Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to optimize time, cost and quality in a multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling environment. Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach identified the activity execution modes in building construction projects in India to support multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling. The data required to compute time, cost and quality of each activity are compiled from real construction projects. A binary integer-programming model has been developed to perform multi-objective optimization and identify Pareto optimal solutions. The RR-PARETO3 algorithm was used to identify the best compromise trade-off solutions. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated through sample case study projects. Findings: Results show that good compromise solutions are obtained through multi-objective optimization of time, cost and quality. Research limitations/implications: Case study data sets were collected only from eight building construction projects in India. Practical implications: It is feasible to adopt multi-objective optimization in practical construction projects using time, cost and quality as the objectives; Pareto surfaces help to quantify relationships among time, cost and quality. It is shown that cost can be reduced by increasing the duration, and quality can be improved only by increasing the cost. Originality/value: The use of different activity execution modes compiled from multiple projects in optimization is illustrated, and good compromise solutions for the multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problems using multi-objective optimization are identified. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Benny Raphael

Department Of Civil Engineering

Fulltext

IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

Optimizing time, cost and quality in multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling

Built Environment Project and Asset Management

Purpose: Construction firms keep minimal resources to maintain productive working capital. Hence, resources are constrained and have to be shared among multiple projects in an organization. Optimal allocation of resources is a key challenge in such situations. Several approaches and heuristics have been proposed for this task. The purpose of this paper is to compare two approaches for multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling in a multi-project environment. These are the single-project approach (portfolio optimization) and the multi-project approach (each project is optimized individually, and then heuristic rules are used to satisfy the portfolio constraint). Design/methodology/approach: A direct search algorithm called Probabilistic Global Search Lausanne is used for schedule optimization. Multiple solutions are generated that achieve different trade-offs among the three criteria, namely, time, cost and quality. Good compromise solutions among these are identified using a multi-criteria decision making method, Relaxed Restricted Pareto Version 4. The solutions obtained using the single-project and multi-project approaches are compared in order to evaluate their advantages and disadvantages. Data from two sources are used for the evaluation: modified multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem data sets from the project scheduling problem library (PSPLIB) and three real case study projects in India. Findings: Computational results prove the superiority of the single-project approach over heuristic priority rules (multi-project approach). The single-project approach identifies better solutions compared to the multi-project approach. However, the multi-project approach involves fewer optimization variables and is faster in execution. Research limitations/implications: It is feasible to adopt the single-project approach in practice; realistic resource constraints can be incorporated in a multi-objective optimization formulation; and good compromise solutions that achieve acceptable trade-offs among the conflicting objectives can be identified. Originality/value: An integer programming model was developed in this research to optimize the multiple objectives in a multi-project environment considering explicit resource constraints and maximum daily costs constraints. This model was used to compare the performance of the two multi-project environment approaches. Unlike existing work in this area, the model used to predict the quality of activity execution modes is based on data collected from real construction projects. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

Comparing optimization modeling approaches for the multi-mode resource-constrained multi-project scheduling problem

Construction companies execute many projects simultaneously. In such situations, the performance of one project may influence the others positively or negatively. Construction professionals face difficulties in managing multiple projects in limited resource situations. The purpose of this study is to identify the problems in multiproject scheduling from the practitioner's perspective and to discover current practices under resource unconstrained and constrained settings. The specific objectives are (1) determining the most challenging issues being faced in handling multiproject environment, (2) enumerating the practices adopted in the industry, and finally (3) identifying the practitioners' perceptions on the multiproject scheduling aspects such as network modeling approaches; activity execution modes; concept of sharing, dedicating, and substituting resources; centralized and decentralized decision-making models; solution approaches; and tools and techniques. An online questionnaire survey was conducted to address the objectives above. The top challenging issues in managing multiproject environment are identified. Factor analysis identified the factors by grouping the variables (a) decision-related, (b) project environment-related, (c) project management-related, and (d) organization-related factors. Resource-unconstrained situation mainly faces the issue of underutilization and wastage of resources leading to lower profit realization. The following findings were identified to overcome the unconstrained resource situation such as identifying the work front, adopting pull planning approach, creating a common resource pool, and allotting it on a rental basis. On the contrary, resource-constrained situation faces the issues of prioritization of resources, coordination, communication, collaboration, quality issues, and rework. The findings suggest the strategies such as top-up via subcontracting, proactive pull planning, introducing buffers, training the culture of the organization towards better communication, coordination, and collaboration, to improve the reliability of achieving baseline project performances. Various multiproject aspects suggested for effective management. The identified problems, practices, and various multiproject aspects are expected to contribute better management of multiproject resource unconstrained and constrained project scheduling. © 2018 Marimuthu Kannimuthu et al.

Advances in Civil Engineering

Resource Unconstrained and Constrained Project Scheduling Problems and Practices in a Multiproject Environment

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Developing a Quality-Embedded EVM Tool to Facilitate the Iron Triangle in Architectural, Construction, and Engineering Practices

Industrial Engineering & Management Systems

A New Stochastic Time-Cost-Quality Trade-Off Project Scheduling Problem Considering Multiple-Execution Modes, Preemption, and Generalized Precedence Relations

Developing labour productivity norms for aluminium system formwork in Sri Lanka

Optimization Methods and Software

Solving multi-mode time–cost–quality trade-off problems under generalized precedence relations

Journal	Built Environment Project and Asset Management
Publisher	Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
ISSN	2044124X
Open Access	No