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Analysing the critical delay factors and delay in material supply for
construction projects in India
M. Vidyasagar Reddy a,⇑, Hanumantha Rao b
a
Construction Technology and Management, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, AP, India
b
Department of Civil Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, AP, India
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: The study of construction delays has remained the subject of much research, and the construction sector
Available online 6 February 2022 in India is nevertheless beset by reoccurring issues. As a consequence of delineating the most prevalent
sources of construction project delays and the core elements that influence to delays, this research pro-
Keywords: vides to the theory and practice of construction scheduling. Because the Indian construction sector’s hade
Factor analysis management tremendous growth in efficiency and quantity over the previous generation, a thorough examination of
Schedule delays the reasons of delays and the formation of a common comprehension with industry professionals are
Delay factors
vital. The literature research identified 47 distinct reasons of delay; the 25 most commonly reported
are grouped as client, contractor, consultant, labour and machinery, inventory, and other associated cat-
egories. The opinions of 142 construction experts from client, consultant, and contractor organizations
were gathered through a survey. These factors are prioritized using a weighted relevance score that con-
siders both frequency and severity, with the top five being Contractors’ financial difficulties. Inadequate
planning and scheduling on the part of the entrepreneur, non-payment of invoices or a failure to collect
payment for completed work Incompetent site administration and oversight, a high volume of client-
requested changes. These findings are significant for reflective practice in the planning and control of
building activities. The study’s findings will assist the Indian construction community in revising delay
causes and realigning project management practices to guarantee projects are completed on schedule.
Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Confer-
ence on Latest Developments in Materials & Manufacturing.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.12.529
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Latest Developments in Materials & Manufacturing.
M. Vidyasagar Reddy and H. Rao Materials Today: Proceedings 60 (2022) 1890–1897
projects are put forward for consideration, there is a phase of indicated in a contract or beyond the date decided upon by the par-
growth. During the development phase, projects are proposed ties for project delivery. Completing tasks on schedule is an indica-
and are on their way to being accepted. During the building phase, tion of productivity, but the building phase is fraught with
the project is nearing execution. The operating/performance span variables and unpredictability that stem from a variety of outlets.
denotes the time span of service, while the repair period denotes These bases contain the success of the parties, the accessibility of
the time span over which the project is sustained. Unwanted pro- money, the environment, the participation of other parties, and
ject completion delays are a common source of construction pro- contractual relations [8].
ject complications, particularly in developing countries like India. Aneesha discovered major factors using regression analysis,
In India, 57% of construction projects are running late. including top management backing, a capable project team,
According to Arantes and Ferreira, ‘‘the suitable finishing point problem-cracking skills, reasonable cost and time forecasts, infor-
of a project is commonly considered as the most important criteria mation/communication, the project manager’s competency, plan
for determining the achievement of a project.” As a result, it is success, the project manager’s technical competence, the engage-
unfavourable to complete a project behind budget [3]. Unjustified, ment of all project managers, and strong leading previous project
necessitating a re-examination of the pause factors to get a clearer management tool and application expertise, and the use of supe-
interpretation of the causes interested to formulate proactive steps rior and acceptable technologies [9].
for their containment. Despite its success as a field of study, the
issue of inadequate project schedule management continues to 2.3. Causes of delay in material supply
affect projects in Malaysia, for example. With the problem’s long-
evity, the current research aims to revisit the main causes of The most common findings based on past studies are Material
latency [5]. Most notably, this study from India throws light on shortages, increased pricing, transportation delays, and low-
the primary problems that impede timely construction output quality materials. The Indian construction sector is heavily reliant
delivery. The results deliver an incentive for multinational con- on workers who work in all aspects of construction, including
struction project management professionals to focus on and material manufacture, transportation, loading and unloading, and
improve their work activities to fix the issues that arise today. on construction sites. The majority of them are inexperienced,
especially when they initially start working in construction.
2. Literature review Weather has an impact on materials supply when receiving
materials from a manufacturing unit and delivering them to the
2.1. Cost overrunning and time management project site. The supply of some materials to construction sites
may be delayed by rain. Not much of the materials imported from
Cost overruns in the construction industry are a serious concern overseas manufacturers are produced entirely by them. Certain
all over the world. And further research is needed to strengthen materials’ raw materials are occasionally ordered and collected
this crucial situation. This is a basic problem in all types of projects from other nations.
and locations. Cost overruns are also a major issue facing in the
Indian construction industry [5]. Researchers were successful in 2.4. Most mentioned issues in project management
developing a methodical analytical framework to analyze the ele-
ments that cause construction project slowdowns In Egypt. It’s The finance and reimbursement for finished works, deprived
worth noting that this framework should lead the user through a contract management, improvements in site situations, and supply
set of predefined methods for examining building project aspects scarcities were the four greatest critical issues decided to by the
to deliver precise findings and recommendations [6]. manufacturer, contractor, and public client surveyed. Based on
In the construction industry, time overruns are a common the findings of the above-mentioned literature review, it appears
occurrence. major causes for time overruns identified by several that most studding prioritise defining essential factors based on
project implementation organizations include delays in acquiring the views of various building groups.
land, installation of equipment, insufficient deployment by con- Quantification of the interdependencies, on the other hand, is a
tractor, delays in forest clearing, capital restrictions, shift in nature challenging process. One aspect has gained little recognition. Steps
of operation, tender termination, legal issues, interruption in deliv- taken to monitor a critical factor, for instance, could cause another
ery of missionary and Gare, slow moving construction activities, factor to become critical, causing much more delay than expected.
and cost overrun. As Ashwini said the nature of the topic, building Consequently, it is vital to work out how different causes of delay
delays results not only in time overruns but also in expense over- communicate. There is also worked to be undertaken in determin-
runs. There are a variety of reasons that a project could be delayed. ing the relationship between the two. The numerous causes of the
Since the project is based on a large range of variables and partic- delay, as well as a forecast of the effect on the delay.
ipants, each of them has its own set of causes. However, key partic-
ipants such as the owner, contractor, and consultant have a larger
3. Research methodology
influence on project achievement. As a result, the reasons of these
contributors are addressed, which serve to enhance project deliv-
After undertaking a thorough analysis of the literature and
ery in terms of time as well as cost-effective [2].
searching academic sources, a main questionnaire having the 25
maximum shared delays triggers was developed. Identifying
2.2. Delay factors influencing in construction industry research that look at a project using relevant keywords Project per-
formance is affected by delays (time overruns) and other signifi-
An analysis of the factors influencing construction delay was cant problems. The completed questionary survey separated into
carried out to determine the value of each aspect. The outcome two phases. Phase I is used to gather demographic information
of an overview of the variables considered in a questionnaire filled on respondents, such as their working experiences, job role, scope
out by a representative group of Realtors and Contractors employ- of projects, and type of procurement they frequently engaged.
ees [7]. Phase II will include evaluating the perspectives of main construc-
According to A. Assaf, in the construction industry, a delay is tion stakeholders, including members from customer, consultant,
described as a time overrun either away from the finishing date and contractor organizations, of top 25 delay factors based on their
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M. Vidyasagar Reddy and H. Rao Materials Today: Proceedings 60 (2022) 1890–1897
numerical values assigned to the frequency of occurrence vary NO Description of delay causing factors Category
from 1 = never to 5 = always, while the numerical values assigned 1 Non-payment or a default in obtaining payment for
to the degree of seriousness range from 1 = not at all to 5 = ex- finished work
tremely severe. 2 So many change orders by clients Clint
The feedback was piloted with construction experts from client, 3 Slow making decisions
4 Improper communication with others
contractor, and consultant organizations to assess its accuracy in 5 Economic challenges and financial issues
terms of conciseness and outspokenness as the testing instrument. 6 During construction, changes in the type of
All the pilot sources had a tertiary degree, and about 65% had more materials and requirements
than 5 years of construction involvement. The most of them were 7 Complexity of the project
8 Bidder with the lowest price
working on typically private-funded projects.
9 The owner’s approval of the specification documents
10 Inadequate planning and scheduling entrepreneur
4. Data collection 11 Subcontractors who are ineffective Contractor
12 Construction mistakes and defective works
13 Incompetent site management and supervision
A coordinated construction was used to collect crucial data
14 Contractors’ financial problems
from the respondents. The primary data was obtained from indi- 15 Coordination with other groups is inadequate.
viduals who work as construction professionals in Indian construc- 16 Insufficient contractor expertise
tion firms, by using personal connections and different mail 17 Delay of shop drawings and samples of materials.
18 Delay in mobilisation of the site.
addresses gathered from the Linked-In and other technical social
19 Slow in implementing inspections and testing
media sites. 20 Time taking process in scope change Consultant.
These questionnaires were distributed to construction practi- 21 Delay in preparation and approval of drawings and
tioners in India, including clients, consultants, and contractors specifications
(project managers, site engineers, etc). 22 Errors in architecture
23 Lack of proper communication between parties
Delay factors are considered into Client, Contractor, Consultant,
24 Lack of consultant’s experience.
Materials and other factors, each category contain five factors. In 25 Contractual defects and discrepancies
questionnaires phase II Two questions were asked for each factor 26 Improper budget estimation
based on frequency of occurrence and level of seriousness of issue 27 Instructions are issued slowly.
28 Unclear and inadequate details in drawings.
on project delay. Both frequency of occurrence and degree of sever-
29 poor productivity
ity were characterized on a five-points scale. A sample size of more 30 Insufficient skilled labour Labour and
than 100 with a subjects-to-variables ratio greater than five is equipment
deemed adequate for statistical research and factor assessment 31 Improper or insufficient plant and equipment
[11] (see Table 1). selection.
32 Increased prices
33 Transportation delays Material
4.1. Demographics of respondents 34 Material of poor quality
35 Climate conditions
Describing the profiles of the response. The respondents rate 36 Government priorities and leadership have changed. Others
from clients/consultants and contractors are 45.1% and 54.9%, 37 Unfavourable/unexpected field conditions
38 Interference by political leaders.
respectively. Respondent reveals that almost 67 %have up to 39 Accidents during construction
10 years construction involvement, 38.7% have 5 years or less 40 Natural calamities
experience. These statistics represent the present state of the 41 Corruption
Indian construction, which employs many young professionals to 42 Insufficient information provided during scheduled
time
reach the high requirement for construction work. The profile of
43 Lack of a quality check mechanism
the respondents is hence believed suitably representing construc- 44 Inexperienced manufacturing operators
tion consultants in India (see Fig. 1 and Table 2).
Table 2 concluded date. These findings indicate that contractors are aware
History of the respondents. of their preparation and scheduling shortcomings. Though contrac-
tor financial problems are ranked ninth in terms of frequency, they
Experience in industry Responses in numbers
are ranked third in terms of severity of schedule delays. Insufficient
>20 years 8
cash flow will stymie project progress because contractors may be
0–5 years 55
10–15 years 21
unable to complete construction activities on time, affecting the
15–20 years 15 project to be late [15] (see Fig. 3).
5–10 years 43
Grand Total 142
5. Discussion of the findings of the factor study
Table 3
Frequency index and grading.
5.3. Site management due to the client’s lack of site management skills. Inexperi Jeffrey
Boon Hui Yapenced contractors may be unable to keep up with
Construction efficiency suffers because of inadequate site man- the pace of work or may be unaware of the project’s complexities,
agement, which provides to project delays. Site management is resulting in misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Inadequate
involved with project control, resource allocation, site worker contractor expertise leads to poor site management and, as a
engagement, and all-party contact and planning. For improving result, time overruns [1].
construction project schedule efficiency, well-organized site man-
agement and sufficient regulation are critical. The lack of leverage 5.4. Construction risk management
over the subcontractor represents the main contractor’s ineffective
management skills. This may be related to the lack of a consistent Project delays are proportional to the point of volatility and dif-
contractual structure and objective requirements for hiring sub- ficulty. A construction risk is defined as ‘‘an unforeseeable occur-
contractors on Indian projects. Lack of influence around subcon- rence or situation which that, if it happens, has a positive or
tractors can result in unwelcomed disputes, low production, and negative impact on one or more project intentions such as capacity,
negative opinions on the job site. The contractor’s expertise is schedule, expense, or quality” [20]. The study of the performance
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M. Vidyasagar Reddy and H. Rao Materials Today: Proceedings 60 (2022) 1890–1897
Table 4
Severity index and grading.
Table 5
Importance index and grading.
dimension of risk management systems by Yaraghi and Langhe struction risk management is becoming increasingly important
determines that organisational background and expertise are crit- for coping with the complexities of projects at various stages of
ical influencing aspects. Given this experience, identifying con- the project life cycle, as well as the risk acceptances involved [21].
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M. Vidyasagar Reddy and H. Rao Materials Today: Proceedings 60 (2022) 1890–1897
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M. Vidyasagar Reddy and H. Rao Materials Today: Proceedings 60 (2022) 1890–1897
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