A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Improving construction productivity: a subcontractor's perspective
– Surprisingly, given the prominence and front-line role of subcontractors in the construction industry, their perspective is almost completely absent from construction productivity literature. Existing research in this area presents a highly one-sided principal contractor perspective and there are very few insights into what subcontractors think. The purpose of this paper is to address the imbalance by investigating the determinants of construction productivity from a subcontractor's perspective.
– Focus groups with 71 of Australia's leading tier-one subcontractors were conducted with the aim of exploring their insights into the productivity challenge.
– The findings indicate that the main determinants of productivity for subcontractors are: the quality of relationships with principal contractors; opportunity for early involvement in design; transparent tender practices; growing administration and document control; design management; project management and supervisory skills, particularly in planning, scheduling and coordination; risk management and; industrial relations (IR).
– This research was conducted in Australia and similar research needs to be conducted in other countries to cross-reference and validate the results more widely.
– In practical terms, a “culture” of productivity improvement will need to be “nurtured” across the business and supply chain if productivity is to be improved. In particular contractors should avoid bid shopping, respect subcontractor IP and talk to subcontractors earlier in a project.
– By respecting the opinions of subcontractors who employ the vast majority of workers in the construction industry, productivity and employment can be increased.
– The focus group results add significantly to a more balanced understanding of what has hitherto been a one-sided principal contractor focused debate.
Improving construction productivity: a subcontractor's perspective
– Surprisingly, given the prominence and front-line role of subcontractors in the construction industry, their perspective is almost completely absent from construction productivity literature. Existing research in this area presents a highly one-sided principal contractor perspective and there are very few insights into what subcontractors think. The purpose of this paper is to address the imbalance by investigating the determinants of construction productivity from a subcontractor's perspective.
– Focus groups with 71 of Australia's leading tier-one subcontractors were conducted with the aim of exploring their insights into the productivity challenge.
– The findings indicate that the main determinants of productivity for subcontractors are: the quality of relationships with principal contractors; opportunity for early involvement in design; transparent tender practices; growing administration and document control; design management; project management and supervisory skills, particularly in planning, scheduling and coordination; risk management and; industrial relations (IR).
– This research was conducted in Australia and similar research needs to be conducted in other countries to cross-reference and validate the results more widely.
– In practical terms, a “culture” of productivity improvement will need to be “nurtured” across the business and supply chain if productivity is to be improved. In particular contractors should avoid bid shopping, respect subcontractor IP and talk to subcontractors earlier in a project.
– By respecting the opinions of subcontractors who employ the vast majority of workers in the construction industry, productivity and employment can be increased.
– The focus group results add significantly to a more balanced understanding of what has hitherto been a one-sided principal contractor focused debate.
Improving construction productivity: a subcontractor's perspective
Loosemore, Martin (author)
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management ; 21 ; 245-260
2014-05-13
16 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Improving construction productivity: a subcontractor's perspective
| Online Contents | 2014
Subcontracting - the subcontractor's view
| British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996
Study on specialty subcontractor's behaviors
| British Library Online Contents | 2000
| British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994