ABSTRACT
The literature on Networking, JIT and TQM includes many valid models and successful examples of partnerships in industry in general. This has encouraged the construction industry to apply the same means. This paper is based on the presumption that partnering offers the construction industry new possibilities: it reduces overall costs of construction chains, increases competitiveness, as well as improving the quality and reliability of the partners.
The objective of this paper is to review the results of a recent study carried out by the author related to the construction industry in Finland. It is argued here that the results are significant and also partly new in the broader context of the EU construction industry. The primary results include a literature review on industrial purchasing models and principles, applications of these in the construction industry, and based on these results, a model for co-operation between a main contractor and its suppliers.
The suggested model combines the principles of long term co-operation and project specific competition. The model has also been tested with the Finnish case companies. Co-operation principles must be applied individually to each long term relationship and this co-operation must benefit both parties. The supplier network of a main contractor has to be built up locally. The main contractor and its supplier can agree on the co-operation terms in a frame agreement, which emphasize development, joint procedures and high quality, all of which differs significantly from the annual purchasing contracts traditionally used in the construction industry.
405La littérature comprend plusieurs exemples et modèles de partenariats à succès dans l’industrie en général. Ceci à encouragé à adapter ces mêmes principes à l’industrie de BTP. L’objectif principal de cette enquète était de développer et de tester un modèle de coopération entre une entreprise générale et ces fournisseurs. En plus, un des ob-jectifs est de prouver qu’il est possible pour une entreprise générale d’utiliser les principes d’achats JIT (just in time) et TQM (total quality management) d’une manière efficace. Une revue de littérature sur les achats industriels a été entreprise, suivie d’une étude pour définir comment les propriétés et principes trouvèes dans la littérature peuvent être appliquées a I’industrie de BTP. Basé sur ces résultats, un modèle préliminaire pour les achats a été conçu.
