Developing a continuous improvement perspective for subcontractor involvement in the industrialised housebuilding supply chain

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to identify those factors, which will improve the collaboration between industrialised housebuilding (IHB) companies and their subcontractors within continuous improvement (CI) programmes. These factors will enhance the supply chain (SC) efficiency and productivity, eliminating obstacles when designing, implementing and managing CI programmes within IHB SC. Design/methodology/approach An explorative case study with a mixed-method approach was conducted within an IHB SC. To collect data, participant observation and guided interviews were applied. A stakeholder analysis was conducted to structure their guiding principles. A causal loop diagram (CLD) analysis was used to model the effects on and relationships within a SC and their impact on the involvement of subcontractors. Findings The influences on the stakeholders and the guidelines under which they work are defined. Potential conflicts of interest between stakeholders are identified. A CLD is used to model a better understanding of system behaviour impacting on the relationships within the SC and on subcontractor involvement. The results provide a number of factors that need to be considered when designing, implementing and managing a CI programme. Research limitations/implications The research suggests better ways to use subcontractors’ specific knowledge of on-site processes such that productivity and efficiency are enhanced. Improvements within the construction supply chain (CSC) will, in the future, not be limited to small improvement gains at company level. Originality/value This paper extends the body of knowledge in CSC management by revealing factors important for designing, implementing and managing CI programmes, which enables the successful involvement of subcontractors in CI on SC level.

The role of power-based behaviours on pharmaceutical supply chain resilience

“…Thus, evidence was collected using the exploratory sequential mixed method design (Venkatesh et al, 2016). The mixed-methods research design has been used extensively in supply chain management studies (Ali and Gölgeci, 2020;Grenzfurtner and Gronalt, 2020;Choudhary et al, 2021). The mixed-method research design was considered appropriate for this study as it provides a more rigorous methodology.…”

A Systematic Review on Supply Chain Management in Prefabricated House-Building Research

“…Long-term relationship requires a high level of trust. [118] stated that stakeholders only share their know-how of prefab systems if they have mutual trust. PHB companies that rely on specific prefab technology must also build confidence with providers and suppliers.…”

“…Further, knowledge exchanges remain a serious issue among the stakeholders of prefab projects. A recent study detailed the relationship between human capital and innovation performance of enterprise and knowledge sharing [120], which is also linked with the long term relationship with other stakeholders [118]. Logistics is a crucial SC process for PHB companies and outsourcing this has the potential to share some of the performance risks.…”

“…For example, customer needs are well established in simple offsite products, using low prefab work, then complex modular products with mass customisation. Another study associated continuous improvement from an organisation perspective with customer satisfaction and feedback [118]. Relational marketing is comparatively less addressed in the research and focuses on long-lasting relationships with customers through interactions and exchange [134].…”