Challenges Facing Supply Chain Management on Time Delivery of Construction Projects in Tanzania

Abstract

Construction supply chain management (CSCM) is an influencing factor for timely delivery of construction projects. Despite its benefits, the construction industry still faces inefficiency and poor time performance. As a result, project delays and costs overrun are experienced in the industry as a sign of failure to control time in projects implementation. The adoption of SCM is expected to improve time performance of construction project since it has its origin in Just-In-Time (JIT) production and logistics. This study assesses the challenges faced in application of CSCM towards timely delivery of construction projects in Tanzania. Descriptive research design was used and the targeted respondents were from construction firms registered in class I and II located in Dar es Salaam. Data was collected using questionnaires and out of 91 distributed 79 were returned fairly filled for analysis. Data was analyzed using two features of IBM SPSS version 20 which are descriptive statistics-frequencies and Compare Means-One Sample T Test. Findings reveal that: lack of a common standard for collaboration, procurement system deficiencies and low level of commitment between partners are significant challenges facing CSCM on-time project delivery. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject within a previously unexplored context with a focus on-time control to minimize project delays. The study provides insights on the challenges that hinder the construction industry to benefit from adoption of SCM on the aspect of on-time projects delivery.