Browsing by Author "Agyekum, Kofi"
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- ItemExamining project management practices at the Ghana Water Company Limited, Head Office, Accra(2021-06-09) Yeboah, Anita; Agyekum, KofiThis investigation examined project management practices at Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), headquartered in Accra. GWCL is the only water company in the ten regions of Ghana. It should also examine the success rate of projects of the company and identify the causes of the failure of the project in the company, project management tools and techniques used by the company, benefits associated with the use of project management tools and techniques and determine the obstacles with the use of project management tools and techniques. The method used to conduct this research was to gather information from engineers and managers who manage projects through questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and the correlation coefficient was used for data analysis. The main findings of the study showed that the project management processes were taken over by initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring and control and completion in the implementation of projects in GWCL. The application of project management tools and techniques to GCWL has gradually become an important issue when implementing projects of varying size and structure. The study has shown that using PM tools and techniques is an essential management approach that results in specific goals being met within specific time and budget limits by making the most of resources. In addition, the study found that there was a lack of in-depth knowledge of PM tools and techniques GWCL, and high costs of use were also observed by respondents. Among other things, the study recommended that PM tools and techniques be gradually applied, especially in old government institutions where resistance to change is perceived as high.
- ItemMinimizing materials wastage at the construction stage of a project through the implementation of lean construction(2012) Agyekum, KofiPast research into the causes of waste in construction projects indicate that waste can arise at any stage of the construction process from inception, right through the design, construction and operation of the built facility. Waste in the construction industry has been the subject of several research projects around the world in recent years. It is commonly acknowledged that a very high level of waste exists in construction. Research indicates a wide variation in wastage rates of between 5%-27% of total materials purchased for construction projects in Ghana. Since construction has a major and direct influence on many other industries by means of both purchasing inputs and providing the products to all other industries, eliminating or reducing waste could yield great cost savings to the society. Lean construction considers construction materials wastes as potential wastes that hinder flow of value to the client and should be eliminated. The creation of this waste can be prevented by applying lean construction principles. The aim of the study is to advance knowledge on construction site waste minimization through the application of lean principles. The objectives of the study among others included the identification of sources and causes of material wastes on construction sites, assessment of level of knowledge of the lean concept among construction practitioners and identification of barriers to successful implementation of lean construction. The main tools for the collection of data included questionnaires, interviews and site observations. The target population for the data collection included project managers of building construction organizations and senior consultants of architectural and quantity surveying firms. Statistical package for social scientists (SPSS V 16) was employed to analyze data obtained. One sample t-test and mean score rankings were adopted to analyze data on sources and causes of materials waste respectively. Weighted average and coefficient of variation were adopted to analyze data on waste minimization measures. Mean score rankings were adopted for the analysis of data on perception of professionals on lean concepts. Factor analysis was adopted to analyze data on barriers to implementation of lean construction. Finally measures to overcome potential barriers to implementation of lean construction were analyzed by mean score rankings. Materials storage and handling, operational factors, design and documentation factors and procurement factors were considered as the main sources of waste on building construction sites. Among the causes of materials wastes are last minute client requirement, errors by tradesmen or operatives, purchased products that do not comply with specification and lack of onsite materials control. The structured questionnaire survey showed the existence of some level of awareness among professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry on the concept of lean construction. Lack of proper planning and control, lack of teamwork, poor project management, lack of technical capabilities, lack of professional motivation and poor communication between parties were considered as the six broad barriers that hinder the implementation of lean construction.