CONSTRUCTION PROJECT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

One of the major concerns in the construction industry today is the planning and control of construction project resources such as material and equipment, supplies, machines, manpower, and subcontracts. Resource planning systems research in the construction industry is confined mainly to large companies with the manpower and financial resources to develop and implement the results. Even so, the construction industry lags far behind the manufacturing industry in applying an integrated concept of resource management. There is a recognized need for research leading to the development of microcomputer-based software for planning and control of construction project resources.

This research effort developed a prototype system to be used with a microcomputer. It is designed for small construction firms to implement a construction project resource management system which includes the concepts successfully used in manufacturing resource planning. The system takes advantage of similarities between construction and manufacturing resource planning but also considers differences. The software program developed is meant to be used with active construction projects. It includes an example application to illustrate the system and a comparison to other resource planning and control methods.

This study resulted in a project resource management system that has been designed and developed to: (1) take advantage of manufacturing resource planning technology. (2) provide an integrated system. (3) facilitate resource planning, allocation and control. (4) take advantage of modern computer technology. (5) permit evaluation of the effects of time on construction project management.