Industry Interview & Case Study
This category focuses on learning directly from construction professionals and real project experiences. Teams are required to conduct an interview with a construction industry professional and develop a case study based on the discussion. The objective is to expose students to real-world decision-making in construction projects.
Topics
II-1 — Veteran Interview: Top 10 reasons projects slip (real cases) + what fresh grads must learn.
II-2 — Contractor Perspective: Planning vs execution gaps and what causes site-level chaos.
II-3 — Project Manager Interview: Decision-making under constraints (manpower, approvals, vendors).
II-4 — MEP Coordination Case Study: Typical clashes, site resolution patterns, and cost of rework.
II-5 — Quality Failure Case Study: Defect narrative, root cause analysis, and how it was rectified.
II-6 — Safety Incident Case Study: What happened, contributing factors, and prevention controls (non-sensitive).
II-7 — Procurement & Vendor Risk Case Study: Lead times, substitutions, delivery misses, and schedule impact.
II-8 — Lessons-Learned Report: From a completed project — what worked, what failed, and actionable recommendations.
II-9 — On-Site Coordination System Concept: Daily plan, constraints log, and crew assignment optimization.
II-10 — Innovation Case Study: Any new method/tool used in a real project and measurable outcomes.
What Teams Must Do
Identify a construction professional: project manager, site engineer, construction planner, contractor, equipment manager, consultant
Conduct an interview about a real project or construction challenge
Prepare a structured case study summarizing the insights
Examples of Suitable Topics
Project management challenges in infrastructure
Managing construction delays
Decision-making during execution
Technology adoption
Safety management practices
Coordination between contractors and consultants
Lessons learned from a completed project
Evidence Requirements
Interviewee designation and role
Description of project or context
Summary of key insights
Discussion of lessons learned
Interview recordings optional but recommended
Submission Format
Introduction, Interviewee Profile, Project Context, Key Discussion Points, Lessons from Industry, Conclusions. Max 10 pages.
Evaluation Criteria
Quality of industry insights
Depth of case study analysis
Clarity of lessons learned
Presentation quality