Supplier‐contractor collaboration in the construction industry

Abstract

Purpose -Recent developments in the construction industry resulted in an increased importance of collaboration with and managing of suppliers by prime contractors. The focus of this study is on getting insights into existing knowledge on this topic and the gaps in this knowledge base. The goals of this study are threefold: to verify the current state of, to gain insights into, and to provide suggestions for supplier-contractor research. Design/methodology/approach -The current state of supplier-contractor research in the construction industry is verified through a taxonomic approach to the literature on buyer-supplier research over the last decade (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009). The method followed consists of the following three steps: journal selection, initial article selection and final article selection. Findings -Supplier-contractor research in the construction industry is still a relatively under-researched phenomenon. The major topics discussed in the identified articles are aspects of partnering (conditions, characteristics and barriers/obstacles) and (sub)contracting/procurement issues (practices, selection criteria, performance and characteristics). Research limitations/implications -This study concludes that future research should focus on longitudinal studies, testing organisational barriers to partnering, the benefits of partnering in practice, conditions under which the formation of collaborative relationships between suppliers and contractors takes place, and experiences with this formation process. Practical implications -In practice, contractors do see a need to develop closer and more collaborative relationships with their suppliers. This study highlights the topics that need to be addressed to achieve these goals. Originality/value -This study is a literature overview of relatively scarce research on collaborative relationships between suppliers and contractors in the construction industry.

Supplier-Contractor Partnering Impact on Construction Performance: A Study on Malaysian Construction Industry

“…Previous studies in Malaysia focused on issues pertaining to the causes of delay, procurement, construction methods, payment and defects [3], [6], [44]- [48]; while empirical evidence in supplier-contractor partnering impacts on performance is still lacking. This is supported by Bemelmans et al, [49] who argued that most of the literature focuses on the aspects of partnering conditions, characteristics, barriers and subcontracting issues. Supplier-contractor research in the construction industry is still under-researched.…”

“…Saad and Jones (1999, as cited in Akintoye [61]) highlights that downstream is the weaker link and needs to be improved if the full potential of supply chain management is to be realized. Furthermore, changes in client demands from just price to criteria like innovations, sustainability and speed require the main contractor to build a closer relationship with the subcontractors, thus emphasizing the importance and significance of managing suppliers [49].…”

Selecting the right collaborative components in a construction project

“…It is assumed that the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are not as low as portrayed, but rather the result of a latent potential which can and should be exploited (Horta et al, 2013;Shen et al, 2010). The primary area of potential for improving productivity is within the collaboration between parties (Maqbool and Rashid, 2017;Bemelmans et al, 2012;Björnfot and Torjussen, 2012;Dubois and Gadde, 2002;Tan et al, 2011) -and this is precisely the subject, which this article deals with. The intention of the study presented is to unravel the mystery about the situational aspects of different collaboration components.…”

Contractor practices for managing extended supply chain tiers

“…However, management of extended supply chain actors by contractor firms do not usually go beyond Tier 1 suppliers (that is immediate subcontractors or suppliers to contractors) as very few suppliers own all the activities along the chain (Vrijhoef and Koskela, 2000;Humphreys et al, 2003;Briscoe and Dainty, 2005;Bemelmans et al, 2012a, b). Further to this many supply firms in the industry refrain from being transparent and open about their supply chains (Briscoe and Dainty, 2005).…”