The use of Earned Value as a management tool in construction: a quantitative analysis

Abstract The monitoring of project performance through indicators is a highly important management tool for organizations, and Earned Value Management (EVM) is widely used for that purpose. However, few studies have been undertaken comparing the theoretical value-added model with its practical use in the civil construction industry in Brazil. In addition, some authors argue that the theoretical foundation of EVM is misused in civil construction. The main objective of this article is to verify whether users identify any benefits from the use of EVM and to analyse the critical success factors, limitations and their use according to the profile of users, through quantitative research. The research was carried out through the application of a survey-type questionnaire, made available through the Internet, with 106 respondents (managers and construction planning technicians). The data obtained in the research was satisfactory and validated, having obtained adequate statistics from Cronbach's Alpha and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin factor analysis tests. The results showed that the users identified benefits from using EVM, even though they still use partial EVM.