Effect of information systems in postwar construction

Abstract

Military Engineering was known to humankind from the Roman era and there after empires were created with ingenuity of military construction projects such as Great Wall of China and Castles in Europe. Reconstruction projects undertaken by the military always follow concepts that specialize in criteria governed by the Militarized theories. Further. Information Technology has helped to bridge the gap of project management tools and techniques to enhance productivity in most effective and efficient manner. Most ofthe manufacturing oriented organizations in Sri Lanka are shifting towards the modernization and reaping the benefit of Information Technology. The use of Information Technology for specialized projects such as post-war reconstruction projects is considered groundbreaking in the Sri Lankan context. This study will reveal the insights of using Information Technology for Project Management in projects undertaken by the military during the post-war era of Sri Lanka. The main objective of the research is to analyze productivity improvement and information availability in post-war construction that can be achieved with Information Systems. To achieve the objectives of the research, literature review compiled to identify barriers of construction project management, real impact of IS on performance of project deliverables and major issues in physical infrastructure reconstruction and construction undertaken by military. Literature review begins with war theories and the great events of history, which totally changed the way of human life through civilization. Systematically the study moves into the nature of projects undertaken by the Military. The Project Management aspects in Construction are severely scrutinized to capture the theoretical background of proper Project Management and challenges. It further elaborates the theories which govern the role of Military in post war scenarios including the internal and external forces. On the other hand use of Distributed Information Systems and their benefits were comprehensively reviewed to set the basis for the research. The methodology derived was two folded. Case study based analysis of a construction project undertaken by the military was the main focal point while the outcomes were strengthened by expert reviews. The data analysis was carried out with the real time data of the selected case which was “Defence Headquarters Complex Project” which is constructed by the defense forces of Sri Lanka. The data captured in to a real Enterprise Resource Planning System with comparisons between manual processes. The industry experts were selected from a pool of professionals considering several key attributes. The analysis was carried out in parallel with the manual processes and professional review. After capturing considerable amount of real time data the outcomes were derived. The analyzed data were tabulated and compared based on key attributes such as time benefit and information availability under six knowledge areas namely asset, time, cost, reporting, finances and stores management. The conclusion derived from the analysis clearly illustrated that time reduction achieved in all knowledge areas under study is greater than 83.4%. The increase of information depth in managerial and operational levels are greater than 73.3% and 60.8% respectively in all knowledge areas was illustrated the level of efficiency made available with use of Distributed Information Technology Systems and further enhanced with the professional reviews. Sri Lanka, as a developing nation will be able to reap the benefits ofInformation Technology with the correct usage and application. Although the Military Construction Projects are considered unique in several aspects, the analysis illustrates that Information Technology can be successfully utilized to enhance the key aspects of Project Management such as Time, Cost and Quality. This study can be further extended to analyze many influential aspects such as human behaviour towards Information Technology Systems and Technological Behaviour in Sri Lanka.