Gosling, J and Naim, M M (2009) Coping with project uncertainty in construction supply chains. In: Dainty, A R J (ed.) Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2009, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Uncertainties affecting supply chain operations are recognised as significant obstacles to achieving value for customers. One strategy for coping with uncertainty is to build flexibility into the supply chain, but this has rarely been discussed in the context of construction. Two key research questions are considered: what are the sources of supply chain uncertainty in construction supply chains? and what types of flexibilities are required to mitigate these uncertainties?' These uncertainties are investigated via a case study of a main contractor including three projects and nine suppliers. A generic list of uncertainties is developed and grouped according to different sources of supply chain uncertainty. Flexibility types are then mapped onto these uncertainties to highlight which types of flexibility are needed to respond to different uncertainties.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | flexibility; risk; supply chain management; uncertainty |
| Index terms: | main contractor, case study, construction supply chain, project uncertainty, coping, strategy |
| Subjects: | project management theory and practice, management, practitioner, construction logistics, behavioral psychology, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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