The role of the supply chain in the elimination and
reduction of construction rework and defects: an
action research approach

Taggart, M; Koskela, LJ; Rooke, JA

Abstract

Since 2007, Ireland has suffered a circa 80% reduction in construction output. This has
resulted in bankruptcy, unemployment and bad debt. Contractors have attached greater
emphasis to production efficiency and cost reduction as a means of survival. An Action
Research (AR) strategy was used in this research to improve processes adopted by a SME
contractor for the control of defects in its supply chain. It is conservatively estimated that
rework, typically accounts for, circa 5% of total project costs. Rework is wasteful and
presents an obvious target for improvement. The research reported here concerns the (first)
diagnosing stage of the AR cycle only, involving: observation of fieldwork, analysis of
contract documents, and semi-structured interviews with supply chain members. The results
indicate potential for supply chain participants to identify root causes of defects and propose
solutions, having regard to best practice to avoid re-occurrence. A lack of collaborative
forums to contribute to production improvement was identified. Additionally the processes,
used to collect, manage and disseminate data were unstructured and uncoordinated, indicating
scope for developing more efficient methods. The research indicates good understanding of
the potential benefits for supply chain collaboration but suggests that the tools and knowledge
to collaborate are currently lacking in the SME sector.

Citation

action research approach. Construction Management and Economics, 32(7-8), 829-842. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2014.904965

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 12, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Apr 22, 2014
• Publication Date: Apr 22, 2014
• Deposit Date: Mar 21, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 21, 2014
• Journal: Construction Management and Economics
• Print ISSN: 0144-6193
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 7-8
• Pages: 829-842
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2014.904965
• Keywords: Action research, defects, rework, snagging, supply chain collaboration
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2014.904965
• Related Public URLs: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2013-0503-0512_Taggart_Koskela_Rooke.pdf