| Author: | Yevu, Sitsofe Kwame |
| Title: | Electronic procurement adoption for construction projects in Ghana : model development for the influential issues |
| Advisors: | Yu, T. W. Ann (BRE) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Subject: | Construction industry -- Ghana -- Management Industrial procurement Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Building and Real Estate |
| Pages: | xxiii, 295 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The digital evolution of procurement activities in the construction industry through electronic procurement systems (EPSs), has been essential in improving efficiency and facilitating sustainable construction globally. EPSs refer to the use of online or web-based systems to digitize and automate procurement processes/activities at various stages of construction projects. Over the past two decades, several governments and industry agencies have made efforts to transform construction procurement (CP), since CP offers a vital artery in the delivery of projects and an avenue to facilitate construction's fourth revolution. However, the adoption and use of EPSs in CP is influenced by various influential issues that are webbed in complexity, making its implementation difficult in project environments. To effectively accelerate EPSs implementation in CP, it is important to understand the influential issues in their adoption, especially from the developing economies context. This study aims to examine the complex issues influencing EPSs uptake in construction projects. Accordingly, five objectives were developed: (1) to identify the important EPSs benefit drivers and to examine the influences of the benefit drivers in EPSs adoption process in Ghana; (2) to identify quantifiable EPSs benefit drivers for evaluation in Ghana; (3) to identify the critical barriers to EPSs implementation in construction procurement and model their influential relationship patterns on EPSs uptake in Ghana; (4) to determine the important strategies for EPSs implementation and evaluate their synergistic influences in the promotion of EPSs implementation in Ghana; and (5) to develop an implementation model based on the results of this study, to aid in the promotion and implementation of EPSs in the construction industry in Ghana. Though, EPSs implementation have gained traction in past studies, the complex synergistic influences of these issues are scarce and studies addressing the developing economies context, including Ghana, are inadequate. The study's objectives were achieved through multistage processes involving comprehensive literature reviews and surveys with procurement practitioners having experience in EPSs implementation. The data were analyzed using different quantitative analytical techniques. Concerning EPSs benefit drivers, the benefit groups with significant influential forces when combined, to create a suitable environment are related to - integrity and environment, process optimization, fairness and conformance, information integration, client and smart resource system. Although, all the benefit groups obtained high influence levels in the fuzzy model, the driving forces with relatively higher weights were integrity and environment-related forces and process optimization-related forces. Regarding quantitative evaluation of EPSs benefits based on the priority model, effective monitoring of process (real time), reducing cycle times for process and transaction, enhancing regulatory compliance on contracts, improved communication with stakeholders, client satisfaction and access to internet intelligent tools for decision-making, were preferred from the respective benefit groups for quantitative assessments. On the influences of barriers to EPSs, five underlying barriers were identified; human-related barriers, technological risk-related barriers, government-related barriers, industry growth-related barriers and financial-related barriers. By applying the neuro-fuzzy model, various influence patterns of the barriers were identified, with addressing human-related barriers and technological risk-related barriers/government-related barriers being a key path of reducing the hindrance to EPSs implementation. For the strategies promoting EPSs implementation, five clusters of strategies were derived; technology education, innovation culture management, technology stimulation environment, incentives and partnerships mechanisms and organizational integration support. Hybrid-approaches for combining the strategies were derived and how their application could be optimized in project situations for effective promotion of EPSs in project environments were established using the neuro-fuzzy model. In consolidating the study's findings, an implementation system model was developed to facilitate the widespread use of EPSs in Ghana considering the variabilities in project environments. Further, the implementation system model was validated by industry practitioners for credibility, practicality and reliability. This study makes valuable contributions to EPSs literature, especially on the dynamic influence relationships among the influential issues of EPSs adoption in construction projects. The added value of the study does not only lie in aiding researchers and policy makers to understand the complexities of issues influencing EPSs uptake, but also to encourage practitioners for widespread implementation of EPSs in Ghana. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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