Construction delays are one of the biggest issues facing the construction industry and affecting delivery in terms of time, budget and the required quality. The characteristics of delay factors and their level of impact vary from project to project, ranging from a few days to years. They have significant financial, environmental and social impacts in construction projects; therefore, it is vital to investigate the causes of delay and analyse their impact. In this context, the research study was initiated to develop a new methodology for analysing and quantifying the impacts of delay factors on construction projects. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted to build up general background knowledge of delay factors in construction projects and particular attention was paid to identifying the potential differences in delay factors between Libya and the UK. A construction industry survey was conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire amongst contractors, consultants and owners. A total of 116 out of 300 responses (38.66%) were received from both countries. Statistical tests including T-test and Wilkinson rank test were executed to analyse the responses and present the findings from the survey. Following the findings from the literature review and an industry survey, a framework of Delay Analysis System (DAS) augmented with simulation model was developed by integrating the importance weight (IW) of each delay factor associated with critical activities using @risk tool. The key function of the system is the flexibility to analyse and quantify the impact in project duration, considering the IW of each delay factor independently. The system was evaluated through two case studies from building projects in Libya using the developed system. The analysis of case study 1 using DAS found that the building project might be delayed by 97 to 103 days when considering the delay factors identified from Libya whereas the project might be delayed by 80 to 85 days when considering the delay factors identified from the UK. The evaluation results from the case study revealed that the impact of delay factors in Libya is higher than in the UK. This confirms that the impact of delay in construction projects is higher in developing countries than in developed ones and varies from project to project in the same country. Finally, it is concluded that the system is a decision-supporting tool that helps to make government departments and decision-makers aware of the significance of delays in construction projects in terms of economic growth and the development processes. The key contribution of this study is the development of a strategy (delay analysis system) for analysing the impact of delay factors in the Libyan construction industry through better investigated, understood and documented reports. The system is expected to help policymakers, decision-makers and others stakeholders within the construction industry to gain a fuller understanding of the industry and to formulate short- and long-term construction strategies and policies that aim to improve the industry’s processes and operations.

In the recent decades, individual industries and whole sectors have been transformed due to the digital revolution. A combination of disruptive technologies and innovative business models, leading to new market opportunities and bringing unique values to customers. Companies that are primarily focused on the digitalization are able to scale their businesses faster and gain leading market positions. This thesis explored the impact of digitalization on the rail industry based on a business case by Bombardier Transportation (BT). Deregulation of the rail market and a focus on passengers’ experience was identified by BT as a business opportunity. Bombardier’s strategy was to extend products and services beyond those of a train operator, toward passengers. Bombardier initiated a project with code name “ON: BOARD” that was aimed at increasing journey experience by providing digital entertainment. However, the problem was the lack of knowledge regarding the passengers’ interest towards services provided under the scope of the project ON: BOARD, in particular in the Urban Area. The goal of this thesis was to observe passengers’ interest towards services of the project ON: BOARD traveling with Commuter trains in the area of Stockholm city. In order to meet the research goal and answer research questions, a qualitative method was selected. To be more precise, a survey with a structured questionnaire was conducted within a heterogeneous population. Non-probability quota-based sampling technique was selected. The collected data was analyzed based on descriptive statistical method, in particular, using one-way and cross-tabulation methods. Based on the research result the conclusion was following: passengers in the Urban area, in particular, commuter trains, were highly interested in the connectivity functionalities provided under the scope of project ON: BOARD. Thus, Bombardier was recommended to enter Urban Transport as the part of the market expansion strategy. / Under de senaste decennierna har individuella industrier och hela sektorer transformerats på grund utav den digitala revolutionen. En kombination av omvälvande teknologier och innovativa affärsmodeller har lett till nya marknadsmöjligheter och unika värden för kunder. Företag som är primärt fokuserade på digitalisering har möjligheten att snabbt skala deras affärsverksamhet och erhålla ledande marknadspositioner. Detta examensarbete har undersökt digitaliseringens effekt på järnvägsindustrin baserat på ett affärsfall av företaget Bombardier Transportation (BT). Avreglering av järnvägsmarknaden och fokus på passagerarupplevelse identifierades av BT som affärsmöjligheter. Bombardiers strategi var att utöka sina produkter och tjänster utöver det vanliga utbudet hos en tågoperatör, mot passagerare. Bombardier initierade ett projekt med kodnamn ”ON: BOARD” som syftade till att förbättra passagerarupplevelsen med hjälp av digital underhållning. En problematik uppstod dock på grund utav en bristande vetskap angående passagerarnas intresse om de tillhandahållna ON: BOARD-tjänsterna, speciellt i stadsområden. Målet med detta examensarbetet var att observera passagerarnas intresse av tjänster tillhandahållna via ON: BOARD, begränsat till pendeltåg runtom Stockholmsområdet. För att uppnå detta och att besvara de upprättade forskningsfrågorna valdes ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt. Det vill säga, en strukturerad enkätundersökning genomfördes inom en heterogen population. En icke-sannolikhetsbaserad och andelsbaserad samplingsteknik valdes som metod. Den insamlade datan analyserades med hjälp av statistiska metoder, framför allt användes ”one-way” och korstabulerings metoder. Baserat på resultaten och den efterföljande analysen tillhandahölls ledningen av BT rekommendationer. Utöver detta kartlades användarnas onlinebeteende med hjälp av resultaten och förslag till framtida forskning presenterades.

View John Huân Vũ's thesis presentation at http://youtu.be/y3bzNmkTr-c. In 2001, the ACM and IEEE Computing Curriculum stated that it was necessary to address "the need to develop implementation models that are international in scope and could be practiced in universities around the world." With increasing connectivity through the internet, the move towards a global economy and growing use of technology places software internationalization as a more important concern for developers. However, there has been a "clear shortage in terms of numbers of trained persons applying for entry-level positions" in this area. Eric Brechner, Director of Microsoft Development Training, suggested five new courses to add to the computer science curriculum due to the growing "gap between what college graduates in any field are taught and what they need to know to work in industry." He concludes that "globalization and accessibility should be part of any course of introductory programming," stating: A course on globalization and accessibility is long overdue on college campuses. It is embarrassing to take graduates from a college with a diverse student population and have to teach them how to write software for a diverse set of customers. This should be part of introductory software development. Anything less is insulting to students, their family, and the peoples of the world. There is very little research into how the subject of software internationalization should be taught to meet the major requirements of the industry. The research question of the thesis is thus, "Is there a framework for software internationalization that has been validated against industry requirements?" The answer is no. The framework "would promote communication between academia and industry ... that could serve as a common reference point in discussions." Since no such framework for software internationalization currently exists, one will be developed here. The contribution of this thesis includes a provisional framework to prepare graduates to internationalize software and a validation of the framework against industry requirements. The requirement of this framework is to provide a portable and standardized set of requirements for computer science and software engineering programs to teach future graduates.