Solving the Difficulties and Challenges Facing Construction Based on Concurrent Engineering in Yemen

Abstract

Due to the highly competitive commercial environment in the market in Yemen at present, the construction industry in Yemen, like other industries, is under pressure to reduce product development time and overall project costs, improve product quality, and satisfy customers. To keep pace with the competitive environment of the market in Yemen, most enterprises tend to adopt the best and new technologies, new management concepts and philosophies such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and concurrent engineering (CE) to achieve improvements in the process of product development. In this paper, the problem of fragmentation brought by the serial engineering in construction in Yemen is discussed firstly. Then, the integration process and CE adoption by the construction industry in Yemen are explained for enabling construction agencies in Yemen to improve the development process of their projects and to solve the current fragmentation problems such as the lack of communication, adversarial culture and the lack of customer focus, which allows the construction process to improve and become more effective and efficient.Sustainability 2019, 11, 3146 2 of 11 Current Issues in the Construction Industry in YemenYemen is a developing country, where problems in construction projects often lead to extra costs and delays. Studies show that in some developing countries, the actual cost of construction projects exceeds the original contract price by 30% when the project is completed [5,6]. The successful execution of construction projects, keeping them within the estimated cost and the prescribed schedules, primarily depends on the existence of an efficient construction industry which is capable of sustained growth and development to cope with the requirements of social and economic development and to utilize the latest technology in planning and execution [7][8][9].According to a report by the Yemeni Ministry of Public Works and Road, in the first seven months of the civil war in Yemen, the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure was more than $14 billion [10]. A survey by the Yemeni Ministry of Education also indicated that 1671 schools suffered damage, 387 needed major reconstruction, and 250 were destroyed in the civil war. The estimated cost of the damage was more than $300 million [9]. Due to the intensity of the civil war, reports can only assess the damages in the cities of Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, and Zanzibar, and data collection was stopped in October 2015. These data found an estimated $3.6 billion in damages to private homes. The total cost of rebuilding the damaged power facilities in the four cities is estimated at $335 million, most of which goes to repairing damaged power plants [9].Yemen is a developing country where project management often relies on traditional methods in most industrial sectors, including the construction industry. The construction industry in Yemen is an essential sector in the national economy of the country [11][12][13]. The majority of the construction projects in Yemen has been carried out in ...

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