UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA 
MSc in Construction Project Management 
Department of Civil Engineering 
Study On 
Computer Application 
In 
Project Management 
Submitted By 
A . D . B . D e Z o y s a 
BSc (QS) 
Supervised By 
Eng. P. Mervyn Gunesekara 
University of Moratuwa 
84138 
Date: 26-07-2002 
84138 
69 : k&lo¥ 
Abstract 
The construction industry is becoming increasingly complex due to rapid improvements in 
designs and the technology. Other factors like involvement of various interested parties, 
pressure applied by funding agencies and financial institutions and the tough competition 
prevalent have also contributed for this development. Thus, completing projects without t ime 
and cost overrun has become paramount importance. 
The necessity for an efficient management system as far as the project management is 
concerned is essential and has become more urgent than ever before, because there are 
enough instances where projects have failed to accomplish the time and cost targets within 
the given parameters, resulting losses frustrating the interested parties. The new concept 
"Project Management" has emerged and the tools of project management are now being 
applied in order to make sure an efficient management system. The application of the project 
management software packages comes to the scene as far as the application of these m o d e m 
sophisticated project management tools, especially in the main functional area such as 
planning, scheduling, monitoring, progress controlling, cost controlling and the document 
controlling are concerned. The demand for the computer application therefore have been 
increasing rapidly world over as the benefits offered by these so called project management 
software packages are enormous. This high demand, the benefits offered by these packages 
and my personnel interest on this area prompted me to carry out a research project to explore 
the application of project management packages in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry. 
Objectives of the research project therefore were formulated in order to identify the latest 
project management tools which these dedicated project management software packages 
should be equipped with, identify the dedicated project management software packages 
available and used in the Sri Lankan Constriction Industry, identify the facilities available in 
these packages, explore the extent of their usage, ascertain the user satisfaction, find out the 
difficulties faced in the use of these packages and to study and find recommendations as to 
how the situation is to be improved. 
Project management tools which the dedicated project management packages should be 
equipped with were studied and findings were gathered and compiled through the 
comprehensive literature review carried out as a part of the research. The industry research 
was carried out on a questionnaire based structured interviews and discussions and this 
survey enabled to gather industry experience in the use and application of dedicated project 
management packages in the project management activities in the Construction Industry. The 
study was mainly focused on the contracting firms covering the local firms and foreign 
contracting firms by giving the attention of it to the consultants and project management 
firms operating in Sri Lankan Construction Industry. Project management packages used in 
the Sri Lankan Construction Industry were researched and the findings have been analysed in 
the chapter 4 of this project report. The existing situation regarding the application of project 
management packages in the industry was studied under five major functional areas, such as 
construction planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling, cost controlling and document 
controlling. The research was also focussed on obtaining contractors ' views on difficulties 
faced, benefits realised and future developments. The level of user satisfaction was also 
subjected in the research and the findings have been analysed and presented in chapter 4. 
Lack of trained staff and the lack of interest amongst the technical people in application of 
project management software packages have been identified in this research as the main 
difficulties faced. As far as the user satisfaction is concerned, most of the firms expressed 
that they were satisfied with these packages even though the maximum benefits derived out 
of application of these packages are not fully known to them. Most of the people interviewed 
are not fully aware of the tools available in these packages and hence conducting awareness 
programmes in this regard is highlighted as almost all of them have future plan to improve 
this area especially by giving training to the technical staff and recruiting trained people. The 
need of formulating training sessions in this regard by universities, technical colleges and 
even by the ICTAD could be underlined as one of the important aspects found out in this 
research as some of the firms interviewed claimed that there are no sufficient institutes for 
them to get their employees trained in this regard. Further, the need of a comprehensive study 
on the productivity and the effectiveness of using computer packages for project management 
activities in construction industry, indicating the visible results and highlighting the fact that 
the benefits which could be obtained by using these packages could well compensate the cost 
of purchasing of even very sophisticated packages like P3 (Primavera) is of paramount 
importance. 
Acknowledgement 
I first of all wish to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. P.M. Gunasekara, for his valuable 
guidance, continuous persuasion and the support given in accomplishing the mission of 
completing this project. 
While thanking him sincerely for making available to me, his literature, text books and 
various other resources which I think contributed a lot in completing this project 
successfully, it is my duty to remember with gratitude, the Course Coordinators Dr.Asoka 
Perera, Dr.Gunewardena, Dr. Kodikkara and Professor A.K.W.Jayawardena, as all of them 
helped us a lot during the tenure of the entire academic session to complete the Master 
Degree Program successfully. 
The board of directors of Sierra Construction Ltd, especially Mr. Priyantha Perera who 
allowed me to use their resources to complete this project is also appreciated with high 
regards. M y wife Gayani who always persuaded me with inspirations to see an end to this 
project is remembered and hereby given the tribute because, unless her persuasion and 
encouragements which I always receive, the mission of completing this project report could 
not have been accomplished. 
Further, I must thank all those who helped me during the research part, by dedicating their 
important t ime giving appointments and sharing their knowledge and the experience in this 
regard. 
in 
Declaration 
This is to certify that this thesis; 
1. embodies the results of my own course of study and research, 
2. has been composed by myself, 
3. has been seen by m y supervisor before presentation 
Signature of Candidate 
Date: 2 6 t h July 2002 
IV 
Contents 
Page No. 
Abstract i 
Acknowledgement iii 
Declaration iv 
Contents v 
List of abbreviations vii 
List of figures viii 
List of table ix 
1.0 Introduction 
1.1. Background 1 
1.2. Objectives 4 
1.3. Limitation 5 
1.4. Methodology 5 
1.5. Main findings 6 
1.6. Guide to report 7 
2.0 Literature review 
2.1 Project management tools which project management software 9 
packages should be equipped with 
2.2 Extent of computer usage in project management 16 
2.3 Extent of computer usage in project management in Sri Lanka 17 
2.4 Facilities available in some of the project management software 20 
packages available in Sri Lanka 
3.0 Data collection 
3.1 Development of study and data collection 38 
3.2 Fonnulat ion of interview questionnaire 38 
3.3 Pilot study 41 
3.4 Identification of target groups 41 
3.5 Data collection 41 
v 
4 
4 
4.0 Analysis 
4.1 Introduction 43 
4.2 Analysis 
4.2.1 Computer usage in general 43 
4.2.2 Site based computer system 45 
4.2.3 Application of dedicated project management packages 46 
4.2.3.1 Application of these packages in planning 47 
4.2.3.2 Application of these packages in scheduling 50 
4.2.3.3 Application of these packages in monitoring 52 
and controlling 
4.2.3.4 Application of these packages in cost controlling 54 
4.2.3.5 Application of these packages in document 55 
controlling 
4.2.4 Level of user satisfaction 55 
4.2.5 Future development 58 
4.2.6 Difficulties faced 59 
4.2.7 Benefits realised 61 
5.0 Conclusions & Recommendations 
5.1 General 62 
5.2 Computer usage in general 62 
5.3 Project management tools 63 
5.4 Project management packages available 63 
5.5 Application of dedicated project management packages 63 
5.6 Application in planning 64 
5.7 Application in scheduling 65 
5.8 Application in monitoring and controlling 66 
5.9 Application in cost controlling 67 
5.10 Application in document controlling 68 
5.11 Difficulties faced 68 
5.12 Benefits realised 69 
5.13 User Satisfaction 69 
5.14 Future Development 70 
5.15 Recommendat ion 71 
5.16 Future studies 72 
References 73 
Appendices: 
A - ICTAD grading system 75 
B - List of project management packages available in the world 76 
C - Questionnaire 78 
vi 
4 
List of Abbreviations 
F Foreign contractors 
M l M l Contractors 
M2 M2 Contractors 
M 3 M 3 Contractors 
M 4 M 4 Contractors 
Con Consultants 
P M Project Management Firms 
ICTAD Institute for Construction, Training and Development 
DP Data Processing 
PERT Program Evaluation Review Technique 
M M I Man/Machine Interface 
AI Artificial Intelligent 
DCS Intelligence Knowledge Based System 
C P M Critical Path Method 
LOB Line of Balance 
B C W S Budgeted Cost for Work Performed 
A C W P Actual Cost for Work Performed 
B C W P Budgeted Cost for Work Performed 
P3 Primavera Project Planner 
WBS Work Breakdown Structure 
C M Construction Management 
GUI Graphical User Interface 
PC Personnel Computer 
CAE Computer Aided Estimating 
B O Q Bill of Quantity 
GRN Goods Received Notes 
vii 
List of Figures 
Table Title Page 
Chapter 2 
Figure 2.1 Project management process 9 
Figure 2.2 Facilities available in P3 21 
Figure 2.3 Facilities available in Sure Track Project Manager 24 
Figure 2.4 Facilities available in Microsoft Project (98 version) 27 
Figure 2.5 Facilities available in Pert Master Advance 29 
Figure 2.6 Facilities available in Harward Total Project 32 
Figure 2.7 Facilities available in Expedition 34 
vm 
List of Tables 
Table Title Page 
Chapter 2 
Table 2.1 Extent of computer usages in Project Management 18 
(Kodikkara and De Costa, 1993) 
Table 2.2 Type of software used in construction planning and control 18 
(Jayaweerasingham, 1996) 
Chapter 3 
Table 3.1 Survey samples 41 
Chapter 4 
Table 4.1 Computer usage in general 43 
Table 4.2. Reasons for using computers 44 
Table 4.3 Site based computer system 45 
Table 4.4 Application of deducted project management packages 46 
in general. 
Table 4.5 Application of these packages in planning 48 
Table 4.6 Extent of the usage of these packages in planning 48 
Table 4.7 Application of these packages in scheduling 50 
Table 4.8 Extent of the usage of these packages in scheduling 50 
Table 4.9 Application for these packages in monitoring and controlling 52 
Table 4.10 Extent of the usage of these packages in monitoring and 52 
controlling 
Table 4.11 Application for these packages in cost controlling 54 
IX 
Table Title Page 
Table 4.12 Extent of the usage of these packages in cost controlling 54 
Table 4.13 Level of uses satisfaction 56 
Table 4.14 Contributory factors for uses satisfactions 56 
Table 4.15 Contributory factors for dissatisfaction 57 
Table 4.16 Opinion as to weather the lack of software application 58 
curtails the performance of projects. 
Table 4.17 Further development plan in the applications of project 59 
management packages 
Table 4.18 Steps to be taken for improving the applications of project 59 
management packages 
Table 4.19 Reasons for difficulties faced 60 
Table 4.20 Benefit realized 61 
x