Knowledge Management in Construction Projects

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min An ◽  
Hesham S. Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
The People ◽  
Work Completion

Knowledge is now becoming the most valuable asset of the construction organisations to gain competitive advantages by improving quality while reducing cost and time of work completion in projects. Knowledge Management (KM) is the most effective way to deal with the intellectual capital of the organisations through facilitating the capturing and sharing of existing knowledge and creating new innovative knowledge. The most useful knowledge in construction projects is tacit knowledge since it includes the people ideas, perceptions and experiences that can be shared and re-used to improve experiences and enhance abilities of employees for problem-solving and decision-making. Many of methods have been adopted to deal with knowledge in the construction organisations, but they are still far from enough, particularly in dealing with tacit knowledge gained from construction projects. This paper presents a methodology for dealing with tacit knowledge efficiently and effectively in construction projects. A case study has been conducted to evaluate the proposed KM method and to test its importance and usefulness in the construction industry.

Knowledge Management in Construction Projects

2012 ◽  
pp. 86-114
Author(s):  
Min An ◽  
Hesham S. Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
The People ◽  
Work Completion

Knowledge is now becoming the most valuable asset of the construction organisations to gain competitive advantages by improving quality while reducing cost and time of work completion in projects. Knowledge Management (KM) is the most effective way to deal with the intellectual capital of the organisations through facilitating the capturing and sharing of existing knowledge and creating new innovative knowledge. The most useful knowledge in construction projects is tacit knowledge since it includes the people ideas, perceptions and experiences that can be shared and re-used to improve experiences and enhance abilities of employees for problem-solving and decision-making. Many of methods have been adopted to deal with knowledge in the construction organisations, but they are still far from enough, particularly in dealing with tacit knowledge gained from construction projects. This paper presents a methodology for dealing with tacit knowledge efficiently and effectively in construction projects. A case study has been conducted to evaluate the proposed KM method and to test its importance and usefulness in the construction industry.

scholarly journals Intellectual Capital Change Management in the Construction Industry—The Case of an Inter-Organisational Collaboration

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
José Vale ◽  
Nádia Barbosa ◽  
Rui Bertuzi ◽  
Ana Maria Bandeira ◽  
Vera Teixeira Vale
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Intellectual Assets ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Nowadays, due to the complexity of the relationships with external entities, along with the importance that traditional media and the innovative social media have in creating competitive advantages, it is necessary for companies to collaborate in order to create Intellectual Capital (IC). Although collaboration is crucial to create IC, there is a paucity in literature regarding the effects that a specific type of collaboration may have on the IC of an organisation, specifically a franchising with a mediatic actor. Moreover, literature addressing IC creation and destruction over time is scarce, especially when applied to the construction industry. This paper’s goal is twofold: understanding the longitudinal changes of a construction SME’s Intellectual Capital, regarding its creation and destruction; analysing the impact that a specific inter-organisational collaboration franchising—with a mediatic actor may have on such IC. A single in-depth case study was conducted, allowing to conclude that the actions of an organisation can develop both Intellectual Assets and Intellectual Liabilities. It was also concluded that inter-organisational collaboration, through a franchise with an actor with experience in communication, can generate, in the long term, positive and innovative effects regarding the different IC components, namely the Relational one. More specifically, the paper allowed to ascertain that an organisation’s IC changes over time in a dynamic fashion, i.e., Intellectual Liabilities which emerged before an innovative collaboration can be transformed into Intellectual Assets and create competitive advantages. This paper contributes to stress the importance of managing IC, not only when it is created, but namely in when it can be destroyed, in a context of inter-organisational collaborations applied to a construction SME.

Managing the External Provision of "Knowledge Management" Services for Projects

2011 ◽  
pp. 2874-2889
Author(s):  
Hedley Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Internal Generation ◽  
Management Services ◽  
The Way

Knowledge management has largely been considered from the perspective of internal generation. It is posed that external provision will increase due to the diversity of problems and scarce resources, the arising issues being explored through a case study. The aim is to explore this process for construction projects. It will be shown that the successful delivery of knowledge services for the construction industry depends upon the way in which the provider conducts its marketing and the operation of gatekeepers in the project organisation. These issues are explored in relation to the main concepts and theories, applying and evaluating these through the case study approach.

Managing the External Provision of "Knowledge Management" Services for Projects

2011 ◽  
pp. 34-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedley Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Internal Generation ◽  
Management Services ◽  
The Way

Knowledge management has largely been considered from the perspective of internal generation. It is posed that external provision will increase due to the diversity of problems and scarce resources, the arising issues being explored through a case study. The aim is to explore this process for construction projects. It will be shown that the successful delivery of knowledge services for the construction industry depends upon the way in which the provider conducts its marketing and the operation of gatekeepers in the project organisation. These issues are explored in relation to the main concepts and theories, applying and evaluating these through the case study approach.

Preliminary Benefits of Big Data in the Construction Industry: A Case Study

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Bernard Tuffour Atuahene ◽  
Sittimont Kanjanabootra ◽  
Thayaparan Gajendran
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Big Data Applications ◽  
Data Application ◽  
Construction Firm ◽  
Big Data Application ◽  
Tangible Benefit ◽  
Design Construction

Big data applications consist of i) data collection using big data sources, ii) storing and processing the data, and iii) analysing data to gain insights for creating organisational benefit. The influx of digital technologies and digitization in the construction process includes big data as one newly emerging digital technology adopted in the construction industry. Big data application is in a nascent stage in construction, and there is a need to understand the tangible benefit(s) that big data can offer the construction industry. This study explores the benefits of big data in the construction industry. Using a qualitative case study design, construction professionals in an Australian Construction firm were interviewed. The research highlights that the benefits of big data include reduction of litigation amongst projects stakeholders, enablement of near to real-time communication, and facilitation of effective subcontractor selection. By implication, on a broader scale, these benefits can improve contract management, procurement, and management of construction projects. This study contributes to an ongoing discourse on big data application, and more generally, digitization in the construction industry.

Intellectual capital in family firms: human capital identification and measurement

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Claver-Cortés ◽  
Patrocinio Carmen Zaragoza-Sáez ◽  
Hipólito Molina-Manchón ◽  
Mercedes Úbeda-García
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Based on the literature devoted to family firms and the intellectual capital-based view of the firm, the purpose of this paper is not only to identify the most important human capital intangibles owned by family firms but also to show a number of indicators that can help measure them. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case-study-based research approach was adopted taking as reference: 25 family firms belonging to different sectors; previous works existing in the literature; and the intellectus model. Findings – The present study identifies ten intangibles associated with the human capital of family firms and shows 60 indicators that can be used to measure them. It additionally provides empirical evidence and gives examples of these intangibles through the analysis of 25 international family firms. Research limitations/implications – The difficulty in collecting all the human capital intangibles of family firms; the problems associated with the creation of accurate indicators; and those specific to the research methodology adopted. Practical implications – Identifying the human capital intangibles of family firms and their indicators can help managers become aware of their importance, and this will consequently help them improve their management. This could be an interesting starting point to value these intangibles in the balance sheet as well as to draw comparisons between family and non-family organisations. Originality/value – The framework provided by family firms sheds light on several intangibles specific to these firms – precisely for their condition as “family” firms. Those intangibles – human capital intangibles being especially highlighted in this study – provide the basis for the achievement of competitive advantages.

scholarly journals ANALYSIS ON THE ENTROPIC MODEL OF THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL. CASE STUDY OF THE SMES IN THE NORTH EAST REGION

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Mironescu ◽  
Andreea Feraru ◽  
Ovidiu Turcu
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Dynamic Approach ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
East Region ◽  
The People ◽  
Effective Relationships ◽  
Intellectual Skills

The intellectual capital in its dynamic approach focusses on the development of the entropic model, which expresses the dynamic transformation of the theoretical intellectual capital in a concrete and useful intellectual capital. The aim of the present paper is to perform a detailed analysis of the intellectual capital inside the SMES of the North-Est region of the country. It also speaks about the influence of the main integrators of the intellectual capital, divided into three elements: the cognitive, the emotional and the spiritual capital, about how they are acting as a field of forces upon the basic components of the intellectual capital, such as knowledge, intelligence and values and how they determine the generation and development of the intellectual capital in the eastern analyzed SMEs. Both jobs and teams inside the analyzed SMEs are stimulating the development of the intellectual skills, which reduces the need for involving the external experts, by appealing only those specialists who could transform the tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. The organizational communication provides the necessary information and contributes to the establishment of a fair climate and of the effective relationships between managers and employees, between work mates, and also with the people outside the organization.

scholarly journals Application of BIM and 3D Laser Scanning for Quantity Management in Construction Projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Thu Anh Nguyen ◽  
Phong Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Sy Tien Do
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Management Process ◽  
3D Laser Scanning ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Construction Companies

The construction industry has played an essential role in the process of modernization and industrialization and it has also been a major factor in determining the development of the infrastructure for other economic sectors. Construction companies consider the measurement of work progress, which often wastes time and has a low resolution, to be one of the most challenging problems faced by project management. Therefore, this research aimed to propose practical solutions by applying recent technological achievements of the 4.0 industrial revolution to improve the efficiency of the quantity management process. By utilizing the advantages and features of a BIM model and 3D laser scanning, this paper proposes that adopting a BIM model and 3D laser scanning has the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the quantity management process. The case study demonstrated some typical tasks to evaluate accuracy and efficiency as well as to showcase the research proposal.

scholarly journals Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital - A Theoretical Perspective of Human Resource Strategies and Practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Isniar Budiarti
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Strategic Human Resource Management ◽  
Research Management ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Human Resources Strategies

Significant debates on the role of human resources have been shifted from organizational assets to initiator of innovation and competitive advantages. A current research has investigated suggestive roles of intellectual capital (IC) in strategic human resource management (SHRM) process and human research management (HRM) practices. Conversely, others have shown that the successful management of IC has related to implementation of knowledge management (KM). In turn, those perspectives suggest the implementation and usage of KM ensure the growth of IC, and the innovative IC may become an effective human resources strategies and practices to acquire innovation and competitive advantages. Through a comprehensive analysis of the latest journals on those concepts, this study argues that human resource strategies and practices involving KM and management of IC give potential oppurtunities to gain innovation and competitive advantages. Besides, this theoretical perspective suggests organizational culture and leadership style are interrelated to the process.

scholarly journals Qualitative analysis of Request For Information to identify design flaws in steel construction projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 2083-2094
Author(s):  
Mathieu Fokwa Soh ◽  
Daniel Barbeau ◽  
Sylvie Doré ◽  
Daniel Forgues
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Essential Step ◽  
Steel Construction ◽  
Structured Information ◽  
Design Documents

AbstractRequest for information (RFI) is a formal process used in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry to address design flaws that affect communication between designers and contractors. A large number of RFIs are a sign of a lack of precision or coordination in the design documents. However, RFIs produce rich, precise, and structured information. Analyzing their content can help to identify recurring problems between designers and construction teams and better tailor future projects to the working context of the contractors. This article presents a method for identifying recurring issues during the design phase of steel construction projects through the analysis of the contents of RFIs. It is original in using a qualitative content analysis tool that can analyze large quantities of RFIs rapidly. Identifying the recurrent problems of contractors will allow the establishment of rules to be taken into consideration during the design phase of future steel construction projects. A case study of 26 steel construction projects demonstrates the feasibility of this method. This case study shows that, given the same designers and construction teams, recurring problems shown in RFIs do not differ according to the scale of the projects. In this case, the main issue between designers and contractors is the lack and inadequate presentation of information related to the connection of steel components. Identifying these problems can pave the way for initiatives to improve the design phase and can be an essential step in making contractors’ knowledge available to designers early in the projects.

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