Procurement impacts on construction supply chains: UK experiences

SCM has long been advocated as a means of improving the performance of supply chains in construction. SCM can be defined as a network of different organisations, linked upstream and downstream in a chain, aiming to produce quality and value in the services and products for the end consumers through integrated processes and activities. The drive for SCM has frequently come from the public and private sector client base. With one of the purposes being to achieve increased levels of integration of the whole supply chain, the industry has had to respond to drivers embedded in the changed procurement arrangements that have been implemented. This paper reports on an investigation into the impact of changed procurement systems on supply chain firms in the UK. It will discuss different initiatives by clients and by the UK government in order to drive some form of supply chain integration.