EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT AS A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR COST, SCHEDULE, AND RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
This research investigates the application of Earned Value Management (EVM) as an integrated project control technique for improving cost, schedule, and performance management in construction projects, particularly within the Indian construction industry where delays, budget overruns, and inefficient resource utilization remain significant challenges. The study addresses the limitations of traditional project monitoring methods, which often assess cost and time separately, by evaluating EVM’s capability to provide a unified framework through key indicators such as Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), Actual Cost (AC), Cost Performance Index (CPI), and Schedule Performance Index (SPI). A quantitative research methodology was adopted using a structured questionnaire survey of construction professionals, including project managers, engineers, contractors, and consultants, with data analysed through the Relative Importance Index (RII) method to rank critical factors affecting EVM implementation. Additionally, a practical case study of an Ahmedabad metro rail construction project was conducted to examine real-world EVM performance. The findings reveal that EVM significantly enhances cost control (RII = 0.89), schedule monitoring (RII = 0.87), resource optimization, and decision-making efficiency. The case study demonstrated that early identification of project deviations through EVM improved project performance, with CPI increasing from 0.76 to 0.92 and SPI from 0.84 to 0.95 after corrective actions. Despite these benefits, challenges such as limited awareness, inadequate training, and insufficient technological integration hinder widespread adoption. The study concludes that EVM is a highly effective and reliable tool for construction project control and recommends broader implementation supported by training, advanced software integration, and policy-level adoption to enhance project delivery efficiency and sustainability.
Viramgama, S. (2026). Earned Value Management as a Strategic Tool for Cost, Schedule, and Resource Optimization in Construction Projects. International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, 02(05). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.087
Viramgama, Savan. "Earned Value Management as a Strategic Tool for Cost, Schedule, and Resource Optimization in Construction Projects." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, vol. 02, no. 05, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.087.
Viramgama, Savan. "Earned Value Management as a Strategic Tool for Cost, Schedule, and Resource Optimization in Construction Projects." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology 02, no. 05 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.087.
2.Alvarez-Risco et al. (2022) Earned Value Management Methods Review Found EVM highly effective in monitoring cost but limited in schedule accuracy.
3.Ambari (2003) Cost and schedule control using EVM Highlighted the importance of Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) in project control.
4.Acebes et al. (2024) Stochastic Earned Value Analysis using Monte Carlo Simulation Introduced a probabilistic EVM approach improving prediction under uncertainty.
5.Acebes et al. (2024) Stochastic Earned Duration Analysis for Project Schedule Management Demonstrated Earned Duration Management (EDM) as an improvement over traditional EVM for schedule tracking.
6.Ballesteros-Pérez et al. (2015) Analysis of EVM limitations in construction projects Highlighted issues in monitoring accuracy and schedule forecasting.
7.Bryde et al. (2018) Earned Green Value Management Extended EVM for sustainability performance measurement.
8.Cândido et al. (2014) Challenges of applying EVM in lean construction Identified difficulties in integrating EVM with lean construction practices.
9.Elshaer (2013) Early warning system using EVM Proposed EVM as a proactive tool for detecting project deviations early.
10.Elsaid et al. (2025) Comparative analysis of earned value management techniques in construction projects Compared EVM, Earned Schedule (ES), and Earned Duration (ED); found ES more accurate in early stages and ED better in later stages for forecasting.