Dr Kambiz Radman.
When he began his doctorate at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University his goal was simple, to find a way to help the industry shift from reacting to problems to preventing them.
“Construction projects often suffer delays because project information is fragmented. Contractors, consultants and site teams all hold different pieces of information and by the time issues are identified, it’s often too late.”
These delays in construction increase labour costs, disrupt schedules, and reduce overall project efficiency and profitability.
During his doctorate, Dr Radman developed a framework called RealCONs (Real-Time Data-Driven Framework for Delay Management and Analysis), which is a digital system that brings project data from multiple sources, such as planning tools, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and on-site updates into a central platform.
Using technologies like cloud databases, IoT apps (e.g. QR-based) reporting and Power BI dashboards, RealCONs allows project teams to see what is happening in real-time and take action quicker. This visibility means potential delays can be detected earlier and decisions can be made faster.
“The goal is to shift construction management from reactive reporting to proactive delay prevention,” Dr Radman says.
Dr Radman explains that many companies already collect large amounts of data, but don’t fully use it.
“The challenge isn’t the lack of data, it’s the lack of integration, accessibility and real-time analysis that prevents teams from making proactive decisions.”
During his PhD, Dr Radman tested the RealCONs framework on three major construction projects each with a value of more than $900 million and 35 additional projects valued over$380 million in New Zealand. He says it demonstrated clear benefits.
“Findings from the three major projects showed a reduction in variation of around 35% and an increase in labour productivity of 22%.
“The framework is also scalable, meaning it can be used across infrastructure, commercial and industrial projects, helping organisations embrace digital transformation and improve productivity.”
Dr Radman explains that RealCONs could be commercialised with relatively low investment costs, depending on an organisation's existing infrastructure and the tools it already uses. He says the framework is unique because of the ability to integrate local systems and existing project tools through an IoT app and configuration settings.
“I wanted to develop something that could genuinely help project teams reduce multi discipline delays from engineering, client, construction site and subcontractors as well as improve collaboration.”
Dr Radman plans to apply the knowledge he gained during his PhD to expand his framework to include predictive analytics and AI-driven forecasting. He is planning to submit a patent application for the framework and then is engaging potential investors and partners to commercialise RealCON.
Related news
Building a future in the built environment
It was the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes that first sparked Brooke Chiwawa’s interest in construction and the built environment, inspiring her to later study a Bachelor of Construction – Construction Management.
Design, build, lead: Bachelor of Construction to include design management in 2026
A new design management major will be added to the Bachelor of Construction this year, preparing tomorrow’s leaders for the changing world of the built environment. The programme is the first undergraduate offering of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand.
