Procurement

About: Procurement is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 25669 publications have been published within this topic receiving 334145 citations.

Selecting Design-Build: Public and Private Sector Owner Attitudes

Abstract: Modern owners of constructed facilities are increasingly investigating a variety of alternative procurement methods. These methods include design-build, turnkey, and construction management. To effectively service this market-driven expansion of project delivery strategies in the construction community, a fundamental understanding of owner attitudes is required. This paper discusses results of research conducted to address owners' attitudes toward one specific alternative contracting method, design-build. A tremendous growth in design-build and limited existence of documented research on owner's attitudes toward design-build necessitate a focus on this particular delivery strategy. Primary design-build selection factors identified and analyzed include establishing cost, reducing cost, establishing schedule, shortening duration, reducing claims, large project size/complexity, and constructability/innovation. Additionally, a comparison of private and public owner design-build attitudes is documented.

A rework reduction model for construction projects

Abstract: Rework is an endemic problem in building construction projects and is an area of research that has received limited attention. Recent research has shown that rework is the primary cause of time and schedule overruns in projects and that rework levels do not significantly differ between current procurement methods despite calls from government for the use of more integrated procurement approaches such as design-and-construct to improve project performance. To reduce the incidence of rework throughout the construction supply chain, data from 161 completed projects were gathered using a questionnaire survey. Stepwise multiple regression was used to determine the significant variables that contributed to rework in projects. In conjunction with previously reported research, these variables were used to develop an alternative procurement model for reducing rework in projects. It is suggested that the proposed model could be used to stimulate interorganizational relations and promote teambuilding during the formative stages of a project, which is essential for reducing design-related reworking.

Institutional reform in British construction: partnering and private finance

Abstract: The British construction industry is presently going through a period of rapid change. A combination of government-led reform initiatives, changes in government procurement strategies, and increasing exposure to international competition is focusing minds and shifting positions. This paper provides an analysis of the institutional aspects of these changes, identifying the root of the problems that the reforms are tackling, and indicating what the prospects of success might be. The paper starts with a historical overview of the evolution of what is here called the professional system, which has dominated the British industry for 150 years. This provides the context for the exploration of the two principal forces for change in the industry - the reform of contractual relations, especially the diffusion of partnering, and the shift of government procurement towards concession contracting in the shape of the Private Finance Initiative. In conclusion, the prospects for success are discussed, noting that the Br...