Anna Fredriksson, Ahmet Anil Sezer and Viktoria Sundquist
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether construction logistics services are still carried out mostly in an ad hoc manner, or has advanced to a more standardized…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether construction logistics services are still carried out mostly in an ad hoc manner, or has advanced to a more standardized, strategically implemented practice and to explore different actors’ attitudes towards construction logistics.
Design/methodology/approach
Unlike previous studies of construction logistics, relying on single or multiple case studies, a survey was designed to deliver a generalizable snapshot of contemporary industry practices and the status of construction logistics. A total of 902 responses from the Swedish construction industry were collected with the help of the industry wide questionnaire.
Findings
The results show that construction logistics setups (CLSs) are only used by 14% of the responding organizations, which confirms that construction logistics services are still mostly carried out in an ad hoc manner. This may change considering that respondents with more experience in the industry claim an increased demand for CLSs. The ad hoc approach is less common among contractors than other types of organizations and large organizations. Furthermore, there is a more positive attitude towards the benefits of construction logistics among the respondents from organizations having a standard CLS.
Originality/value
This is the first industry wide survey presenting the status of implementation level of standardized logistics services in the construction industry and the attitudes among industry actors towards logistics.
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Anna Dubois, Kajsa Hulthén and Viktoria Sundquist
The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse how different ways of organising transport and logistics activities in construction impact on efficiency. The paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse how different ways of organising transport and logistics activities in construction impact on efficiency. The paper scrutinises three particular transport and logistics configurations: the de-centralised coordinated configuration, the on-site coordinated configuration and the supply network coordinated configuration.
Design/methodology/approach
Three configurations are derived from the literature and from case studies. The efficiency of the three configurations is analysed on three levels of analysis: the construction site, the supply chain, and across supply chains and construction sites.
Findings
The paper concludes that there are possibilities to enhance efficiency on all three levels of analysis by widening the scope of coordination beyond the individual construction site.
Practical implications
The analysis points to efficiency potentials in applying the supply network coordinated configuration, although this configuration puts high demands on collaboration amongst the actors involved.
Originality/value
The paper provides illustration, and explanation, of the efficiency potentials involved in the three configurations.
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Anna Dubois, Klas Hedvall and Viktoria Sundquist
The purpose of this paper is to inquire into how conceptualising is done in the industrial network approach (INA).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to inquire into how conceptualising is done in the industrial network approach (INA).
Design/methodology/approach
The description and analysis of conceptualising is based on key INA references and an example illustrating the characteristics of conceptualising in individual studies.
Findings
The paper concludes that there is an open and interactive way of conceptualising in the INA. The empirical and theoretical grounding achieved through combining concepts in individual empirical studies interplays with conceptual development in the research community over time.
Research limitations/implications
Three paradoxes are suggested for further discussion of conceptualising as a key element in theorising in the INA community.
Originality/value
By explicating how INA researchers engage in conceptualising both in individual empirical studies and as a community, the authors identify characteristics similar to the empirical phenomena in focus of the research: interaction, combining and heterogeneity of concepts.
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Viktoria Sundquist, Kajsa Hulthén and Lars Erik Gadde
Partnering has been at the top of the management agenda in the construction industry for many years as a means of improving performance. Previous research shows that partnering…
Abstract
Purpose
Partnering has been at the top of the management agenda in the construction industry for many years as a means of improving performance. Previous research shows that partnering has not reached the desired level of strategic partnering, but stopped at project partnering. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical framing for transformation from project partnering towards strategic partnering with suppliers.
Design/methodology/approach
The framework is based on two building blocks: a case study of a contractor involved in implementing strategic partnering with four of its suppliers and a literature review dealing with partnering in construction; and models for close and long-term buyer-supplier collaboration in other contexts.
Findings
Transformation towards strategic partnering should preferably be based on extension of project partnering in two dimensions: extension in time through relationship development with suppliers and extension in space through increasing network orientation across projects.
Practical implications
Succeeding with relationship development and network orientation requires contractors to abandon two significant aspects of established construction logic that serve as significant implementation barriers. Competitive bidding in single projects needs to be replaced by collaboration over series of projects. The decentralisation of authority to the project level needs to be supplemented with increasing centralised decision making.
Originality/value
Previous research showed that despite the considerable interest in partnering there is a lack of systematic theorizing of the phenomenon. This paper contributes to theoretical anchoring through the combining of the case study and the literature review in the abductive approach applied.
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Viktoria Sundquist and Lisa Melander
This paper aims to investigate how various organizational interfaces between firms, units and functions, and the interplay between them, are developed and mobilized in product…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how various organizational interfaces between firms, units and functions, and the interplay between them, are developed and mobilized in product development processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical framework is based on the industrial network approach, including interactive resource development and the concept of organizational interfaces. A single case study is conducted at a world-leading industrial tool manufacturer, illustrating how resources are combined over time, crossing boundaries of firms, units and functions in the development of a hand-held digitalized tool for quality assurance in the production of cars. Data have been collected through semi-structured interviews, with additional data in the form of project reports, internal documents and practices for external collaboration.
Findings
In addition to inter-organizational interfaces, the study identifies a typology of scouting, embarking and integration interfaces at unit level (geographically spread units of one multinational corporation) and interpretation and reciprocal interfaces at function level. The conclusions show that these interfaces affect the outcome of three aspects of the product development process: product characteristics and functionality features, system integration and organizational network extent. Existing interfaces serve as a platform for developing interaction further and provide the interfaces with new content, thus moving between different types of interfaces. Product development processes also involve new interfaces where there was no previous interaction between the parties.
Research limitations/implications
This research has implications for the interplay between interfaces in cases involving multiple external and internal actors in resource combining efforts.
Practical implications
External interactions between firms influence and impact internal activities and resources. Managers need to be aware of the complex interdependencies between external and internal interfaces and resources. Managing organizational interfaces is about both exploiting established interfaces and developing new ones. Consequently, existing interfaces may be activated differently to align with new interaction purposes, which, in turn, requires efforts to combine resources according to the new conditions.
Originality/value
Previous research contains a typology of organizational interfaces between customers and suppliers. The study expands on this research by identifying internal interfaces between units and functions.