ABSTRACT
In spite of the attention that supply chain management (SCM) has attracted among practitioners and researchers, the translation of its concepts, practices, and techniques into the construction industry is still a challenging issue, mostly due to diff erences that exist between this sector and other industries [O’Brien 2002]. SCM was originated in industries where demand is predictable, the requirements for variety are low, and volume is high [Christopher 2000]. Most contemporary academic work on SCM is concerned with high-volume industries, where a large-scale (hence economically powerful)
manufacturer is supported by smaller (economically weaker) suppliers or subcontractors [Bresnen 1996]. Many studies adopt the assumption of long-term relationships and the active control-and even the design-of the supply chain by a single company.
