Value engineering

About: Value engineering is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1231 publications have been published within this topic receiving 10882 citations. The topic is also known as: VE.

Implementing QFD in decision making for selecting the optimal structural system for buildings

Abstract: The purpose of this study is how to use the quality function deployment (QFD) in the construction industry. The study was performed for the owners and decision-makers of a construction company in Egypt, as a sample, and the owners’ requirements.,The data collection process and the type of data collected are described in this section. The data used in this study was collected from a questionnaire survey and was quantitatively analyzed using statistical analysis to identify the practices that have a statistically significant correlation with the performance of the design in the structural system of multistory buildings. A structured questionnaire five points Likert scaled based was adopted in this study; the questionnaires were distributed to experts, managers in real estate companies, construction industry-academic experts and advisors. The resulting list of factors, issues and knowledge gaps was subjected to a questionnaire survey for quantitative confirmation and identification of the most important factors, issues and knowledge gaps by distributing the questionnaires to experts, managers in real estate companies, construction industry-academic experts, and advisor to identify ambiguous questions/items and to test the techniques used to collect data.,The effect of many internal and external factors that affect on value engineering and decision support systems, such as schedule time, cost, the purpose of the building, availability of materials and environmental, needs to be considered in the structural system for multi-story buildings. The final proposal for the house of quality-chart helps designers and decision-makers in the preliminary phase and feasibility study stage for choosing the structural system using value engineering analysis for multi-story buildings. Also, construction and engineering industries can use the findings from this study as a basis for selecting the optimal structural system for multi-story buildings. The estimating team will be able to accurately make decisions and give recommendations regarding an optimal structural system for multi-story buildings for different activities.,The proposed approach enables decision-makers and designers to select the optimum system for multi-story buildings according to the key performance indicators (KPIs) toward client satisfaction and conduct analytical investigations to facilitate decision-making in a structural system for the multi-story building in Egypt. The proposed approach enables decision-makers and designers to select the optimum system for multi-story buildings according to the KPIs toward client satisfaction and conduct analytical investigations to facilitate decision-making in the structural system for the multi-story building in Egypt.,QFD is a technique that availed in many industries and it is used in evaluating the customer expectations, reflecting this evidence on the product specifications. In recent years, this technique is used also in construction industry projects. It is will help designers and decision-makers in the preliminary phase and feasibility study stage for choosing the structural system using value engineering analysis for multi-story buildings.

Positioning the facilities manager’s role throughout the building lifecycle

Abstract: Purpose Facilities Management (FM) is a dynamic profession, which supports core business functions by creating cost-effective and risk-free built environment aligned with the strategic business directives throughout the building life cycle. This study aims to investigate and position the Facilities Manager’s role during building life cycle based on the stages of RIBA Plan of Work 2013. Design/methodology/approach A literature survey and in-depth interviews with experts were used to investigate the role of a Facilities Manager at the different stages of RIBA Plan of Work 2013. The gathered data were analysed using content analysis technique to explore the role of a Facilities Manager. Findings Research findings assert that advising the Client on cost-effective building expansion options as a vital role of a Facilities Manager at Strategic Definition stage. Further, briefing the Client’s requirement is a foremost undertaking of a Facilities Manager at Preparation and Brief stage. During the Concept Design and Developed Design stages, Facilities Manager plays a key role in value engineering exercises to ensure value for client?s money and also prepares operations and maintenance strategies to be used at the In Use stage. Moreover, Facilities Manager must have a technical training on buildings, services and systems at Handover stage to manage them at the In Use stages. Originality/value The role of a Facilities Manager identified in this study can be used as a guide by the Clients and project teams in obtaining their services during the building life cycle to enhance building performance.

LiVE approach: Lean integrated Value Engineering for construction industry

Abstract: Purpose Increasing demand for the best value for client’s money necessitates waste reduction while enhancing the project functionality in construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to propose Lean integrated Value Engineering (LiVE) approach by establishing the synergy between Lean and Value Engineering (VE) concepts for construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A literature survey and in-depth un-structured interviews with six subject matter experts in three steps were used to investigate the synergy between Lean principles and VE job plan to develop LiVE approach for the construction industry. The gathered data were analysed using code-based content analysis and the LiVE approach was finally validated using interviews by two additional subject matter experts representing industry and academia. Findings Research findings established that there is a synergy between Lean principles and VE job plan. Accordingly, the study developed a LiVE approach, which specify client’s value, identify the value stream, make value flow without interruption, let the client pull functional requirements and pursue perfection during “value establishment”, “value analysis of functional requirements”, “value creativity”, “value evaluation”, “value development”, “value verification” and “value achievement” phases. Originality/value The novel LiVE approach will guide construction industry practitioners on how to integrate Lean concept with VE in order to reduce unnecessary costs and wastes, to enhance project functionality and ultimately to achieve value for client’s money.

Communicating the value of dispatchability for non-utility generation projects

Abstract: Electric utilities seeking to purchase power from nonutility generators (NUGs) need to provide information to NUG developers on the value to the utility power system of various attributes, in order that the developers can design projects that maximize net benefits. Dispatchability is one key attribute. This paper outlines three previous approaches to communicating to developers the value of dispatchability, and describes a fourth approach. The fourth approach presents a table of numbers representing the value of dispatchability as a function of the energy bid price and escalation rate. It has the advantage of simplicity from the perspective of the developer, while still providing a meaningful signal to the developer. >

Customer Integration in Service Business Models

Abstract: Business models are a widely used concept to analyze existing and design new offerings. Applied in service environments, however, existing business model approaches are reaching their limits. Service specific aspects, like co-creation, are not taken into account. Based on the Business Model Ontology by Osterwalder, this paper discusses the impact of co-creation on business models and suggests requirements for the representation of service. For the development of these requirements, we take service-dominant logic as a theoretical vantage point. In particular, we use the reasoning of service-dominant logic on value and value co-creation to develop a representation for the extensive integration of the customer into the value creation process.