Bringing planning back into the picture: how can supply chain planning aid in dealing with supply chain-related problems in construction?

Thunberg, M and Fredriksson, A (2018) Bringing planning back into the picture: how can supply chain planning aid in dealing with supply chain-related problems in construction? Construction Management and Economics, 36(8), pp. 425-442. ISSN 01446193

Abstract

There are several supply chain-related problems facing the construction industry, such as poor construction site logistics, lack of communication and trust. These problems can jeopardize construction projects through delays and cost overruns. Supply chain planning, a part of supply chain management (SCM), can be used as a tool to deal with these problems. The purpose of this paper is to study how linkages between common supply chain-related problems in construction can be illustrated and to demonstrate how they could be resolved through supply chain planning. Firstly, we identify how the linkages between common problems can be illustrated, and secondly the role of supply chain planning in resolving these problems. A conceptual model is developed that was verified using three cases with Swedish gypsum and kitchen supply chains. The model is shown to be useful in illustrating how supply chain problems occurring at executional level on-site are related to problems originating in lack of planning at company/pre-construction level. The study thus demonstrates how supply chain planning can aid in resolving supply chain problems. The paper contributes by bringing planning back into the picture and by showing how supply chain planning can help to adopt SCM in construction.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: planning; supply chain management; supply chain planning; Swedish construction industry
Index terms: construction project, construction site, gypsum, construction industry, supply chain planning, pre-construction, cost overrun, linkage
Subjects: production management, supply chain planning, industry analysis, business, financial and cost management, project delivery, building materials, work location
Topics: Site Management, Supply Chain Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Project Management, Business Strategy, Cost Management
Descriptive scope: 3 PCT

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