Browsing by Author "Fernando Alarcon, Luis"

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    Diagnosis of Sustainable Business Strategies Implemented by Chilean Construction Companies
    (2018) Giannoni, Carlos; Fernando Alarcon, Luis; Vera Araya, Sergio Eduardo; CEDEUS (Chile)
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    Organizational Improvement Through Standardization of the Innovation Process in Construction Firms
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2012) Pellicer, Eugenio; Luis Correa, Christian; Yepes, Victor; Fernando Alarcon, Luis
    The purpose of this article is to identify the drivers, success factors, benefits, and barriers to innovation in a medium size construction firm with a standardized innovation management system. The case study method is used to compare theory to reality from different perspectives, building explanations from a Spanish contractor observed over a three year period. Findings suggest that innovation management can be standardized, which leads to an organizational improvement for the company, and at the same time this improvement facilitates organizational problem-solving on a regular basis, increasing technical capabilities, knowledge management, business profit, and client satisfaction. The framework described in this research aims to provide guidance for managers, thus they can innovate in a systematic way; however, this exploratory study has still to be validated by empirical investigations on a larger scale through a significant number of certified companies, which is currently not yet the case in the Spanish construction industry.
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    Site Management of Work-in-Process Buffers to Enhance Project Performance Using the Reliable Commitment Model: Case Study
    (ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS, 2011) Gonzalez, Vicente; Fernando Alarcon, Luis; Maturana, Sergio; Antonio Bustamante, Jose
    Buffers have been commonly used as a production strategy to protect construction processes from the negative impact of variability. Construction practitioners and researchers have proposed several buffering approaches for different production situations and contexts. However, these solutions have been impractical for managing buffers. To overcome this, this study proposes a new site methodology for managing work-in-process (WIP) buffer in repetitive projects, on the basis of the reliable commitment model (RCM). RCM is a decision-making tool based on lean principles, which uses statistical models to develop more reliable work plans at the operational level. RCM helps to manage WIP buffer in work plans by using site information and planning reliability indicators that result in improved project performance, such as labor productivity and process progress. A repetitive building project was used as a case study. The main finding was that labor productivity, process progress, and waiting times improved when using larger WIP buffers than those typically used among crews. This shows the potential of RCM as a practical tool to manage WIP buffer sizes and to promote the use of lean production strategies at the operational level. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000346. (C) 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.