Summary findings from interviews with construction professionals in Greece

Summary findings from interviews with construction professionals in Greece Centre for Construction Innovation Department of Construction Engineering and Management Faculty of Civil Engineering National Technical University of Athens Centre for Construction Innovation

Outline • Research methodology • Research sample • Interview results • Conclusions Centre for Construction Innovation

Research methodology • Main research steps • Interview form in Greek • Definition of research sample • Undertake the interviews • Analysis of the results • Construct validity • Research outcome Centre for Construction Innovation

Interview form in Greek Centre for Construction Innovation

Research sample • Cluster sampling • Six construction organizations • ATHENIAN PARKING LOTS S.A. (www.polispark.gr) • ATERMON S.A. / KOPELOUZOS S.A. (www.copelouzos.gr/gr/activities/power_plant.asp) • KOURTIDIS S.A. / TEKAL S.A. (partner 8)(www.tekal.gr) • MPAKOGIANNIS & ILIOPOULOS Ltd. • ELLINOTECHNIKI S.A. • Bovis Lend Lease Hellas S.A. (partner 6) • (http://www.bovislendlease.com/llweb/bll/main.nsf/all/gl_europe_greece) • Six projects representing • different types of civil engineering works (infrastructure / commercial / residential projects) • a wide variety of budgets (~0,3m. € – 32m. €) • different locations around Greece (Patra, Thessaloniki, Athens) Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 1: Car park station Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 1 • Company: Partnership ATHENIAN PARKING LOTS S.A. • Construction: consortium of the largest contractors in Greece (J&P AVAX S.A. / AEGEK S.A. / BIOTER S.A. / ELLAKTOR S.A. / GEK TERNA S.A.) • Operation: 30-year concession project managed by POLIS PARK S.A. • Project scope • Part of a programme for six car park stations in Athens and Thessaloniki • 645 parking lots facility with 4 underground levels in central Athens • 19,000 m2 of total surface • Challenging project due to • Deep excavations (15m) in residential area • Mitigation of severe water uplift pressures Centre for Construction Innovation

Technical info on Project 1 • Indicative schedule and cost breakdown Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 2: Dam and hydroelectric station Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 2 • Company: Partnership ATERMON S.A. / KOPELOUZOS S.A. • Construction: Consortium company GLAFKOS HYDROELECTRIC STATION S.A. • Experienced in energy-related construction projects • Project scope • Privately financed turnkey project in Western Greece (Patra) • Part of the government initiative for private producers selling energy to the Greek Public Power Corporation (P.P.C.) • Construction of • 1.5x8.0m dam • 5km pipeline • 5,5MW hydroelectric station Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 3: Schooling complex, Athens Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 3 • Company: Partnership TEKAL S.A. / KOURTIDIS S.A. • Medium-sized contractors experienced in schooling buildings • Project scope • Public project owned by the Organisation of School Buildings • Traditional design-build tender • 2,500m2 total surface • 2-storey, steel-concrete structure schooling complex in western Athens • Technical school • Teaching rooms • Labs • Sport facilities • Administration facilities Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 4: Residential building complex Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 4 • Company: Partnership MPAKOGIANNIS & ILIOPOULOS Ltd. • General contractor company operating in the real estate sector • Experienced in residential block of flats construction • Project scope • Privately financed residential project • Two 5-storey, residential building complexes in southern Athens • 4,500m2 total surface for 40 flats • Underground car park for residents • Typical concrete building structure Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 5: Entertainment facility, Athens Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 5 • Company: ELLINOTECHNIKI S.A. • Consultant company with expertise in project / construction management, property development and architectural / engineering services • Project scope • Entertainment and commercial centre in central Athens • Cinema complex of 10-screening rooms, shops and 5-level underground car park • Sheet piles and soil anchors for excavations • Concrete building • Special acoustics design for optimum performance Centre for Construction Innovation

Project 6: Gas station, Thessaloniki Centre for Construction Innovation

Overview of Project 6 • Company: Bovis Lend Lease Hellas S.A. • Subsidiary company of a leading real estate group • Project / construction management consulting services • Global partner of BP • Project scope • Typical BP gas station in northern Greece (Thessaloniki) • Station building / Washing & Service facility / 3 pumping stations • Prefabricated steel structure • Light weight masonry material • Steel roof pre-assembly on the ground and erect to final position • Focus on mechanical engineering (pumping stations / fuel tanks) Centre for Construction Innovation

Interview results • Semi-structured interviews • 28 open-ended questions in six categories • 1. Professional roles • 2. Contract / Subcontractor management • 3. Labour relations • 4. Quality assurance / H&S • 5. Education and training • 6. Communications / Information sharing • Each category is further analyzed in specific topics Centre for Construction Innovation

Topics examined (1) • 1. Professional roles • 1.1 Professions involved in the project • 1.2 Conflicts management / resolution • 1.3 Project team / personnel selection process • 2. Contracts management • 2.1 Subcontractors management • 2.2 Suppliers management • 2.3 Construction methods / techniques • 2.4 Project planning / scheduling • 2.5 Factors influencing construction industry • 3. Labour relations • 3.1 Workforce management • 3.2 Motivation / rewarding schemes Centre for Construction Innovation

Topics examined (2) • 4. Quality management / H&S • 4.1 Quality management policy • 4.2 Health and Safety (H&S) policy • 5. Education & Training • 5.1 Education & Training systems • 5.2 Formulation of training programmes • 5.3 Education and career path development • 6. Communications and Information sharing • 6.1 Communication networks • 6.2 Social relationships development • 6.3 Decision making approach • 6.4 Information sharing • Outcome analysis on each one of the topics Centre for Construction Innovation

1. Professional roles (1) • 1.1 Professions involved in the project Continuous elaboration of the designs leads to overlap between the pre-project and the project phase Centre for Construction Innovation

1. Professional roles (2) • 1.2 Conflict management / resolution • Differentiated according to the type of the organisation • Authoritative style for medium sized organisations • Cooperative approach in large organisations • Conflicts resolution is based on “clear definition of responsibilities” • Project team members are accountable for their own responsibilities • Deploying personality skills and exercising the correct “art of management” resolves conflicts • There is no single strategy for conflicts resolution • Keeping a balance between the conflicting parties • Good relationships amongst project participants is a key to project success Centre for Construction Innovation

1. Professional roles (3) • 1.3 Project team / personnel selection • Mixture of hard and soft skills / qualities • Personality plays a critical role • In the case of recruiting new personnel • Relative education and theoretical background • Years of experience for particular project type • Soft skills (Communication / Teamwork / Integrity) • Proximity to the project (locally available personnel is preferable due to avoidance of overhead costs – e.g. accommodation) • Provide work to the local community • In the case of allocating existing personnel • Past experience in similar projects in the company • Long-term relationships for teams / crews / individuals • Current needs of the organisation Centre for Construction Innovation

2. Contracts management (1) • 2.1 Subcontractors management • All specialized work is preferably subcontracted • risks are transferred to the subcontractor • Empirical selection based on previous record and H&S processes • Local subcontractors are preferable • Lower quotes • Good relations with local community • Subcontractor evaluation • Merely organizations with ISO systems evaluate subcontractors regularly and systematically • Subcontractors supervision / management • It is the site engineer as identified by the majority • One interviewee criticized this practice and strongly supported the deployment of a subcontractors’ administrator instead Centre for Construction Innovation

2. Contracts management (2) • 2.2 Suppliers management • Suppliers selected based upon (in order of importance) • Best quote • Quality standards • Compliance with technical specifications • Availability of resources (local / national / international) • Payment demands (mentioned by smaller contractors) • 2.3 Construction methods / techniques • Bore / sheet piles for deep excavations • In situ concrete pouring • Prefabrication when possible • Steel-structure elements for project acceleration Centre for Construction Innovation

2. Contracts management (3) • 2.4 Project planning / scheduling • Special software (MS Project / PPP) • Scheduling undertaken mostly for typical reasons (included in the project’s file when submitted for permit approval) • Delays in all projects due to (in order of importance) • Reworks in design due to lack of constructability • Change orders by the client / owner • Subcontractors’ inefficiency • Conflicts / lack of cooperation amongst the project participants • Human mistakes Centre for Construction Innovation

2. Contracts management (4) • 2.5 Factors influencing construction industry • Government policy (changes in legislation / tendering processes) • Bureaucratic procedures for public works execution • Inefficiency in applying European / International standards • Fragmentation of the construction delivery process • Lack of actual project planning (day by day management) • Lack of certification for building trades (e.g. painters / plumbers / masonry workers etc.) • Transient nature of project teams (successful teams are not preserved from project to project) leading to reduced productivity • Fluctuations in the international business environment (e.g. steel unit rate fluctuations in the past two years) Centre for Construction Innovation

3. Labour relations • 3.1 Workforce management • Respect of labour legislation • Support to project’s personnel • “Equal opportunity” policy • However, there are still serious problems to overcome • Long working hours especially for young people • Low wages • Skills shortage for the building trades / technicians • 3.2 Motivation / rewarding schemes • Merely unofficial than official • Tangible rewards (bonuses, monetary incentives) • Intangible rewards (moral satisfaction, acknowledging contribution) • Intangible better motivational factor than strictly tangible rewards Centre for Construction Innovation

4. Quality management / H&S • 4.1 Quality management • 2/6 of the organisations were ISO 9001 certified • Quality systems can be beneficial as long as they don’t bring too much of a bureaucracy in the organisation • Quality procedures are essential for • Effective management • Conflicts avoidance (clear definition of work flow / authority) • 4.2 Health and Safety • Respect of the legislation • H&S is a critical criterion for subcontractors selection • H&S plan / safety engineer is a prerequisite of every project • Although H&S equipment is normally provided to the site personnel, however most of the staff is reluctant to implement them • Cultural perceptions of site personnel Centre for Construction Innovation

5. Education & Training • 5.1 Education and Training policy • Organizations support the development of the employees • “Win-win” situation for both parties • 5.2 Formulation of training programmes • Ad hoc identification whenever needed (e.g. new software release) • Lack of planning on behalf of the organisations • Employees suggest training programmes themselves • 5.3 Education and career path development • Training is important, however it is the employee’s overall performance / productivity that interests the organizations • Efficient training results in increased productivity Centre for Construction Innovation

6. Communications and Info sharing (1) • 6.1 Communication networks • Mixture of informal (e.g. oral) and formal (e.g. written) communication • Based on respect of the hierarchy • Open atmosphere • Communication both horizontal and hierarchical • Deviation of hierarchical levels when needed (e.g. for resolving conflicts) • 6.2 Social relationships development • Developed “between up to 15% of the employees” • Social events • Top management satisfied to know that employees are friendly Centre for Construction Innovation

6. Communications and Info sharing (2) • 6.3 Decisions making approach • Structured meetings with agendas • Open sharing of ideas • Discussions but the responsibility lies with a single person • Deliberate attempt to build consensus within the project team • Authoritative if needed • 6.4 Information sharing • Information sharing is filtered based on the hierarchy • Database management systems are used for storing past experience • Conventional IT systems (document control systems / admin) • Use of wireless technology for communication between the site and the headquarters (e.g. PDAs / Laptops) Centre for Construction Innovation

Conclusions • Cultural differences have been identified • Agreement on the roles and responsibilities of the project participants • Different approaches on subcontractors’ control and evaluation procedures • Workforce management is primarily based on respecting the legislation • Quality assurance systems benefits are not perceived in the same manner for all the interviewees • Training and Development schemes are not implemented systematically and depends on the employees’ initiative • Communications based on hierarchical structures • Decision making relied upon responsibility allocation Centre for Construction Innovation

Thank you for your attention! Centre for Construction Innovation

Summary findings from interviews with construction professionals in Greece