Assessment of the utilization of microsoft project management software by construction companies in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the Utilization of Microsoft Project Management Software by Construction Companies in the state. Three research questions guided the study and a descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. A Total of 34 construction companies were selected for the study using purposive sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was 22 items questionnaire which was titled "Questionnaire for Project Managers'". It was validated by three experts, one from the Department of Science and Technology Education, Bayero University, Kano, and the other two from the Department of Industrial and Technology Education, Federal University of Technology Minna. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.87 using Cronbach Alpha statistics. A Total of 34 questionnaires were distributed among construction managers. In analyzing the data, mean and standard deviation were used. Findings of the study revealed that, construction companies were not utilizing the software for project management. The Benefits of using the software includes the ability of the software to help users in monitoring the progress of work, forecasting feature resources, managing budget and staying focused and organized. Expensive nature of the software, difficulty to open in other system that does not have the software and lack of customization features were some of its obstacle. Based on the findings, it was recommended that construction companies should train their construction managers on how to utilize the software for the management of resources in order to complete the projects on time, within budget and with high quality