The four roles of supply chain management in construction

It is argued that due to construction peculiarities, supply chain management has four specific roles in construction. Practical initiatives in each role to advance the construction supply chain are analysed. The present status of construction supply chains is investigated by means of case studies and a comparison with previous research. Three main conclusions are drawn regarding the present status. Firstly, even in normal situations the construction supply chain has a large quantity of waste and problems. Secondly, most of these are caused in another stage of the construction supply chain than when detected. Thirdly, waste and problems are largely caused by obsolete, myopic control of the construction supply chain. These results concur with the findings made on make-to-order supply chains in general. Finally, the subjective and objective limitations of the four roles are analysed, this being based on empirical findings and the generic theory of supply chain management.