Supply chain management for prefabricated building projects in Hong Kong

Abstract

Prefabricated building projects (PBPs) have gained worldwide popularity over the past few decades because of their various benefits. Supply chain management (SCM) is critical to the successful delivery of PBPs because supply chains are complex, involving multiple processes and stakeholders. Poor SCM in PBPs causes cost overruns and schedule delays. This study investigates production, transportation, and assembly in a PBP in Hong Kong to quantitatively analyze and critique its SCM. Automated data collection technologies were adopted to obtain real-time information on precast components throughout the supply chain. Findings from the study show that limited consideration of resource planning, significant assembly delay, overproduction, excess inventory, and long lead times are severe problems. The root causes of these problems include poor supply chain planning, poor communication between stakeholders, and poor workflow control. This study objectively reveals the true picture of SCM for PBPs using real-time information on an entire supply chain. The results provide an in-depth understanding of SCM in PBPs, which will be of great value to stakeholders in improving PBP supply chain performance.