Contractor Selection Research Articles

Critical attributes for selecting contractors for long-term collaborative relationships

The construction industry is increasingly embracing long-term collaborative relationships for project delivery. Since it is not all contractors that are suitable for collaboration and long-term relationships, and most clients are familiar with traditional practices of selecting contractors, there is need for an understanding on the critical attributes to consider in selecting contractors for long-term collaborative relationship contracts. The aim of this study is to determine the appropriate attributes required of contractors to successfully perform in long-term collaborative relationship contracts. The qualitative research methodology was adopted in this study, consisting of multiple case studies of organisations employing framework contracts in South Africa. Data for the study were collected via semi-structured interviews with 16 key informants of eight purposively selected organisations. The data were analysed with the aid of Nvivo 11 qualitative data analysis software utilising thematic qualitative data analysis techniques and presented using word clouds and direct quotes from key informants. The findings indicate that the critical attributes to consider when selecting contractors for long-term collaborative relationships are: team working attribute, commitment, innovativeness, and attributes relating to the behaviour and attitude of the contractors, such as openness, honesty, trust, transparency, ethical and being realistic. These critical attributes are add-ons to other general attributes (such as technical capacity, experience, and price) for contractor selection which are already sufficiently articulated in literature. The study result provides knowledge that can aid better decision making in selecting appropriate contractor for long-term collaborative relationship contracts in the construction Industry

The effect of price on the quality of public construction in Japan

We examine whether the price affects the contractor’s choice of quality using the ex-post quality evaluation data of public construction projects conducted by Ise City in Japan. Ise City employs a sealed-bid first-price auction with reserve and minimal prices in the selection of contractors. Upon completion of the project, Ise City evaluates the quality of the work using a 100-point scale score based on items such as administration, safety, time management, external appearance, and functionality. Our results show that the winning price in the auction does not affect the quality of the work. We discuss several reasons behind this finding.

Investigating critical risk factors of selecting joint venture contractors for infrastructure projects implementation in Vietnam

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the major risks of joint venture contractor selection for infrastructure project implementation in Vietnam, and to explore the relationship between risk factors used for risk ranking and mitigation. From a literature review, together with expert group discussion, a list of potential risk factors was identified and used for questionnaire survey design. In this study, 100 survey responses were received from professional practitioners in Vietnam used to investigate their perceptions regarding the probability of risk occurrence and the severity of risk impacts on contractor joint venture selection. Factor analysis was performed based on a total of 32 main risk factors identified. Results reveal that seven main risk factors were extracted as follows: financial and economic risk, professional competence risk, joint venture organizational risk, joint venture legal risk, construction implementation collaboration risk, natural environment impact and pandemic risk, and construction site supervision risk. This study enables us to understand latent risk from a practitioner’s viewpoint. The findings of this study are beneficial for both the construction contractors involved in the joint venture form and the decision-makers who establish contractor selection strategies for complicated infrastructure projects in the context of developing countries.

Building Construction Clients’ Design Consultant and Contractor Selection Criteria Versus Post-Occupancy Satisfaction Levels

In today’s competitive building construction markets, achieving clients’ satisfaction is of utmost importance. The choice of a design consultant and a contractor for a building project has a crucial influence on the post-occupancy satisfaction of the client. Hence, this study provides insights into private building construction clients’ perceptions of a set of criteria contributing to their selections of design consultant and contractor together with the resulting post-occupancy overall client satisfaction levels eventually reached, by presenting survey findings of 330 clients in North Cyprus construction market. Unlike previous studies, the current study combined all the interrelated and vital stages of design consultant and contractor selection with post-occupancy client satisfaction levels. A further contribution is differentiating among various types of client groups’ behaviors in each of the three specified stages. Clients in different categories had distinct approach differences in selection stages, and different post-occupancy satisfaction values indicating that firms may benefit from market segmentation. “Residential” and “<120,000£” type building clients were the least satisfied groups, while “project execution stage” and “functionality” emerged as major features creating dissatisfaction. The findings revealed the importance attached by the clients to “references about the firm” in the selection stages and low client satisfaction with the completed projects. Regression analysis findings revealed different design consultant and contractor selection factors predicting overall clients’ satisfaction while assigning high importance to the “cost-effectiveness approach of the firm” emerged as the only strong predictor of dissatisfaction. This study provides a guide for building construction clients to attain higher post-occupancy satisfaction and assists design consultants and contractors in adopting specific customer-focused strategies.

Effects of arm and leg positions on lumbar multifidus muscle activity while on hands and knees or while standing

BackgroundThe lumbar multifidus (LMF) muscle, which is involved in the mechanical stability of the lumbar spine, reportedly undergoes atrophy in patients with low back pain. Preventing or mitigating low back pain requires strengthening the LMF muscle; however, methods for triggering selective and significant contraction of this muscle have not been fully studied. This study aims to clarify how, in the hands-and-knees or standing position, the position of the arm and leg on one side affects the activity of the lumbar erector spinae (LES) and LMF muscles.MethodsWe recruited nine adult men with no prior history of low back pain. Measurements were taken in four different postures under varying conditions (that is, one arm and one leg were lifted in either the hands-and-knees or standing position,) as follows: (1) shoulder joint flexion and hip joint extension in the hands-and-knees position; (2) 90° shoulder joint abduction and hip joint abduction in the hands-and-knees position; (3) shoulder joint flexion and hip joint extension in the standing position; and (4) 90° shoulder joint abduction and hip joint abduction in the standing position. The 90° shoulder joint abduction involved simultaneous horizontal abduction, while the hip joint abduction involved simultaneous extension. Muscle activity of the LES and LMF in each posture was measured using a surface electromyograph.ResultsMuscle activity of the LMF was significantly higher in 90° shoulder joint abduction and hip joint abduction than in shoulder joint flexion and hip joint extension in both the hands-and-knees and standing positions. The LES muscle showed no significant differences in activity between each posture.ConclusionsThe results suggest that unilateral 90° shoulder joint abduction and contralateral hip joint abduction in the hands-and-knees and standing positions may produce selective and significant contraction of the LMF muscle.

Applying the Strategic Health Purchasing Progress Tracking Framework: Lessons from Nine African Countries

ABSTRACT The Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC) developed a framework for tracking strategic purchasing that uses a functional and practical approach to describe, assess, and strengthen purchasing to facilitate policy dialogue within countries. This framework was applied in nine African countries to assess their progress on strategic purchasing. This paper summarizes overarching lessons from the experiences of the nine countries. In each country, researchers populated a Microsoft Excel–based matrix using data collected through document reviews and key informant interviews conducted between September 2019 and March 2021. The matrix documented governance arrangements; core purchasing functions (benefits specification, contracting arrangements, provider payment, and performance monitoring); external factors affecting purchasing; and results attributable to the implementation of these purchasing functions. SPARC and its partners synthesized information from the country assessments to draw lessons applicable to strategic purchasing in Africa. All nine countries have fragmented health financing systems, each with distinct purchasing arrangements. Countries have made some progress in specifying a benefit package that addresses the health needs of the most vulnerable groups and entering into selective contracts with mostly private providers that specify expectations and priorities. Progress on provider payment and performance monitoring has been limited. Overall, progress on strategic purchasing has been limited in most of the countries and has not led to large-scale health system improvements because of the persistence of out-of-pocket payments as the main source of health financing and the high degree of fragmentation, which limits purchasing power to allocate resources and incentivize providers to improve productivity and quality of care.

Investigation of factors responsible for delays in the execution of adequately funded construction projects

Abstract Many research efforts have identified funding as a critical factor responsible for the delays in the execution of construction projects. These funding challenges affect the client and contractors alike. However, there is limited information on why delays occur in sponsored projects with evidently adequate funding. Therefore, the study focuses on exploring the factors that impact the cash flow during the execution of sponsored construction projects. The multiple-site case-study method of qualitative research was adopted, involving five universities benefiting from the infrastructure funding provided by a government agency in Nigeria. The Delphi technique was used for data collection and analysis, complemented with interviews. The findings identified six factors causing the delays. They were divided into internal and external factors. The internal factors are faulty contractor selection processes resulting in delays by contractors and the failure to complete appropriate phases of a project. The external factors include the delays in the project management system of the funding agency in terms of inspection, monitoring, evaluation and progress certification. The research identified that the combined effect of internal and external factors negatively impacts the project cash flow, which in turn influences project delivery delays. Therefore, this study recommends improvements in the in-house contractor selection processes and the decentralisation of the project inspection, monitoring and evaluation operations of the funding agency. This will facilitate timely inspection, audit, and progress certification, enabling the early release of the second tranche of the project fund. This will ameliorate the negative effects arising due to low cash flow and associated delays in project delivery.

IMPROVING THE OWNER-CONTRACTOR RELATIONSHIP THROUGH TRUST-BASED PREQUALIFICATION IN GREEN BUILDING PROJECTS

ABSTRACT A competent contractor can be regarded as a catalyst to deliver a truly sustainable building and thus help to mitigate detrimental impacts to the built environment. The prequalification phase provides confidence to the owner to achieve a project’s sustainability requirements and reinforcing a mutual relationship with the selected contractor. This study proposes a decision framework for green building (GB) prequalification, which aims to improve the owner/contractor relationship. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify prequalification factors. To draw attention to GB projects and trust-based prequalification factors, a focus group discussion was performed with GB experts. A decision framework consisting of 12 relationship-based factors was then subjected to a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (F-DEMATEL) method. The followed methodology aided the determination of the relationship-based prequalification factors, specification of the importance of factor degrees, illustration of the interrelationship among factors and consequently reveal the most causal factors that might contribute significantly to the improvement of the owner and contractor (O&C) relationship in GB projects. Results pointed out the importance of financial factors, while the same factors were found to be the driving force behind the improved relationship between O&C. Pertinent literature on prequalification in GB projects are limited, and no prior indepth study has investigated the prequalification phase based on trust and the mutual relationship between O&C. Highlighting the gap in the literature about trust-based contractor selection models, the proposed study can be useful to minimize conflicts and claims between the O&C, which could positively influence direct owners to consider GB projects.

Impact of New York State's Medicaid Breast Cancer Selective Contracting Policy on Access and Quality of Care Outcomes.

The New York State Medicaid Breast Cancer Selective Contracting policy was implemented in 2009 and mandates that Medicaid enrollees receive breast cancer surgery at high-volume hospital and ambulatory surgery facilities. This article evaluates the policy's impact on 8 access and quality of care measures prepolicy and postpolicy implementation. Linked New York State (NYS) Cancer Registry, Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, and NYS Medicaid encounter and claim data were used to calculate measures. Interrupted time series analysis was conducted to estimate the change in measure rates prepolicy and postpolicy implementation. Findings indicate that the policy was successful in shifting surgeries from low- to high-volume facilities and that high-volume facilities outperformed low-volume facilities on several access and quality of care measures.

An Intuitionistic Extension of the Simple WISP Method.

In this article, we present a new extension of the Integrated Simple Weighted Sum-Product (WISP) method, adapted for intuitionistic numbers. The extension takes advantage of intuitionistic fuzzy sets for solving complex decision-making problems. The example of contractor selection demonstrates the use of the proposed extension.

Fuzzy MCDM Model for Selection of Infectious Waste Management Contractors

Healthcare supply chains are under pressure to drive down costs because of digital business, shifting customer needs and new competition. Medical waste generated from medical facilities includes medical activities and daily-life activities of patients and their family members. According to statistics of the Department of Health Environmental Management, Vietnam currently has more than 13,500 medical facilities, including hospitals from central to provincial and district levels and private hospitals and medical facilities. Preventive medicine generates about 590 tons of medical waste/day and is estimated to be about 800 tons/day. Medical waste includes ordinary medical waste and hazardous medical waste; in which ordinary medical waste accounts for about 80%–90%, only about 10%–20% is hazardous medical waste including infectious waste and non-infectious hazardous waste. This is an environmental and occupational health issue that needs attention in developing countries like Vietnam. Handling large amounts of medical waste to ensure environmental and personal hygiene, doing so inefficiently creates potential hazards to the environment and increases operating costs. However, hospitals lack objective criteria and methods to evaluate and select the most optimal infectious medical waste, relying instead on their own subjective assessment and prior experience. Therefore, the author proposed a fuzzy multicriteria decision making (MCDM) model including Fuzzy Analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the Weighted Aggregated Sum-Product Assessment (WASPAS) for infectious medical waste contractors’ selection in this research. The proposed Fuzzy MCDM method is in-tended to provide a more efficient, accurate method in the selection of infectious medical waste contractors than subjective assessment methods, thus reduce potential risks to hospitals. The results of this study can be applied to evaluate and select contractors in other industries.

Investigation and Improvements of the Existing Best-Value Selection Criteria for Elevator Maintenance Contractors

AbstractThe selection of appropriate maintenance contractors is essential for seamless and uninterrupted availability of elevators. Best value (BV) procurement with well-defined selection criteria ...

DOWNLOAD PDF DOWNLOAD XML AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS ON THE PROCUREMENT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN NIGERIA

The construction industry is a unique industry given the nature of its products and the huge financial requirements necessary for the actualization of these products. The role of the industry as an economic regulator cannot be overemphasized as evident in the amount of spending observed in the industry during periods of economic boom or recession; moreover, the product of the construction industry is consumed by virtually every other industry in the economy. It is common knowledge that construction products are complex in nature and require substantial amount of finance to actualize. Quantity surveyors are construction industry professionals saddled with responsibility of ensuring financial probity in the conceptualization and execution of both new works and refurbishment works in the construction industry; they are critical stakeholders in the construction industry procurement system as they are quite visible in the processes leading to the selection of a suitable contractor. To this end, this paper seeks to portray the critical role of professional ethics in the procurement procedure for construction contracts in the Nigerian construction industry. Recommendations were made on what must be done to eliminate unethical practices in the procurement process including the need for continuous training and re-training of professionals in the construction industry by respective professional bodies to ensure that relevant ethical standards are imbibed this the authors believe will give impetus to sustainable development.

Road Maintenance Administration in Vietnam: Problems and Solutions

Vietnam is in the process of economic transformation which involves lots of requirements for road transport infrastructure development to create a driving force for socio-economic growth and to meet the needs of industrialization and modernization. To have synchronous and sustainable process of developing road infrastructure, maintenance should be paid attention to make the most of the capacity of the existing. Understanding the importance of this work, since 2013, Vietnam Government has issued a relatively sufficient series of policies on road repair and maintenance management. However, there are still shortcomings in road maintenance administration (i.e., discrepancies among legal regulations, challenges in maintenance planning, ineffective selection of contractors, insufficient financing, improper spending, limited introduction of science and technologies), which can hardly be resolved all together at once. The article has studied about the administration and use of the Maintenance Fund and mobilization capital in several countries around the world, at the same time analyzes the status quos of maintenance administration in Viet Nam in the following aspects: management strategies; planning and implementation; policies and regulations on maintenance administration; road quality management; management of maintenance fund, and application of science and technology. Along with the questionnaire in a 3-step approach and SPSS software, the authors have built four groups of influential factors to the road maintenance administration, as well as assessed the level of influence and rationality of each factor. The study then has suggested emergent and practical solutions for more efficient road maintenance management towards sustainable operation of road transport infrastructure.

A Novel Contractor Selection Technique Using the Extended PROMETHEE II Method

Selecting suitable contractors directly influences product quality, corporate profits, and even sustainable development. The selection problem of contractors is, therefore, a critical issue for the sustainable development of an enterprise. However, traditional contractor selection techniques are unable to handle information regarding the relative importance of criteria or handle nonexistent or missing data in the assessment process of contractor selection. In order to effectively address this problem, this study proposes a new contractor selection technique that integrates the concept of soft set and the PROMETHEE II method to select suitable contractors. Three numerical examples are applied to prove the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed technique. This study also compares the simulation results achieved using the proposed method with those achieved using the traditional weighted arithmetic averaging method and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. The simulation results show that the proposed method is a more general contractor selection technique for handling incomplete information than the traditional weighted arithmetic averaging method and the DEA method.

Identification of Health and Safety Prequalification Criteria for Contractor Selection in Construction Projects: A Systematic Review

Selecting an appropriate contractor is a crucial phase that clients normally conduct to execute projects. Extensive research has been conducted on the main contractor selection criteria such as financial stability and technical and management capability. However, few studies focusing on health and safety criteria are being used to assess contractors’ safety performance in the existing selection process. Hence, this paper aims to analyse the existing literature on health and safety criteria for contractor selection in construction. The articles were retrieved using developed search string from renowned databases such as Scopus, Ebscohost, Web of Science, Science Direct and Dimensions. This search resulted in a total of 38 papers which can be systematically reviewed. Six main themes were discovered to represent safety prequalification criteria for construction projects, namely, experience and work history, safety control system, safety policy and management, accident rates and records, safety promotion and environmental concerns. Under these six main themes, there are 25 safety prequalification criteria that have been substantially published in previous literature, and the most-cited criteria are examined. This study brings a significant contribution to construction industry professionals, especially clients, when selecting a capable contractor in construction projects. By identifying the safety prequalification criteria, clients can assess a contractor’s efforts in ensuring safe execution of a project before awarding the contract to them. Additionally, the findings of the present study could contribute towards developing a comprehensive framework on contractor selection criteria that incorporates safety leading and lagging indicators.

FINANCIAL PLANNING OF IMPORT OPERATIONS IN PE "ART-ENERGO"

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to formulate a proposal to improve the technology of planning the supply of goods as part of the financial planning of import operations of PE "Art-Energo" in accordance with the problems identified during the analysis of the enterprise. Among the objectives of the study are: - consideration of the current state and features of the functioning of the system of financial planning of import operations at the enterprise during the analysis of its activities; - identification of the most urgent problem that arises in the supply of goods within the financial planning of import operations of the enterprise; - formation of a proposal to solve the identified problem of financial planning of import operations and justification of its feasibility. Design/methodology/approach. To achieve the goals, special and general scientific methods were used, including: graphic method was used to visualize the cycle of financial planning of imports of PE "Art-Energo"; expert method was used to determine the weight of the criteria for evaluating suppliers in the system of financial planning of import operations of PE "Art-Energo"; comparison was used to justify the most favorable terms of cooperation and to select the best contractors; systematization was used for calculations of liquidity indicators; generalization was used to develop recommendations for working with partners by category in the system of financial planning of import operations of PE "Art-Energo". Findings. In the article is shown that the conditions of cooperation with foreign counterparties directly affect not only the competitiveness of the enterprise, but also the financial performance of its activities. It was found that non-parity terms of cooperation with suppliers can be one of the causes of cash gaps, which in turn leads to the inability of the company to repay its obligations on time and, consequently, to insolvency. It is established that the maneuverability of working capital is significantly reduced with the full advance of products, which is the main condition for cooperation of suppliers with PE "Art-Energo", so there is a need to transform the payment system. In order to increase the efficiency of the technology of planning the supply of goods as part of the financial planning of import operations, it is proposed to introduce a system of supplier evaluation in the activities of the enterprise. The hypothesis of a positive relationship between the introduction of supplier evaluation system as a tool of improvement the financial planning of import operations of PE "Art-Energo" and the growth of the company's ability to pay current liabilities, including timely payments on accounts payable due to operating cash flow is proven. Practical implications. The introduction of a supplier evaluation system based on the evaluation of estimation according to the relevant criteria and the classification of partners by category will help ensure transparency of the contractor selection mechanism, eliminating subjective preferences, thereby minimizing the impact of the human factor. That is why such a way to improve the technology of planning the supply of goods can find practical application not only in the case of PE "Art-Energo", but also for any other trading company. Originality/value. In the article, the authors suggest the use of a supplier evaluation system based on the results of the audit and the assignment of the rating to the contractors, that allow to identify their weaknesses and clearly formulate the tasks that need to be solved by the supplier in order to effectively cooperate with PE "Art-Energo". Eliminating the actual shortcomings of the supply system and the introduction of supplier evaluation system helps the company to reduce costs, risks, increase the quality of goods and ensure the stability of work.

Rheumatology in private practice: yesterday-today-tomorrow

Rheumatologic practices were still rare in the early 1990s and rheumatologic treatment took place mainly in the rheumatology clinics and university rheumatology clinics. In the following decades, the number of the rheumatologists in private practices increased and in the year 2004 about two thirds of the outpatient care were already carried out in private practices. In 2020 a total of 597 rheumatologists out of 1106 nationwide worked in private practices, including 203 who were employed. Since 2008, the number of rheumatologists in medical care centers increased more than the number of rheumatologists in private practice. In 2020 only 75% of panel rheumatologists in private practice were in full-time employment. This development to an altered work mentality of the incoming generation and an age structure in which approximately 30% of panel rheumatologists are older than 60years, threatens a further deterioration of the anyway insufficient outpatient care. In contrast, there are developments that strengthen the outpatient care especially in practices, such as the outpatient specialist medical care and quality-oriented selective contracts as well as rheumatological and immunological laboratory diagnostics. These cornerstones give rheumatology a special position in the panel medical care within the group of specialties in internal medicine and an attractive economic basis. In addition to the medically and scientifically interesting discipline, this could be a further incentive for young trainees to choose rheumatology as a specialty and working in a private practice.

Multi-criteria decision-making model for EPC contractor prequalification: a hybrid approach

PurposeNowadays, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts are being widely used to perform industrial and infrastructure projects because of several reasons like high speed of implementation. However, these contracts are always accompanied by high risks and uncertainties. Thus, selection of the right EPC contractor has significant importance. This paper aims to present a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model for EPC contractor prequalification.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the EPC contractor prequalification criteria are defined by using literature review and interviewing experts. Second, the weights of criteria are determined by interviewing experts. Then, each EPC contractor is evaluated in each criterion. Finally, fuzzy weighted average (FWA) approach is employed to select the right contractor among potential EPC contractors.FindingsThe proposed model is prepared as an applicable model for clients to select the right EPC contractors among contractors who want to conduct the project.Originality/valueAs a lack of applicable model does exist to assign the prequalification of EPC contractors, this study is one of the first research studies which proposed a fuzzy MCDM model for evaluation of EPC contractors. To cope with the uncertainty of the prequalification problem, fuzzy logic has been used. Using fuzzy sets leads to reaching more reliable results. Also, a real case study is provided to explain the proposed model.

Contractors Pre-Qualification Guideline Used in Contractor Selection for Public Building Project in Southeast Nigeria: A Case Study of Imo State, Nigeria

The incessant poor project delivery of contractors in the execution of public buildings is a reoccurring decimal in various areas of southeast Nigeria and the salient question people keep asking is if the qualified contractor is engaged and by extension the basis of assessment of contractors before engagement? It is in response to this curiosity that this paper set out to evaluate the prequalification guideline/criteria used in engaging contractors in Southeast Nigeria, using Imo state as a case study. It was pursued, using literature review and field survey entailing the use of a well-structured questionnaire. A total of three hundred and eighty-four (384) questionnaires were distributed with three hundred and fifty (350) returned adequately filled giving a response rate of 91.0% The responses were analyzed using the SPSS software version 25. The result revealed among others; Some of the contracts are not awarded regarding any specific selection guideline but basically on executive awards; in few cases where contractors are selected based on an in-house performance evaluation, the most demanded document arranged in the order of frequency of demand are: financial capacity/Bank support Document’; ‘Building Construction license’. Finally, the study recommendsa thorough examination of contractors at the pre-selection phases before engaging any contractor. This is to ensure that competent and qualified contractors only engage and adequate project delivery within the study area.