Effects of scheduling software usage on project schedule management processes: A study of some selected construction projects in Accra

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Date
2021-06-29
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Abstract
Schedule management, as prescribed by the Project Management Institute, involves going through the processes required to accomplish timely completion of the project. This includes processes such as ―plan schedule management‖, ―define activities‖, ―sequence activities‖, ―estimate activity durations‖, ―develop schedule‖ and ―control schedule‖. Of the twenty-four (24) planning processes expected to be performed during the project life cycle, 21% relate to the schedule management knowledge area. Given the iterative nature of planning processes, generating and managing a schedule could be very time consuming and complicated for the project manager. This study aimed at reviewing the extent of scheduling software usage on some selected construction projects within the Accra metropolis. It sought to determine the level of scheduling software deployment on the selected projects, determine the level of project management efficiency, and establish a correlation between the scheduling software deployment and project management efficiency and to lastly determine the extent of impact of scheduling software deployment on project management efficiency. The study began by reviewing available literature on the topic. Questionnaires were developed to solicit data from project management professionals and/or persons performing project management functions within the Accra metropolitan area which were analysed afterwards. It was found out that all the thirty (30) respondents had some scheduling software installed for their use. Only one (1) had a licenced software installed by his current organisation. The rest had working knowledge of scheduling software, albeit not beyond ―moderately proficient‖ on a Likert scale of 1-4 interpreted as not proficient, below proficient, moderately proficient and proficient. There is therefore the need for adequate preparation of project managers and people who perform project management roles on projects in the area of scheduling software usage. It is recommended that organizations should engage the services of personnel with the requisite schedule management skills. They should be willing to put in more efforts to train their employees who are put on roles that require them to manage project schedules. The study limited itself to construction projects. It did not also consider the appropriateness of existing scheduling software to specific construction-related uses. Further studies in that area is recommended
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A dissertation submitted to the Department of Construction Technology and Management, College of Art and Built Environment in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science.
Keywords
Project Management, Scheduling Software, Project Management, Efficiency, Schedule Management
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