Karacigan, A; Cağlayan, S; Tezel, A and Özorhon, B (2025) Strategic roadmap to achieve successful implementation of blockchain technology in construction contract management. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(11): 04025185, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
As digital transformation accelerates, innovation has become vital for enhancing organizational competitiveness in the construction industry. Despite this progress, contract management remains hindered by inadequate information sharing, payment delays, and supply chain inefficiencies. Blockchain technology offers a promising solution, as it introduces a transformative paradigm for managing construction contracts. This study investigates the impact of blockchain technology implementation on construction contract management and explores strategies to facilitate its implementation. Through a comprehensive literature review, the research identified critical factors influencing its integration, including stakeholder commitment, regulatory issues, technological infrastructure, and managerial aspects. Based on these insights, an initial framework is developed to illustrate the interactions among these factors. A questionnaire survey is then conducted with selectively targeted participants with relevant experience. The collected data are analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), and a focus group study is conducted to validate the findings. The study culminates in a strategic roadmap designed to guide the adoption of blockchain technology in construction contract management, which offers a comprehensive perspective and provides practical strategic recommendations. Its key novelty lies in its specific focus on blockchain-enabled construction contract management, distinguishing it from prior country-specific or use-case-limited roadmaps. Findings reveal that the immature industry does not deter motivated companies from implementing blockchain technology driven by the integration of advanced digital solutions. Blockchain technology primarily enhances data management, monitoring, and knowledge-sharing processes, enabling more informed decision-making, which highlights its potential to improve overall industry efficiency. By exploring blockchain's potential and revealing the critical factors, this research provides valuable insights for organizations considering its implementation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | blockchain technology; contract management; innovation; strategic roadmap |
| Index terms: | questionnaire, integration, decision-making, survey, structural equation modelling, strategy, literature review, commitment, focus group, contract management, blockchain, implementation, interaction, construction industry, construction contract, information sharing, competitiveness, monitoring, paradigm, critical factor, transformation, data management, efficiency |
| Subjects: | market analysis, behavioral psychology, contract management, psychology, contractual arrangements, contract type, decision analysis, data management, organizational analysis, statistical analysis, industry analysis, performance management, data exchange, education and knowledge transfer, management, data analysis and analytics, business, risk assessment, data collection methods, computing systems, control systems |
| Topics: | Site Management, Organizational Design, Contract Administration, Digital Applications, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Quality Management, Procurement, Risk Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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