Qualitative content analysis from the lean construction perspective: A focus on supply chain management

Abstract

The performance of projects in terms of targeted objectives has always been a very contentious issue in the construction industry. The constant issue at stake is the inability of projects to satisfactorily meet agreed delivery targets. In order to address this quagmire, performance  improvement tools such as supply chain management (SCM) were introduced into the industry.
The central theme of this discourse is thus concerned with the need to promote performance improvement in construction through the exploitation of the concepts inherent in SCM from the perspectives of lean construction researchers as documented in the annual International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) conferences. The methodological approach adopted for the discourse is qualitative in nature as recent SCM literatures available on the IGLC web portal were subjected to a qualitative content analysis.
The research outcomes, which have implications for South African construction, attempt to offer solutions to the mirage of performance-related project management and/or supply chain problems, especially in terms of improving ‘how organisations working together’ overcome complexities and deliver value to stakeholders.

Keywords: Content analysis, lean construction, performance, research trends, supply chain management

Die vordering van projekte in terme van objektiewe was altyd ‘n sensitiewe onderwerp in die konstruksie-industrie. Konstante aspekte wat normaalweg ter sprake is, is die onbevoegdheid van spesifieke projekte om voorafbepaalde afleweringsmylpale te behaal. Om hierdie onbevoegdhede teen te werk, is prestasieverbeteringshulpmiddels soos voorsieningsketting kennisbestuur in die praktyk voorgestel.
Die sentrale tema van hierdie aspekte is dus gemoeid met die behoefte om prestasie-verbetering in konstruksie deur middel van die eksplorasie (uitbuiting) van die konsepte inherent in prestasieverbeteringshulpmiddels uit die perspektiewe van lean konstruksie navorsers, soos gedokumenteer in die jaarlikse International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC)-konferensies, te bevorder. Die metode wat gevolg is, was kwalitatief van aard aangesien die nuutste literatuurnavorsing bekikbaar op die IGLC-webportaal kwalitatief van aard was.
Die navorsingsuitkoms van hierdie studie, wat implikasies vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksie-industrie inhou, het gepoog om sekere oplossings aan te bied wat prestasie georiënteerde aspekte van projekbestuur en/of voorsieningsketting kennisbestuur probleme teen te kan werk en om alle betrokkenes behulpsaam te kan wees om saam te werk met die doel om afleweringsmylpale te behaal.

Sleutelwoorde: Konteksanalise, lean konstruksie, prestasie, bevoegdheid, navorsingspatrone, voorsieningsketting kennisbestuur

Article text in English