Developing an expert system for project procurement

Abstract

This chapter presents a research carried out in Hong Kong on procurement selection. The research is aimed at developing an expert system to aid the selection of the most appropriate procurement system. A procurement categorization is developed to reflect the current procurement practice in Hong Kong. The model is based on a set of criteria and utility factors derived from ten local experts through four rounds of Delphi survey. A statistically significant consensus on the weighting of the utility factors for each procurement system is obtained. The set of selection criteria and the corresponding utility factors are used to develop a procurement selection model. The multiattribute model consists of a set of client's criteria—price competition, time predictability, availability of competent contractors, and flexibility for changes. The results reveal that Delphi method is a powerful and appropriate technique in deriving objective opinions in a rather subjective area such as the multiattribute model for the selection of procurement system.