Modelling procurement processes by UML diagrams

Abstract

Ongoing digital transformation of the construction industry offers all project stakeholders new opportunities and possibilities for how to improve their business processes. Many research articles, construction, and software companies focus on digitizing designing and building processes with the use of BIM models. However, only a few research articles, construction and software companies provide information on how to digitize the procurement processes within the construction industry. Therefore, this essential business process is relatively rarely described in connection with the ongoing digital transformation and with the use of BIM models. Many may argue that software supporting procurement processes are available. However, it is important to point out that existing software does not provide adequate functions to carry out procurement processes according to the current technological possibilities. That is why the author started to conduct research into this field and systematically advanced into a phase, where UML diagrams were modelled and published to describe the needs of procurement managers and their use cases related to procurement processes. A list of procurement managers' needs was created based on semi-structured qualitative interviews with procurement managers. Research in existing software was carried out to identify the existing software supporting procurement processes. Based on the procurement managers' needs a questionnaire was created and sent to representatives of identified software, the questionnaire was then quantitatively evaluated. Based on already published UML use case diagrams in preceding papers, new UML diagrams describing the procurement processes of subcontractors during the execution phase of a construction project are presented in the paper. It was verified that UML diagrams are a suitable instrument for modelling the procurement processes, thus research into this field will continue.