Project Management Techniques and Procedures: A comparison of construction contracting and aircraft manufacture

Over recent years there has been a substantial growth in the number of industries employing project management methods (Chaffey, 1997), construction being one of the recognised first users of these techniques. Following the Latham (1994) and Egan (1998) reports in the UK, there appears to be a consensus that the construction industry could benefit by an examination of certain sectors of manufacturing industry, with a view to developing improved methods of working. It was therefore decided to undertake a comparison of Project Management techniques in the construction contracting and aircraft manufacturing industries. The aircraft industry was chosen because of certain similarities with construction, such as the size and complexity of some of its large projects, and because it is an industry perceived to be at the cutting edge of technology. This paper considers the reasons for differences between the two industries from both an evolutionary and environmental perspective. Initial findings would tend to endorse Egan’s recommendations. Suggestions are made for best practices in managing projects that could be embraced by the construction industry in the move towards improved efficiency, both nationally and globally.