Method. They included; (1) Construction Management and Economics (CME), (2) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (JConstr.EM), (3) Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management (ECAM), (4) Journal of Management in Engineering (JME), (5) International Journal of Project Management (IJPM), (6) Automation in Construction (AC), (7) Building Research and Information (BRI), (8) Building and Environment (BE), (9) Journal of Civil Engineering and Management (JCiv. EM) and (10) Journal of Facilities Management (JFM). The journals were grouped into two groups. The first group had the first seven, and the other group had the remaining three.
To arrive at the research on the Delphi Method, the search engines of Taylor and Francis, ASCE Library, Emerald, and Web of Science (WoS) were used searching by the use of the keyword; Delphi. However, some journals only mentioned the Delphi, but there was no research on using the method. As a result, filtration was done, and only eighty-eight papers contained the research on its use. They included; CME (16), JConstr.EM (30) and ECAM (9).
Research interpretation
The research was very analytical in the way the Delphi method has been used in various ways. Nevertheless, the research was based on combining the Delphi method with other advanced modeling techniques. It was found that when the plan was combined with other procedures, it had a more significant application potential.
Search report
The two articles’ search process began from google scholar that Wikipedia describes as a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. The search keyword project engineering and management to get to various articles to choose from to remain with the journals that I needed. Since the articles and the journals were too many, the chosen ones were not reviewed since they represented the highest number. Still, from the chosen articles, a selection on the articles that were peer reviewed was done as, the year factor cropped also cut the resized the number of articles to the ones that were published in the last five years
However, the old journals were a little bit many and were focusing on project management. The most current journals were incorporated with other topics that seemed interesting and at the same time educating bout the new trends in project management.
After settling on the most appropriate article journals that were needed the task was on getting the full journals. Accessing the journals was a little bit more complicated as only the highlight was provided in most online libraries thus denying the chance of reading the whole journals as it was to get the information that was in it. For instance, Sciendo and ASCE library were one of the most promising sites where the information needed was to be gotten from but the efforts were futile as they could not give the full journals.
The Journal of Construction Engineering and Management and The International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, was the most promising in providing the journals needed. Using Google, access to the journals was found to have been in other sites. This was a boost and picking the most favourable topic was done ad reviewing the articles started.
The Journal of Civil Engineering and Management 2016 Volume 22(8): 991-1000 provided the journal Application of Delphi Method in Construction Engineering and Management Research: A Quantitative Perspective (Ameyaw, E.E., Hu, Y., Shan, M., Chan, A.P. and Le, Y., 2016. Application of Delphi method in construction engineering and management research: a quantitative perspective. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 22(8), pp.991-1000.) through the link; http://ira.lib.polyu.edu.hk/bitstream/10397/58953/2/Delphi_method_in_construction_engineering_and_management_research_accepted_version_clean.pdf.
The ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences provided the journal LEAN CONSTRUCTION: AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT (Ansah, R.H., Sorooshian, S. and Mustafa, S.B., 2016. Lean Construction: an effective approach for project management. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 11(3), pp.1607-1612.) through the link; http://www.arpnjournals.org/jeas/research_papers/rp_2016/jeas_0216_3541.pdf
Similarities and differences in the two journals
Similarity
Both journals did a literature review on the topic that was to be researched on and the authors of the journals greatly relied on the findings to get data and make conclusions.
Difference
Whereas the research on LEAN CONSTRUCTION: AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT meant to show how important it can be, the research on LEAN CONSTRUCTION: AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT was grounded on how best it can be if used with other statistical methods so that the full potential of it can be reached.
References
Ameyaw, E.E., Hu, Y., Shan, M., Chan, A.P. and Le, Y., 2016. Application of Delphi method in construction engineering and management research: a quantitative perspective. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 22(8), pp.991-1000.
Ansah, R.H., Sorooshian, S. and Mustafa, S.B., 2016. Lean Construction: an effective approach for project management. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 11(3), pp.1607-1612.
Bibliography
Lean Construction Institute. 2014. What Is Lean Construction? http://www.leanuk.leanconstruction.org/whatis.htm, (Retrieved on 25 February, 2015)