A contractor's perception on early contractor involvement

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the perception of a contractor on early contractor involvement (ECI) type of construction project delivery approach in terms of its benefits and drawbacks. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted on various professionals of a contractor, who had extensive experience of working in ECI. Findings: The ECI approach increases the opportunity for better relationships among the parties, which assist the design process from contractor's input and eventually lead to successful delivery of the project. On the other hand, unequal commitment and lack of win-win attitude between the parties are seen as the most important drawbacks that hinder integration in ECI approach. It is also observed that benefits from ECI are likely to outweigh the drawbacks. Originality/value: Construction projects are different, requiring adjustments, even within generic procurement or delivery approaches, in order to build a harmonious team, to allow project participants to work together and deliver an improved project. This study contributes to devising and demonstrating such a strategy, focusing on ECI approach.