ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces ideas and concepts about the supply chain, supply chain economics and procurement in relation to project-based environments for construction systems. It describes the rationale for the text, highlights of past research, the key ideas explored and how the text is structured. The chapter takes the reader from some observations about the industry to the research response which is then encapsulated in the research questions and the research strategy. It focuses on supply chains in relation to project-based industries and constructed systems. Supply chain economics is the manner in which the economic market structural characteristics and the firm and sector behavioural characteristics interact to produce attributes which describe types of supplier firms, procurement relationships, supply chain industrial organization and supply chain performance. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
