System Dynamics (SD) is a modelling approach that has been used to support litigation cases that are investigating overruns on large engineering projects caused by Disruption and Delay (D&D). However, the role that SD can play in the analysis of D&D in large projects is not fully understood. The first aim of the research is to explore the appropriateness of SD as a modelling approach in the analysis of D&D for litigation. Criteria on the suitability of SD to model a situation are taken from the SD literature and explored to understand their level of contribution to the research. Experiences from the researcher's involvement in two litigation cases are then used to test how empirical data performs against the criteria. The explorations lead to a revised set of criteria being proposed. These criteria should be used to assess whether or not SD should be used to analyse D&D for any specific litigation case. Testing the data against the criteria also results in lessons for the modelling of D&D. This includes a proposed method of assessing the level of D&D in a project through an analysis of managerial actions. The second aim of the research is to explore the issues that are involved in using SD to analyse D&D for litigation. The approach taken uses the empirical data to test the degree to which SD can meet the purposes of modelling D&D for litigation. This process leads to a number of conclusions. It highlights limitations of using SD in this environment; emphasises the importance that the audience plays in the modelling process; explores the difficulties encountered in gaining audience confidence in the model; provides an appreciation of the validation process required when modelling in this environment. The research provides an initial understanding of the role that SD can play in the analysis of D&D for litigation. It is hoped that this can be built on with future experiences of modelling D&D for litigation.

This research describes an investigation into developing closer working relationships through project partnering in order to reduce the occurrence of adversarial practices commonly found between main contractors and subcontractors. A literature review was undertaken that identified two main types of partnering: project partnering; and strategic partnering. One of the main differences between the two types of partnering were identified as being their durations: short term (project partnering); and long term (strategic partnering). It was concluded that the published literature had the following limitations: primarily applicable to the Australian and US construction industries; models and processes identified did not have an adequate practical content; and limited application to the main contractor - SC relationship. After completion of the literature review a research methodology was developed, allowing an alternative approach to project partnering to be developed. The research methodology enabled information to be obtained from both the collaborating contractors personnel and SC personnel. The approach to project partnering was named 'semi project partnering' as it contained an element of SC competition. The approach was implemented on a live commercial project during the preconstruction tendering and estimating stages. The semi project partnering approach utilised both the knowledge gained from the literature review and the conclusions from the empirical research. The approach was validated by the collaborating company's personnel. Further validation of the achievements of the approach took place by interviewing personnel from both the collaborating company and subcontractors. The main outcomes from the research are: identification of what a main contractor's employees want from their dealings with subcontractors; recognition of what subcontractors want from their dealings with main contractors; a comparison of the collaborating companies performance compared to that of its competitors; and a semi project partnering approach that provides: a reduction in the occurrence of adversarial practices used between main contractors and subcontractors; and earlier involvement of subcontractors within the building process promoting mutual understanding.

Orientador: Elizabete Jordão, Vanderley Vasconcelos / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T07:40:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Prado_DarciSantosdo_D.pdf: 3343746 bytes, checksum: 98c5832def1cbdc5e8a5fcc887782781 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O Brasil tem experimentado um significativo crescimento econômico nos últimos anos e uma das consequências deste fato tem sido o aumento da capacidade produtiva e distributiva de organizações voltadas para a produção de bens. Este aumento pode ocorrer tanto pela expansão das fábrícas existentes como pela construção de novas unidades. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste na consolidação de um modelo e estudo de caso, dirigido a organizações de iniciativa privada do segmento indústria de processos, para a implementação de um amplo sistema de gestão envolvendo todo o ciclo de investimentos. O modelo é particularmente útil a organizações de grande porte que estejam vivendo um momento de forte crescimento de negócios com repercussões diretas em sua base de produção. O modelo desenvolvido abrange as etapas posteriores à Formulação Estratégica, ou seja, Gerenciamento de Portfólio, Gerenciamento de Programas e Gerenciamento de Projetos e procurou-se baseá-lo em recomendações e ferramentas de instituições internacionalmente consagradas (tais como PMI, IPMA, CII, USGBC e OGC), adaptadas ao cenário de investimentos. A metodologia empregada nesta tese consistiu em um acoplamento das melhores práticas do mercado (obtidas na pesquisa bibliográfica) com a experiência do aluno, que tem trabalhado no assunto desde 1971 tanto no magistério como no envolvimento prático com o assunto. Os resultados obtidos com o uso do modelo desenvolvido permitiram à organização do estudo de caso uma significativa melhoria no gerenciamento de sua carteira de investimentos, colocando-a em um patamar de nítida competitividade dentro do cenário nacional e internacional. Ademais, a organização estudada não somente utilizou o modelo como estabeleceu medidas para perenizá-lo. Desta forma, é possível concluir que o modelo desenvolvido pode ser muito útil a organizações que trabalham com uma carteira de investimentos do tipo "projetos de capital", tais como indústria de alimentos, bebidas, mineração, metalurgia, petróleo, química, petroquímica, nuclear, etc. Por outro lado, fora do escopo desta tese, com algumas adaptações, o modelo pode ser estendido a qualquer tipo de carteira de investimentos como, por exemplo, indústria automobilística / Abstract: Brazil has experienced a significant economic growth in recent years. As a consequence, organizations focused on the production of goods have increased productive and distributive capacity. This increase occurs either by expanding existing plants or by building new units. The goal of this paper is to present a model and a case study that can help private organizations in the process industry to implement a comprehensive management system evolving the entire investment cycle. The model is particularly useful for large organizations that are experiencing a moment of strong business growth with direct effects on their production foundations. The model covers the stages after the strategy formulation; for instance, Portfolio Management, Program Management and Project Management. The model was based on recommendations and tools of internationally recognized institutions (such as PMI, IPMA, CII, USGBC and OGC), adapted to the investment scenario. The methodology in this paper is a mix of best market practices (obtained in the literature) with the practical experience of the author, who has worked on the subject since 1971 both in academia as a teacher and with practical involvement as a professional. Results obtained using the model allowed the case-study organization to obtain a significant improvement in managing its investment portfolio, placing it in a competitive level both domestically and internationally. Moreover, the organization not only has used the model but also it set up initiatives to continue using it over time. We conclude that this model can be very useful to organizations working with an investment portfolio of "capital projects" - it is applicable to many industries such as food, beverages, mining, metallurgy, petroleum, chemical, petrochemical, nuclear etc. Outside the scope of this thesis, the model can be adapted and then extended to any investment portfolio; for example, to the automobile industry / Doutorado / Sistemas de Processos Quimicos e Informatica / Doutor em Engenharia Química

M.Ing. / Risk is an integral part of engineering projects, and it is necessary to manage the risks in order to ensure that the project achieves its objectives. A key part of the risk management effort is the risk identification aspect. This dissertation discusses risk identification and how it forms part of risk and project management. The dissertation builds from a macroscopic view of project management, which includes the phases in the project life cycle, the project structure and project control processes. This is followed by a focus on risk management within the project management framework, exploring how identifying, quantifying and controlling risks form part of the risk management structure. Next is an investigation into a risk identification framework, expanding on how aspects like hazard and peril identification, planning, staffing and resource allocation form part of the risk identification framework. A case study is then used to further explore risk identification and demonstrate it in practical engineering project management. Finally, recommendations to improve risk identification in project risk management are made.

yes / The Royal Academy of Engineering, together with the Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre, organised one of the two Dissemination Seminars at University of Bradford. This event was for the project leaders of funded engineering projects under their three calls, opened between March 2010 and March 2011. / Royal Academy of Engineering, National HE STEM Programme.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / This thesis probes the range of factors affecting construction project delays through a literature review and survey of practical experience case studies. The focus is on engineering projects that were not completed in time. A total of eight articles have been studied and seven case studies surveyed. From the findings of this study it is noted that projects that do not complete in time could be categorised into three types namely Employer responsible (E), Contractor responsible (C) and Neither party responsible (N). The causes of delay identified from the literature study are superimposed on the causes identified from the case studies. Furthermore the causes of delay are classified in terms of importance, severity and frequency. It was established that causes resulting from design changes, ranked high in this classification whereas causes resulting from unprediotable weather conditions ranked low. Based on the literature review and the case studies, conclusions are drawn and finally recommendations are made.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:19:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Victor Werner Degenhardt.pdf: 2575328 bytes, checksum: 0e6f76750279cbf816b58d08dc474ec9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-30 / The study of new technology in the labor world and in life conditions is a relevant theme for Labor Sociology, as part of a broader context in society. The transformation of an industrial to a post-industrial society, with its characteristic intellectual technology , based on computers and information technology, has had a significant impact on the people who were affected by the change in their instruments of work. To analyze this impact, a group of nine project designers in the Brazilian base industry have been interviewed. This group used to perform their activities practically as artisans, working on design boards placed in vast offices that facilitated socialization. These professionals were polytechnic , i.e. they had know-how coupled with the ability to know why they should do their job in a certain way. As of the 1990 s, computer workstations are introduced, and with them the software that facilitated design workflow, such as CAD. These new instruments brought several advantages, such as the reduction of time to perform a job, but on the other hand obstructed socialization and caused some alienation by introducing a new mediating agent in the man-design relationship, something that was not perceived when designs were shared among colleagues and made by pencil or pen. Another change has happened as a result of computer technology: the advent of wage-based entrepreneurs replacing wage-based employees. In this model, the worker is treated as a pseudo-entrepreneur that has to constantly show their usefulness to the company and compete on a daily basis against others in a competitive free market. These facts explain, though partially, the difficulty of passing on the knowledge that allows the double process of interiorization of what is exterior, and the exteriorization of what is interior . As a consequence, although the social qualification, obtained in a standardized way in universities, has grown, allowing broader and more strategic business vision, the technological qualification may be discussed" / O estudo da introdução de novas tecnologias sobre o mundo do trabalho e sobre as condições de vida é um tema relevante para a Sociologia do Trabalho, estando inserido em um contexto maior societário. A transformação da sociedade industrial para uma pós-industrial, em que surge a tecnologia intelectual , alicerçada na informática, teve impacto marcante nas pessoas que vivenciaram a modificação no seu instrumental de trabalho. Para uma análise desse impacto entrevistou-se um grupo de nove projetistas de equipamentos da indústria de base brasileira. Esse grupo realizava suas atividades de forma praticamente artesanal, trabalhando em pranchetas localizadas em amplos salões que facilitavam a sociabilidade. Eram profissionais possuidores da politecnia, ou seja, a habilidade de saber fazer e saber por quê estavam fazendo de uma dada maneira. A partir da década de 1990 são introduzidas as estações de trabalho computadorizadas, e com elas, os softwares de auxílio no desenho (CAD). O novo instrumental trouxe uma série de vantagens, tais como redução do tempo de execução do trabalho e padronização, mas também ocasionou dificuldades na sociabilidade e certa alienação pela introdução de um agente mediador na relação homem-desenho, que não era percebido quando os desenhos eram compartilhados com os colegas e feitos a lápis ou a caneta. A informática permitiu, também, a mudança do modelo de profissão para o modelo de assalariado-empresário, em que o assalariado é tratado como um pseudo-empresário, que tem que constantemente mostrar sua utilidade e que compete diariamente com os demais no sistema de livre concorrência de mercado. Esses fatos explicam, parcialmente, a dificuldade na passagem daquele conhecimento que permite o duplo processo de interiorização da exterioridade e de exteriorização da interioridade . Assim, embora a qualificação social, conseguida de maneira uniformizada em escolas superiores de ensino, tenha aumentado, possibilitando uma visão ampliada e estratégica do negócio, a qualificação tecnológica pode ser discutida

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:52:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Victor Werner Degenhardt.pdf: 2575328 bytes, checksum: 0e6f76750279cbf816b58d08dc474ec9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-30 / The study of new technology in the labor world and in life conditions is a relevant theme for Labor Sociology, as part of a broader context in society. The transformation of an industrial to a post-industrial society, with its characteristic intellectual technology , based on computers and information technology, has had a significant impact on the people who were affected by the change in their instruments of work. To analyze this impact, a group of nine project designers in the Brazilian base industry have been interviewed. This group used to perform their activities practically as artisans, working on design boards placed in vast offices that facilitated socialization. These professionals were polytechnic , i.e. they had know-how coupled with the ability to know why they should do their job in a certain way. As of the 1990 s, computer workstations are introduced, and with them the software that facilitated design workflow, such as CAD. These new instruments brought several advantages, such as the reduction of time to perform a job, but on the other hand obstructed socialization and caused some alienation by introducing a new mediating agent in the man-design relationship, something that was not perceived when designs were shared among colleagues and made by pencil or pen. Another change has happened as a result of computer technology: the advent of wage-based entrepreneurs replacing wage-based employees. In this model, the worker is treated as a pseudo-entrepreneur that has to constantly show their usefulness to the company and compete on a daily basis against others in a competitive free market. These facts explain, though partially, the difficulty of passing on the knowledge that allows the double process of interiorization of what is exterior, and the exteriorization of what is interior . As a consequence, although the social qualification, obtained in a standardized way in universities, has grown, allowing broader and more strategic business vision, the technological qualification may be discussed" / O estudo da introdução de novas tecnologias sobre o mundo do trabalho e sobre as condições de vida é um tema relevante para a Sociologia do Trabalho, estando inserido em um contexto maior societário. A transformação da sociedade industrial para uma pós-industrial, em que surge a tecnologia intelectual , alicerçada na informática, teve impacto marcante nas pessoas que vivenciaram a modificação no seu instrumental de trabalho. Para uma análise desse impacto entrevistou-se um grupo de nove projetistas de equipamentos da indústria de base brasileira. Esse grupo realizava suas atividades de forma praticamente artesanal, trabalhando em pranchetas localizadas em amplos salões que facilitavam a sociabilidade. Eram profissionais possuidores da politecnia, ou seja, a habilidade de saber fazer e saber por quê estavam fazendo de uma dada maneira. A partir da década de 1990 são introduzidas as estações de trabalho computadorizadas, e com elas, os softwares de auxílio no desenho (CAD). O novo instrumental trouxe uma série de vantagens, tais como redução do tempo de execução do trabalho e padronização, mas também ocasionou dificuldades na sociabilidade e certa alienação pela introdução de um agente mediador na relação homem-desenho, que não era percebido quando os desenhos eram compartilhados com os colegas e feitos a lápis ou a caneta. A informática permitiu, também, a mudança do modelo de profissão para o modelo de assalariado-empresário, em que o assalariado é tratado como um pseudo-empresário, que tem que constantemente mostrar sua utilidade e que compete diariamente com os demais no sistema de livre concorrência de mercado. Esses fatos explicam, parcialmente, a dificuldade na passagem daquele conhecimento que permite o duplo processo de interiorização da exterioridade e de exteriorização da interioridade . Assim, embora a qualificação social, conseguida de maneira uniformizada em escolas superiores de ensino, tenha aumentado, possibilitando uma visão ampliada e estratégica do negócio, a qualificação tecnológica pode ser discutida

Environmental awareness among public authorities and governmental institutions has been a priority initiative for countries in the EU over the last years. The public sector is a major consumer of products and services, while their environmental policies are also at a top. Many EU Member Countries have already implemented EU legislation for greener purchasing in the public sector, while others are now preparing their National Action Plan. However, conscious acceptance of National Policy objectives and adoption of green environmental behavior in all scales of the public sector is a challenge. Researchers are concerned that public authorities and especially those of a small size are still focused on the lowest price as a leading factor in public tenders. Many studies have shown that lack of knowledge is a key determinant for the scarce environmental requirements in public procurements. Under this framework, this thesis explores the determinants that affect the implementation of environmental requirements in public procurements and consequently the environmental awareness of small sized public organizations. This thesis is based on a review of policy documents and a single case study investigation. The single case study was conducted on the Technical Department of a municipality in North Greece and the data sources were engineering projects’ public procurements and interviews from the local authority’s officers.

Six civil engineering and building projects under construction have been observed in order to compare theory and practice, and thus draw conclusions on how clients and their management teams may control construction effectively. It has been reported and the six studies have shown that during construction as problems occur decisions taken to tackle them result in changes to one or more of the independant variables cost, time and performance. It is therefore argued in this thesis that if these variables are to be controlled to the client's benefit: (i) clear responsibilities, duties and authority to make decisions should be given to the members of project management teams; (ii) a project control system should be set up which will help the management team to perform those duties; (iii) both the management team and the system should be organized to suit the particular project and client.