Proceedings of the 6th Business & Management Conference, Geneva

A DIAGNOSTIC REVIEW OF THE BARRIERS TO SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAINS

CHENGEDZAI MAFINI , POOBIE PILLAY

Abstract:

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to the global economy. It has, however, been experiencing noteworthy challenges due to multifaceted factors, some of which are related to supply chain management. In this study, we identified the barriers to supply chain management in the construction industry and how these can be overcome. A review of related literature was conducted, after which a qualitative approach was adopted for the empirical portion of the study. The latter involved two focus group interviews and 15 semi-structured interviews held with supply chain managers drawn from the South African construction industry. A thematic analysis of responses revealed seven themes, namely procurement practices and capacity, construction supply chain management structure, supply chain integration, relationships and coordination in supply chains, supply chain collaborations, supply chain leadership management and logistics management. These themes represent the barriers to effective supply chain management and signify areas deserving attention in the diagnoses of supply chain related problems in the construction industry. The study concludes by suggesting practices that could be implemented to overcome these barriers.

Keywords: Construction industry, supply chain management, procurement practices, supply chain integration, supply chain collaboration, supply chain leadership management, logistics management

DOI: 10.20472/BMC.2017.006.009

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