Construction Supply Chain

The construction supply chain is of temporary nature and complex, with many interactions between multiple actors in different construction projects. This challenging context typically leads to relatively higher costs and lower productivity, compared to other industries. Supply chain management (SCM) has been put forward as a mean to better handle this challenging context. As a part of SCM initiatives some construction industry stakeholders have turned to third-party logistics (TPL) providers, especially in large construction projects. The use of TPL providers is a new, and under-investigated, phenomenon in the construction industry. The main purpose of this study is thus to explore the use of a TPL provider in a large construction project and to analyse its resulting effects. Driving forces and possible concerns for implementing TPL are identified and the possibility for TPL to be a facilitator for implementing SCM in construction is investigated. The research is based on a literature review and an explorative case study of a large hospital project in Sweden, where the client and the main contractor have initiated the use of a TPL provider to coordinate sourcing and materials handling activities on site. The results show positive effects on establishing an effective interface between the construction site and the supply chain. The results also show that a TPL solution facilitates an increase in productive work at the construction site itself, a reduction of costs and an increased utilization of site assets. On the downside, the study also shows a lack of SCM knowledge amongst the involved actors in the project, hindering them to reap the full potential of TPL.

The construction supply chain is of temporary nature and complex, with many interactions between multiple actors in different construction projects. This challenging context typically leads to relatively higher costs and lower productivity, compared to other industries. Supply chain management (SCM) has been put forward as a mean to better handle this challenging context. As a part of SCM initiatives some construction industry stakeholders have turned to third-party logistics (TPL) providers, especially in large construction projects. The use of TPL providers is a new, and under-investigated, phenomenon in the construction industry. The main purpose of this study is thus to explore the use of a TPL provider in a large construction project and to analyse its resulting effects. Driving forces and possible concerns for implementing TPL are identified and the possibility for TPL to be a facilitator for implementing SCM in construction is investigated. The research is based on a literature review and an explorative case study of a large hospital project in Sweden, where the client and the main contractor have initiated the use of a TPL provider to coordinate sourcing and materials handling activities on site. The results show positive effects on establishing an effective interface between the construction site and the supply chain. The results also show that a TPL solution facilitates an increase in productive work at the construction site itself, a reduction of costs and an increased utilization of site assets. On the downside, the study also shows a lack of SCM knowledge amongst the involved actors in the project, hindering them to reap the full potential of TPL.

The complex and challenging process of construction supply chain management can involve tens of thousands of engineered components, systems, and subsystems, all of which must be designed in a multi-party and collaborative environment, the complexity of which is vastly increased in the case of megaprojects. A comprehensive Advanced Construction Supply Nexus Model (ACSNM) was developed as a computational and process-oriented environment to help project managers deal efficiently and effectively with supply chain issues: fragmentation, resource shortages, design delays, and planning and scheduling deficiencies, all of which result in decreased productivity, cost and time overruns, conflicts, and time-consuming legal disputes. To mitigate the effects of these difficulties, four new prototype systems are created: a front-end planning tool (FEPT), a construction value packaging system (CVPS), an integrated construction materials management (ICMM) system, and an ACSNM database. Because these components are closely interdependent elements of construction supply nexus management, the successfully developed model incorporates cross-functional integration. This research therefore effectively addresses process management, process integration, and document management, features not included in previous implementations of similar models for construction-related applications. This study also introduces new concepts and definitions, such as construction value packages comprised of value units that form the scope of value-added work defined by type, stage in the value chain, and other elements such as drawings and specifications. The application of the new technologies and methods reveals that the ACSNM has the potential to improve the performance and management of the enterprise-wide supply chain. Through opportunities provided by our industry partners, Coreworx Inc. and Aecon Group Inc., the elements of the developed model have been validated with respect to implementation using data from several construction megaprojects. The model is intended to govern current supply nexus processes associated with such megaprojects but may be general enough for eventual application in other construction sectors, such as multi-unit housing and infrastructure. It is with immense gratitude that I acknowledge the support and help of my supervisor, Professor Carl T. Haas. I am enormously appreciative of both his superb mentorship and the exceptional assistance he provided with promptness and care throughout my Ph.D. program at the University of Waterloo. His wonderful advice, support, and friendship have been invaluable, both academically and personally. I am extremely grateful and have no doubt that this research would not have been possible without his guidance. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Ralph Haas, Professor Keith Hipel, and Professor Leo Rothenburg for their contribution as members of my Ph.D. examination committee, and for their collaboration and helpful advice that improved my research. I would also like to thank Professor Simaan M. AbouRizk for being the external examiner for my PhD defence.

Recent innovative initiatives within the public sector construction procurement are challenging traditional, non-relational ways of procuring construction projects. The new concepts and practices involved in innovative procurement methods for construction are intended to empower clients to exercise more control over the supply chain and generate more co-operation among project participants. The initiatives aim to: bring project members closer together; integrate the supply chain; create greater trust; develop relationships on a long term basis; introduce a pain and gain culture; and reuse the knowledge on succeeding projects. This paper, with examples from the UK construction industry, presents ways clients are currently exercising their roles in order to integrate the downstream supply chain members, including suppliers and manufacturers of products. This paper particularly highlights the benefits of, and the motivation towards innovative procurement resulting into integration of downstream supply chain members through two case studies, done as part of a supply chain integration project at the Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI). The case studies demonstrate how organisations involved have promoted innovative thinking across the supply chain through innovative procurement. The case studies also highlight some of the critical factors in integrating suppliers and manufacturers at the beginning of any project. The paper concludes that through clients' initiatives, there is a great potential to utilise expertise and knowledge of suppliers and manufacturers at the outset of a project, in order to achieve effective planning and delivery of the whole project, as well as greater integration among supply chain members working on the project.

This paper examines the early progress towards the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) relationships in construction. It is based on a literature review and survey of the views of construction practitioners. We contend that SCM has many of the features associated with a 'fifth generation innovation'. This paper suggests that although construction practitioners have some knowledge of SCM they need a better conceptual understanding of it and new and more systematic approaches to its implementation.

This paper presents a hybrid genetic algorithm for assembly flow-shop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup and transportation times, with objectives, namely the minimizing of weighted, sum of total weighted squared tardiness, makespan, and total weighted squared earliness and number of tardy jobs. Since the problem is NP-hard, we solved this problem by hybrid genetic algorithm. To validate the proposed model, the Lingo 8.0 software is used. Comparison between the results of the Lingo 8.0 and hybrid genetic algorithm shows that in larger problems (if n > 10, where n is the number of jobs) the results obtained by Lingo do not have good efficiency and cannot be compared with the proposed hybrid genetic algorithm in terms of computational time and deviation from the minimum objective function. Test results are provided for a wide range of problem instances.

The conventional economic order quantity (EOQ) model used for calculating re-order point in construction material procurement cycle is fundamentally limited by the assumed constant lead time. In real construction scenario, the lead time is hardly ever constant. This study uses a PERT-based simulation model to calculate optimum re-order point and order size with an objective of minimizing the average inventory level and downtime due to non-availability of material. The simulation is run on the STROBOSCOPE simulation framework developed by the researchers at the University of Michigan. The duration data collected from a construction project are used to model each step of the procurement process. The results from the simulation are analyzed to study the relationships between order size, re-order point, average inventory level and work-idle time. A decision-making framework is proposed to choose the optimum order size and re-order point (minimum inventory threshold) for efficient use of storage space and minimum idling.

Most construction projects are complex, collaboration-intensive phenomena. Therefore, structuring and coordinating communication within projects is a serious challenge. The Construction Process Protocol is a plan of work that creates a division of activities into sub-processes in three levels. The main idea of this paper is to use a set of IT-based patterns and techniques complementary to business process management to develop a model of collaboration breakdown, integrating Business Process Management techniques with the Process Protocol. According to this idea, the structuring of collaboration within a project relies upon the premise that sets of Process Protocol sub-processes can be represented by corresponding sets of collaborative tasks carried out between various project participants. These collaborative tasks are defined by their participants with corresponding roles, deadlines, statuses, and other collaboration variables. A communication model originating from the presented idea is based on the fact that major part of communication on projects can be conducted in various digital forms and, therefore, easily stored and audited.

Increasingly, attention is paid both to supply base management and to supply network management. By means of a literature review and a case study, we look into what these two concepts comprise and how they are related. We conclude that the two concepts are rarely discussed in combination. Furthermore, based on our case, we conclude that a supply network initiative can be transient means for restructuring part of the supply base.

This paper examines the early progress towards the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) relationships in construction. It is based on a literature review and survey of the views of construction practitioners. We contend that SCM has many of the features associated with a 'fifth generation innovation'. This paper suggests that although construction practitioners have some knowledge of SCM they need a better conceptual understanding of it and new and more systematic approaches to its implementation.

It is argued that due to construction peculiarities, supply chain management has four speci"c roles in construction. Practical initiatives in each role to advance the construction supply chain are analysed. The present status of construction supply chains is investigated by means of case studies and a comparison with previous research. Three main conclusions are drawn regarding the present status. Firstly, even in normal situations the construction supply chain has a large quantity of waste and problems. Secondly, most of these are caused in another stage of the construction supply chain than when detected. Thirdly, waste and problems are largely caused by obsolete, myopic control of the construction supply chain. These results concur with the "ndings made on make-to-order supply chains in general. Finally, the subjective and objective limitations of the four roles are analysed, this being based on empirical "ndings and the generic theory of supply chain management.

Utilizing blockchain technology and circular supply chain management can bring about significant changes in achieving sustainability and enhancing resource utilization. This study highlights the significant role of tokenization in promoting sustainable resource management within blockchain-based circular supply chains. Tokenization provides a secure and efficient way to digitize assets, creating incentives, and facilitating efficient exchange within these supply chains. The paper explores in detail the benefits of tokenization, including faster transaction settlement, cost savings, democratization of access, transparency enhancement, and reduced infrastructure costs. It emphasizes that tokenization is a pivotal tool for promoting the transition towards a circular economy model. The study also acknowledges the challenges and limitations of tokenization, including regulatory issues, interoperability, and standardization challenges, among others, and provides recommendations for effective implementation. Overall, the paper highlights the potential of tokenization to revolutionize how we exchange ideas, information, and money through blockchain-based circular supply chains and emphasizes its significance in promoting sustainable resource management.

The construction industry remains one of the few most labour intensive industries in the developed world. It is therefore imperative to understand the measure of construction labour productivity. Furthermore, recent institutional and industrial calls for an increase in productivity suggest a desperate need to get the measurement of productivity levels right. The research reported in this paper forms part of an ongoing Ph.D. study into the issue of construction labour productivity. An earlier study highlighted that less than 50% of the industry actually actively measure and monitor productivity levels, with a majority of those companies that claim to measure go about measuring on the basis of the intuition of key site management personnel. This may seem alarming, however, it was argued that productivity measurement techniques could be perceived as theoretical, arduous and expensive for construction companies to adopt. This paper reviews the methods of productivity measurement available and describes two case studies conducted during this research, with a view of reporting the problems and issues faced when attempting to establish productivity levels at a project level. Lessons learnt are then drawn from the experience.

Supply chain management (SCM) is a concept that has lourished in manufacturing, originating from Just-In-Time (JIT) production and logistics. Today, SCM represents an autonomous managerial concept, although still largely dominated by logistics. SCM endeavours to observe the entire scope of the supply chain. All issues are viewed and resolved in a supply chain perspective, taking into account the interdependency in the supply chain. SCM offers a methodology to relieve the myopic control in the supply chain that has been reinforcing waste and problems.

This project, funded by Smart Built Environment (SBE), aimed at investigating the way a site-specific solution for construction supply chains and logistics – where the information, material and economic flows are integrated and getting transparent through a blockchain-enabled solution – can be conceptualized, developed, tested and incorporated into a new digital business model for an independent building logistic consultant. In a collaboration with such a consultant firm, Prolog, the insights, opportunities and shortcomings of blockchain as found in the current literature, were used to conceptualize a sociomaterial solution for construction logistics featuring blockchain for integrated flows, and embed this solution in the value proposition of a digital business model for independent logistics consultants. This, first, resulted in a generic digital business model for building logistics consultants as a business type, and then, in a Prolog-specific business model featuring a value proposition which focuses on facilitating logistics planning and flow integration. The Prolog-specific digital business model emphasizes consultancy over digitalization in its value proposition, focuses on the customer segment of public clients, and opts for an information flow integration system. Moreover, Prolog awaits further development of cryptocurrencies, before entering such economic flow-oriented solutions. The conceptual sociomaterial solution emerged into a blockchain-supported flow integration from the issuing of purchasing orders until the completion of on-site deliveries. The development, tests, and evaluation of the solution prototype – named Building Logistics BlockCHAIN (BLogCHAIN) – involved the collaboration with a building site, the initial mapping of the prospective users’ (and testers’) experiences, and on-site testing (in two iterations) to inform both the first and the second version of the prototype. The created value for the users and companies involved demonstrated the utility of blockchain in increasing integration and transparency, and prospectively reducing the number of transactions and facilitating value creation. The integration and transparency occurred among site managers supporting coordination. Reducing transactions and facilitating value creation remained as future options, since the system was tested as a stand-alone prototype. As such, the test context needed a system integration between planning, purchasing, and accounting, and a revision of existing purchasing contracts with regard to payment conditions. BLogCHAIN also highlighted the possibility of a more active and digitally supported role of the client, through enabling online monitoring of economic flows. Recommendations for future work include preparing actual business cases via the conduct of larger-scale field tests, as well as innovation projects expanding on the potential of blockchain and digital systems’ integration for building logistics. Blockchain, when further developed, can become a driver of digitalization in construction supply chains, but also other application fields in construction. It can complement well-established previous generation technologies such as BIM, but also cutting-edge technologies, such as IoT and machine learning. We hope that our study will push research and development in the direction of continued efforts of strong contextualization that will enable the competitiveness of the Swedish construction industry – and society.

As time goes by, more and more companies within construction industry are moving away from traditional procurement route towards innovative procurement methods. In the UK, partnering framework, prime contracting, PFI or PPP, etc. are some examples of procuring the ...

The current construction supply chain is characterised by multiple subcontractors who perform most work on a construction project; provide their own resources, and coordinate between themselves under the general guidance of a main contractor. In fact, subcontractors' schedules are integrated only at master level within the general contractor's schedule and can be considered as distributed and heterogeneous. As a result, their coordination and integration can be a very challenging task. Although schedule coordination and integration could provide important benefits to the time and cost of construction projects, it has not attracted much attention from researchers and commercial software providers. This paper outlines the development of a solution for the coordination of schedules in the construction supply chain. While enabling coordination, the solution aims to put minimum constraints on planners; to accommodate planning information coming from different commercial planning tools, and to provide decision making capabilities. In addition, the solution is integrated within a 5D planning environment where the integrated schedules can be visualised and rehearsed.

Job Satisfaction is a universal issue. Human Resource approach of motivation firmly advocates the notion of job satisfaction with a view to ensuring higher productivity of the employees. Banking industry, as driving force of the economy, is playing crucial role to promote and facilitate growth of country. We here eagerly interest in finding out relative importance of variables what influence the level of satisfaction of the bankers. Job satisfaction is the self-contentment that employees enjoy from the organization through the trade-off between contribution and inducement. The study found that 76.5 % of the bankers are satisfied over their jobs and only 9.5 % are dissatisfied. The variables responsible for job satisfaction of bankers are Job Status & Security,

The planning and management of supply chains require properly specifying the Participating members and the relationships among them. Construction supply chains usually consist of numerous participants and are complex in structure. The main objective of this study is to find critical factors affecting supply chain. A survey was carried out in south Gujarat region city, on architects, contractors, consultants, site engineers, retailers, distributors, developers. Total 38 factor identified from the literature review. Total 148 feedbacks were analyzed through the Relative Importance Index (RII) techniques. Five most crucial factors in descending order from RII Technique are late deliveries, Complexity management/ rationalization, Product changes batch ordering, inaccurate demand forecasting, Price fluctuations and discounts. Contractors shall act on these factors to improve material supply chain in construction projects. Keywords: Relative important index, supply chain, stake holders. I...

The operational benefits of close coupling value chain functions as embodied in the principles of concurrent engineering and supply chain management are well known and have been closely examined by researchers across a range of manufacturing sectors. However, their deployment in the field of construction is less well understood. The aim of the research reported in this paper was to investigate whether 'best practices' such as these, could be applied in sectors of the construction industry to provide sustainable competitive advantage. To facilitate the investigation an action research based methodology was employed in which the researchers took an active role in the change process. This method was chosen because of its practical orientation, its predisposition to longitudinal case based applications and its suitability to 'proof of concept' initiatives. This research was carried out over a three year period and focused on the implementation of these practices with a view to improving the performance of a subcontractor in the construction industry. The outcomes of the research indicate that, despite the high levels of uncertainty and product variety that characterise the industry the principles of close coupling value chain functions can be applied to subcontractor operations that are primarily manufacturing orientated and that improvements in production and assembly productivity are possible with the result that total costs can be reduced and delivery performance improved.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship development process between consultants and a project management firm in Malaysia. Research approach: This qualitative study was based on 6 in-depth semi-structured interviews which were carried out with the owners and senior managers of five consultant firms (an architect, quantity surveyors and structural and civil consultants) and the director of a project management firm. The data were analysed using thematic analysis method. Findings and Originality: ...

Communities". The BloRin (Blockchain for Decentralized Renewable Management) project aims to build a blockchain-based technology platform for renewable energy deployment and energy exchange management. This platform will help the creation and deployment of solar Smart Communities and will be able to facilitate interactions between producers/consumers, "prosumers," manage electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and coordinate exchanges with the electricity distributor. Blockchain technology will be used to manage energy exchanges between prosumers, to perform energy aggregation, and to provide balancing services. The Samothrace project is part of the "Digital, Industry and Space" area of the National Research Plan (PNRR). The main objective is to leverage the well-established vocation of the Sicilian territory in the field of microelectronics and micro and nano technologies to bring it to a higher and more widespread level that can have a significant and tangible impact on the industrial scenario of the island and the whole society. The set of activities is developed around the common thread of micro and nano technologies, microelectronics, materials, microsystems, and devices, accumulating methodologies and applications and directing them toward six main areas: energy, health, smart mobility, environment, cultural heritage, and smart agriculture.

The construction sector is one of the largest producers of Gross Domestic Product globally and yet has shown little innovation in the last 20 years. Offsite has been touted as cheaper, faster, higher in quality and more environmentally friendly than onsite construction. The purpose of this paper is to review the current research into offsite construction and determine the barriers to adoption and benefits facing offsite construction. A systematic literature review was undertaken to gather relevant knowledge surrounding the subject matter using a database search of Scopus. It was found that knowledge was the largest barrier to adoption and that transcended multiple stakeholders, from the selection of the appropriate delivery methodology, how to design for optimized fabrication and finally how to interface with the onsite requirements. The benefits are a higher build quality, shorter project duration as both site work and fabrication occur at the same time, improved safety, and less material wastage. The Barriers come from design freezes earlier in the process and inflexible design for customization later in the build.

This paper describes process models that characterize the design phase in the supply chain of pipe supports used in power plants. The models are used to study how production system design factors such as batching, uncertainty, and multitasking throughout this phase hamper supply chain performance. These factors all cause an increase in lead time. The models build on the STROBOSCOPE discrete-event simulation engine and illustrate several deterministic and probabilistic simulation scenarios including different batch sizes, uncertainty levels, and allocation percentages of shared resources. Based on the analysis of the simulation results, this paper recommends performance improvement opportunities that apply not only to the supply chain of pipe supports but generally to the delivery of capital projects. 1 MOTIVATION This paper presents process models and discrete-event simulation results to highlight factors that contribute to lead time in the delivery of capital projects. The models specifically represent one part of the design phase in the supply chain of pipe supports used in power plants. Today's practices characteristically have lead times that are very long relative to the modest amount of value-added time that is needed to execute each single task or a sequence of tasks that make up a process in the supply chain. This study is to help project managers quantify lead times in current practice and identify opportunities for lead time reduction. 2 IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS SIMULATION Simulation is an important tool in process optimization. It may be used either to sharpen intuition about 'the expected' or to discover 'the unexpected' before the real process has started or during its execution. Through the use of simulation, people can gain insight into one or several processes that constitute a complex system so that they may identify missing parameters and predict the behavior of that system under varying conditions. Furthermore, simulation helps them to design and analyze a production system, to determine ordering and restocking policies for materials inventory, to design communications patterns, to study transportation alternatives, to analyze financial implications, and all this, with the possibility of evaluating different process design alternatives. 3 SUPPLY CHAIN MODELING Supply chains are linked chains or networks of interrelated tasks designed to best satisfy end-customer needs while rewarding all members of the chain. Supply chains therefore lend themselves to being mapped to process models for use in simulation, as is described here.

A case study is presented that documents the most common configuration of the supply chain for pipe supports used in power plants in the USA. This supply chain, like many others in construction, has numerous inefficiencies, many of which occur at the interfaces between processes, disciplines or organizations. Recognizing and understanding such inefficiencies, their causes and potential remedies provides a basis for process re-engineering. The study describes how today's industry practices are changing to yield shorter supply chain lead times. To model the mechanisms that drive those changes, data are presented from industry practice in the form of value stream maps that span organizational disciplines and company boundaries. Metrics commonly used in lean construction are introduced to gauge system performance. A current state map documents how work flows throughout the design, procurement and fabrication phases of pipe supports. Analysis of this current state map highlights value-added and non-value-added times and lead times. A future state map then illustrates process improvements that can be obtained by applying various supply chain management tactics. The methodology applied in this case study could be applied to other construction supply chains equally well.

Many construction inefficiencies are due to supply-chain (SC) problems that occur at the interface between processes or disciplines. This paper illustrates such problems by describing a case study on the supply of pipe supports used in power plants. Pipe supports often arrive late at the construction site because their design tends to be pushed towards the end of the power plant design process due to the interaction of supports with other power plant systems. Since power plants are typically fast-track projects, the design ...

Affordable housing is a challenging problem which needs to be solved through both government and industry initiatives. Improving construction supply chain has the potential to expedite the supply and achieve affordable housing. However, there is need to develop linkages between affordable housing problem and construction supply chain problems. A problem taxonomy approach has been used to develop problem clusters (as housing, affordable housing and construction supply chain) through detailed literature review of studies and reports related to New Zealand. A problem taxonomy is proposed which showed generic, main and specific configuration problems of construction supply chain in New Zealand. This taxonomy helps to develop relationships, research hypothesis, questions and ontologies to investigate affordable housing problem, and drive solutions through configuration of construction supply chain. 

The management of the construction industry is exponentially increasing in complexity since it has to deal with highly fragmented, complex and unique combinations of business relations, communications and processes. Each phase in the construction cycle requires effective communication/sharing of information/ knowledge as well as coordination among project participants and stakeholders, thus leading to timing and technical content transfer enhancements and/or problems as well as related efficiency and/or profitability loss. Recent advances in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are considered essential and promising in improving sharing/exchange of project information as well as communication among construction industry stakeholders whilst reducing associated costs and time. One facet of such advances in ICT is evident from the proactive indulgement of the construction supply chain in collaborative extranets. Extranets are able to capture the supply chain communication practices and provide a controlled communication hub as well as document management databases with all ICT enhanced features. In parallel, the construction industry has recognized the importance of sharing and exchanging project information across the supply chain through project integrated databases. However, such advancements in the ICT utilisation in construction industry were unable to develop a system that exchanges/shares project information, at the element level, over a well defined matrix of communication that can also integrate into the business processes of the members of supply chain. The objective of this study is to highlight the needs to bridge this gap through the development of an augmented process model which will enable integrated databases to support collaborative extranets at the Tender stage. This paper will discuss the features, limitation and nature of the process and information models which can be integrated into the core business processes of the construction supply chain members. This is basically achieved by investigating the communication processes and information exchanged across the supply chain during the construction tendering phase.

Purpose This paper aims to identify and discuss how process and people factors influence the successful implementation of organisational interface management in offsite bathroom construction. Design/methodology/approach A literature review identified 16 process and people factors. A mixed method approach was used to analyse data from eight offsite bathroom case study projects. A ranking approach determined the main process and people factors, consequently analysed using (Minitab) Frequency analysis, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and thematic analysis to establish the contributing sub-factors and their inter-relationships, to each other and to the literature. These factors and sub-factors formed the final conceptual model, bringing together interface management and offsite bathroom construction. Findings The nine factors instrumental to the conceptual model include six process factors: procurement, design management, supply chain management, health and safety, tolerance and quality a...

Over the past decade, the advent of digital technologies has led to dramatic changes in the nature of business processes, and the introduction of the concept of digital developments has greatly affected various aspects of business. New digital technologies are being prepared to transform all areas of what we call "traditional business processes." With the help of digital technologies, the speed, accuracy and precision of processes in various businesses have been dramatically optimized, which has saved time, energy and resources in organizations and businesses. Methodology: Supply Chain Management (SCM), as the core business priority of any manufacturing company, has placed itself in the focus of business owners. Suppliers, organizations, and supply chain agencies use the information and share it with others while generating information. Findings: In this regard, considering the importance and fundamental role of the supply chain in the organization and business, as well as the important effects that digital technologies can have on it, this paper reviews library dimensions, components, and key indicators of a chain by reviewing the library resources. Supply based on digital technologies. Originality/Value: This study provides a conceptual framework for the digital supply chain that demonstrates the importance of this chain.

The construction industry in the UK has been subject to frequent reports over recent years, all focusing on perceived inefficiencies within the industry and how processes can be improved to deliver construction projects on time, and within cost and quality targets. Most notable of these reports have been Latham (1994) and Egan (1998), which contend that construction should come closer to manufacturing in design, development and supply chain practices to achieve ambitious improvement targets. The most frequently mentioned industries for such 'benchmarking' are the aerospace and automotive industries. Concurrent Engineering (CE) appears to offer significant potential to the construction industry as a means to achieve these targets. This paper identifies key aspects of CE practice in aerospace manufacturers and, in the spirit of the Egan report, possibilities for their adoption in UK construction projects.

Sustainability and risk management are considered as priorities of modern supply chains. Firms are increasingly focusing on developing sustainable supply chains; however, the risks attached to this are still under-investigated. The petrochemical industry is one of the most important strategic industries in Egypt which has adopted integrated strategies to achieve sustainable development. This paper is attempting to identify and evaluate the risk factors related to a sustainable supply chain in the petrochemical industry in Egypt The risk factors related to sustainability dimensions (environmental, social and economic) are first identified through the literature and then the industry experts participated in evaluating and ranking the risk factors using AHP approach. The results of this paper are expected to help managers to understand sustainability-related risks and enable them to better manage their operations and eventually achieve sustainability.

Recent innovative initiatives within the public sector construction procurement are challenging traditional, non-relational ways of procuring construction projects. The new concepts and practices involved in innovative procurement methods for construction are intended to empower clients to exercise more control over the supply chain and generate more cooperation among project participants. The initiatives aim to: bring project members closer together; integrate the supply chain; create greater trust; develop relationships on a long term basis; introduce a pain and gain culture; and reuse the knowledge on succeeding projects. This paper, with examples from the UK construction industry, presents ways clients are currently exercising their roles in order to integrate the downstream supply chain members, including suppliers and manufacturers of products. This paper particularly highlights the benefits of, and the motivation towards innovative procurement resulting into integration of downstream supply chain members through two case studies, done as part of a supply chain integration project at the Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI). The case studies demonstrate how organisations involved have promoted innovative thinking across the supply chain through innovative procurement. The case studies also highlight some of the critical factors in integrating suppliers and manufacturers at the beginning of any project. The paper concludes that through clients' initiatives, there is a great potential to utilise expertise and knowledge of suppliers and manufacturers at the outset of a project, in order to achieve effective planning and delivery of the whole project, as well as greater integration among supply chain members working on the project.

PurposeThis paper presents a conceptual model of effective subcontractor development practices to guide general contractors' development of a network of high-performing subcontractors (SCs) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from supplier development theories and practices in the manufacturing sector, a mixed interpretivist and empirical methodology is adopted to examine the body of knowledge within literature for conceptual model development. A self-reporting survey questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale is used to assess 30 construction professionals' perceptions of the effectiveness of 37 SC development practices classified into five categories. Descriptive statistics, weighted means, and t-tests are used for data analysis.FindingsSC prequalification, commitment, incentives, evaluation and feedback practices can be effective in generating high-performing SCs. Practices that require more direct involve...

Most causes of the inefficiency in construction supply chains are related to managerial issues, including the poor management of commitments among their members and the lack of integration of managerial processes along the chain. This paper discusses those problems in two case studies carried out in the building elevator and cut and bend rebar supply chains. As in many of construction supply chains, both configurations are characterized by their maketo-order nature, the delivery of customized products to their customers and by having their production based on final design specifications. Focusing on the flow of information along the supply chain, the objective of this paper is to assess how the integration of these make-toorder supply chains' processes is affected by the way commitments among chain members are coordinated. By undertaking a detailed description of both supply chains' processes and analyzing their existing problems, the study shows that a major part of them are related to the poor integration of the information flows. The Language Action Perspective (LAP) was used to provide an additional approach for analysis, emphasizing the commitments involved in the information sharing among supply chain agents. The LAP analysis revealed that the root cause of those problems relies mainly on the poor management of commitments among supply chain members. Moreover, many of the problems could be avoided by explicitly planning the flow of commitments that are made necessary by inter-organizational processes as well as by organization's internal processes. The adoption of the LAP and the focus on the flow of commitments may support the understanding of make-to-order supply chains integration problems as well as suggest actions towards the integration of their processes.

This paper describes process models that characterize the design phase in the supply chain of pipe supports used in power plants. The models are used to study how production system design factors such as batching, uncertainty, and multitasking throughout this phase hamper supply chain performance. These factors all cause an increase in lead time. The models build on the STROBOSCOPE discrete-event simulation engine and illustrate several deterministic and probabilistic simulation scenarios including different batch sizes, uncertainty levels, and allocation percentages of shared resources. Based on the analysis of the simulation results, this paper recommends performance improvement opportunities that apply not only to the supply chain of pipe supports but generally to the delivery of capital projects. 1 MOTIVATION This paper presents process models and discrete-event simulation results to highlight factors that contribute to lead time in the delivery of capital projects. The models specifically represent one part of the design phase in the supply chain of pipe supports used in power plants. Today's practices characteristically have lead times that are very long relative to the modest amount of value-added time that is needed to execute each single task or a sequence of tasks that make up a process in the supply chain. This study is to help project managers quantify lead times in current practice and identify opportunities for lead time reduction. 2 IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS SIMULATION Simulation is an important tool in process optimization. It may be used either to sharpen intuition about 'the expected' or to discover 'the unexpected' before the real process has started or during its execution. Through the use of simulation, people can gain insight into one or several processes that constitute a complex system so that they may identify missing parameters and predict the behavior of that system under varying conditions. Furthermore, simulation helps them to design and analyze a production system, to determine ordering and restocking policies for materials inventory, to design communications patterns, to study transportation alternatives, to analyze financial implications, and all this, with the possibility of evaluating different process design alternatives. 3 SUPPLY CHAIN MODELING Supply chains are linked chains or networks of interrelated tasks designed to best satisfy end-customer needs while rewarding all members of the chain. Supply chains therefore lend themselves to being mapped to process models for use in simulation, as is described here.

Many construction inefficiencies are due to supply-chain (SC) problems that occur at the interface between processes or disciplines. This paper illustrates such problems by describing a case study on the supply of pipe supports used in power plants. Pipe supports often arrive late at the construction site because their design tends to be pushed towards the end of the power plant design process due to the interaction of supports with other power plant systems. Since power plants are typically fast-track projects, the design and construction phases overlap. Late support design therefore constrains the SC and may ultimately cause project delays. This paper presents the five alternative SC configurations that have been identified in the case study. It addresses the need to accelerate the design, procurement, and fabrication processes of engineered or catalogued made-to-order pipe supports in order to avoid late arrivals to the site while making best use of the capabilities available in all SC participants. This paper concludes with a set of recommendations for performance improvement in the supply of pipe supports. Finally, it identifies research opportunities to achieve further improvement.

Waste is omnipresent in construction supply chains. It often occurs at the interface between processes, disciplines, or organizations. To illustrate several causes of waste, this paper focuses on a case study that documents the most common configuration of the supply chain for pipe supports used in the power plant industry. Using value-stream mapping across organizational boundaries, this paper illustrates how work flows throughout the design, procurement, and fabrication phases of pipe supports. Industry data obtained through tens of interviews helps to evaluate value-added and non-value-added times, batch sizes, and lead times for this particular supply chain configuration. The paper provides considerations for eliminating waste in order to reduce the total delivery lead time of pipe supports and thereby improve supply chain performance. It concludes by summarizing the case study findings and identifying additional research opportunities to achieve further improvement.

A case study is presented that documents the most common configuration of the supply chain for pipe supports used in power plants in the USA. This supply chain, like many others in construction, has numerous inefficiencies, many of which occur at the interfaces between processes, disciplines or organizations. Recognizing and understanding such inefficiencies, their causes and potential remedies provides a basis for process re-engineering. The study describes how today's industry practices are changing to yield shorter supply chain lead times. To model the mechanisms that drive those changes, data are presented from industry practice in the form of value stream maps that span organizational disciplines and company boundaries. Metrics commonly used in lean construction are introduced to gauge system performance. A current state map documents how work flows throughout the design, procurement and fabrication phases of pipe supports. Analysis of this current state map highlights value-added and non-value-added times and lead times. A future state map then illustrates process improvements that can be obtained by applying various supply chain management tactics. The methodology applied in this case study could be applied to other construction supply chains equally well.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is now being hailed as a foundation for the integration of organization-wide information systems. ERP systems link together entire organization's operations such as accounting, finance, human resources, manufacturing and distribution, etc. Moreover, they also connect the organization to its customers and suppliers through the different stages of the product or the process life cycle. There are very few studies conducted about the implementation of ERP systems in the construction industry, particularly for the construction contractors. The focus so far has been on client organizations, engineering and design firms. The objective of this paper is to investigate the suitability and the implementation status of ERP systems in contractor firms. The methodology employed is a mix of literature review, market studies and detailed questionnaire survey. It is found that the majority of contractor firms have awareness about the ERP systems but very few organizations have so far implemented such systems. The major reason is that the implementation of any ERP system needs a huge investment in time, money and resources. However, when implemented to solve the right problems, these ERP systems can be a powerful tool for business improvement. The study shed light on the barriers to the implementation of ERP systems in the construction industry and also highlights valuable lessons learned and benefits gained by companies that have such systems in place.

Main purpose of this study is to explore relationships between collaborative supply chain to project performance measures and the contribution of these measures to corporate performance measures in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) industry. Collaborative supply chain is useful due to the fact that EPC projects require multidiscipline capabilities, but it is also challenging because of the short term contractual relationships among parties in the collaboration. The existence of EPC contracting companies is important to support the development of infrastructure projects in developing countries. Integrated scope and concurrent project cycle development within EPC contract enable the projects to be developed in a more timely and efficient manner. Contribution of project performance to corporate performance in this industry plays a critical role to maintain sustainable capabilities and growth of an EPC company. A series of interview and survey will be undertaken to acquire information from executives in EPC companies regarding their perception on performance measures of projects and how these measures may support the corporate performance. Constructs emerge from the interviews, will be compared with a predetermined conceptual constructs based on previous research and references. Result of this research may be used as the basis for defining the EPC companies' corporate performance objectives as a function of collaborative project performance measures. The finding may also be used in assessing the capability of EPC companies to cope with the challenge of accelerated infrastructure development in developing countries. Although a considerable number of construction companies have been developing an EPC division or subsidiary in the past five years, the number of established EPC contractors operating in Indonesia is very limited (less than twenty companies). This limited number of EPC companies implies that data collection activity in this research should consider the ability to represent the industry characteristics.

Research on blockchain technology implementation within civil engineering is quickly emerging. The use of blockchain for the integration of the material and economic flows within construction supply chain-thus creating a new digital business model for the related actors-to enhance a construction project's production, logistics management, and constructability, has been only scarcely investigated. In this paper, this shortage is documented through a comprehensive literature review. Then, the potential of Swedish independent third-party logistics consultants as a fertile ground for such a digital business model, is examined. Finally, conclusions about the pursuance of this potential paradigm shift are drawn.

Consider the emerging potential of the implementation of blockchain technology for a new digital business model for construction logistics, where the material and economic flows are integrated, and investigate the main constellations of building logistics actors in Sweden, along with the related capabilities for the implementation for such a new digital business model

The digitalization of the supply chain (SC) enables companies to address customers' new requirements, the challenges of managing the SC and the expectations, and efficiency improvement. Although digital supply chain (DSC) is a buzzword, very few organizations and decision-makers understand the challenges of transforming from a traditional supply chain to a DSC. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and implement an integrated knowledge-based system (KBS) and evaluate the overall DSC readiness value (score) of an organization. DSC readiness factors are identified from an extensive literature review and validated by experts from academia and industry. The proposed KBS is based on Fuzzy-AHP that establishes a link between DSC readiness factors and their impact on performance and evaluates overall DSC readiness value (score). The proposed KBS has been validated in an Indian manufacturing company, and results show that the overall DSC readiness value (score) of the case company is 0.267. This paper will help organizations evaluate their current position in transforming from traditional supply chain to DSC and make a plan to achieve digitalization completely in their SC operations. Managers, practitioners, and decision-makers who are involved in digitalization can use our study's findings as a starting point for aiding the transformation.

Various supply chain management models have emerged in the last two decades in the manufacturing industry. Current supply chain techniques in the construction industry have focussed on project-based models particularly the logistics of materials management. It has been established in manufacturing that the greatest successes have been in those supply chains where strategic alliances have been developed between key parties and longer-term relationships have been developed across the entire network of suppliers at each stage of production. The link between the customers' internal management systems and the external suppliers' management systems has been identified as important to creating successful alliances. Unravelling this complex web of successful buyer-supplier inter-enterprise relationships and dependencies in manufacturing has relied upon the two key causal factors of supplier coordination and supplier development. Theoretical SCN modelling in construction needs to consider that the underlying structure of the majority of parties involved within construction projects is largely a network of small to medium enterprises. A theoretical supply chain procurement model is developed that reassesses the fundamentals of organisational structure and explores the potential for future flexible inter-organisational arrangements. The modelling draws upon network sourcing concepts and aims to foster risk sharing and engender stability in contractual chains. The methodology for a future research project is described that will explore supply chains in a small remote construction market.

Sustainability and risk management are considered as priorities of modern supply chains. Firms are increasingly focusing on developing sustainable supply chains; however, the risks attached to this are still under-investigated. The petrochemical industry is one of the most important strategic industries in Egypt which has adopted integrated strategies to achieve sustainable development. This paper is attempting to identify and evaluate the risk factors related to a sustainable supply chain in the petrochemical industry in Egypt The risk factors related to sustainability dimensions (environmental, social and economic) are first identified through the literature and then the industry experts participated in evaluating and ranking the risk factors using AHP approach. The results of this paper are expected to help managers to understand sustainability-related risks and enable them to better manage their operations and eventually achieve sustainability.

The construction industry produces one of the most complex and substantially large structures such as buildings, bridges, dams and tunnels using lengthy, network structured and dynamic supply chains with multiple internal and external suppliers. Long and complex supply chains make it difficult to monitor compliance, provide ultimate assurance of the final product and often lead to increased cost with payment delays. The technology that underpins cryptocurrencies is known as blockchain. However, the capabilities of blockchain can be extended far beyond cryptocurrencies. It enables existing applications to be improved and new applications such as blockchain-powered election, healthcare, identity management, power grids, supply chain, property, smart contracts and so on. This paper aims to compute the stakeholders' perspective on blockchain and smart contracts in the construction industry. As the primary data collection methodology, an industry engagement workshop in the form of round-table discussions was conducted. Each round-table comprised of both academics and industry participants with different context from the construction industry. The table composition was four industry practitioners and two academics with the responsibility of moderating the discussion for all six groups. There were 57 responses, and 18 unique perspectives were identified. A word cloud was generated by using the frequency of responses to identify the density of each perspective. The key findings of the data analysis highlighted efficiency, trust, fair, security, transparent, accountability, compliance and standardisation were highlighted as the stakeholders' primary perspective on blockchain and smart contracts based solutions for the construction supply chain. Moreover, meantime highlighted construction industry requirements and drivers of blockchain and smart contracts are reconciled. So, the findings will help in implementing better blockchain solutions to the construction industry in future.

The application of the supply chain management (SCM) in industry has achieved much success, especially in the manufacturing sector. In the current market, the Vietnamese construction companies must compete not only with domestic companies but also with foreign ones, the application of SCM is essential to improve efficiency and increase their competitive advantage. In this paper, a survey was carried out to identify factors that cause limitation in applying SCM to the Vietnamese construction industry. A qualitative approach was based on prime contractor's perspective at the construction phase of the project. The survey questionnaire was designed by synthesizing and inheriting the previous studies and consultation with experts. The survey participants are those who have had working experience with main contractors and joined in the construction projects. The face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data. Descriptive statistics analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were used to analyze data. The results indicated seven leading causes which limited the application of SCM in the construction industry.

ABSTRACT: The current construction supply chain is characterized by multiple subcontractors that perform most work on a construction project, provide their own resources, and coordinate between themselves under the general guidance of a main contractor. In such an environment, schedules are distributed and heterogeneous and as a result their coordination is a challenging task. Although schedules coordination is a crucial aspect, it has not attracted much attention from researchers and commercial software ...