Niu, Y; Lu, W; Liu, D; Chen, K C; Anumba, C A and Huang, G G (2017) An sco-enabled logistics and supply chain-management system in construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(3): 04016103, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Logistic and supply-chain management (LSCM) is of paramount importance to a construction project but is often problematic. Many researchers see LSCM per se as a web of decisions to be made, and attribute problems to a lack of process and information concurrence. This is exacerbated by fragmentation, discontinuity, and heterogeneity in construction LSCM. The bidirectional information flow remains unachieved in the existing sensing-based systems for construction LSCM. Without panoramically interconnecting to other smart abilities such as an automatic action-taking ability, most existing sensing-based systems are insufficient to realize their full potential in facilitating construction LSCM. Building on previous studies on smart construction objects (SCOs), this paper aims to develop an SCO-enabled system that can enhance concurrence of process and information, with a view to informing better decision making in construction LSCM. It does so by first analyzing the problems in prevailing LSCM practices using business process reengineering. Based on this analysis, the architecture for an SCO-enabled LSCM system is proposed and developed into a prototype. Then the system is calibrated and validated in the rich context of offshore prefabrication housing production in Hong Kong. It is found that SCOs, with their properties of awareness, communicativeness, and autonomy built into a smart management system, can supplement the existing LSCM process with more-concurrent decision making information. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in two areas. It adds to the theoretical debate on decision making by arguing the importance of information and process concurrence and trying to explicate it in the context of construction LSCM. In addition, the SCO-enabled LSCM system can be implemented in real-life practice to alleviate the many problems existing in construction LSCM.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | business process reengineering; information and process concurrence; logistics and supply-chain management; project planning and design; smart construction objects |
| Index terms: | housing, project planning, construction logistics, information flow, Hong Kong, fragmentation, decision-making, prototype, prefabrication, body of knowledge, construction project, management system |
| Subjects: | construction type, decision analysis, business, knowledge management, construction logistics, building construction, Geography, modelling and simulation, management, information systems, control systems, production management |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Construction Technology, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Information Management, Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Risk Management, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here