Review of the application of project management tools in construction projects

Project management (PM) research and practice has led to the development of new scientific tools and techniques to ensure that project objectives are met on time and within the available budget. In view of this, a systematic analysis of the current status of the application of these tools in their respective fields of practices is important. This research analyses the status of application of the generic PM tools in construction, and reviews the current research and development issues. In order to address the research problem, a deductive research approach was used based on secondary sources of information. A systematic mapping of PM tools was performed against respective PM process. This was compared with similar mapping of construction management (CM) tools on quantitative basis. The result of assessment reveals that from the total 113 tools listed, 87 (77%) are applicable to CM practices; with only 29 (2390) confined to the generic PM However, 52 tools found in the CM literature could not be found in generic PM literature. When merged with the generic tools, the CM was ahead in most of the researched areas. Current research and developments reveals an increasing interest in developing new tools in CM. The research suggested to practitioners and the relevant bodies to generalize the CM tools to formally practice in other PM Fields. The study also suggested further studies to be conducted in order to establish the extent in which the tools can relate to a specific project environment; establish specific areas in which the new developments can apply in generic PM tools; and the applicability of the tools in other areas of PM practices.