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1 – 10 of 326
Article
Publication date: 28 August 2019

Victor Karikari Acheamfour, Ernest Kissi, Theophilus Adjei-Kumi and Emmanuel Adinyira

The studies on contractor prequalification focus more on the review of models and algorithms rather than review of the criteria for contractor prequalification. However, the basis…

Abstract

Purpose

The studies on contractor prequalification focus more on the review of models and algorithms rather than review of the criteria for contractor prequalification. However, the basis of every prequalification model primarily relates to the measurement and judgement of prospective contractors based on a set of decision criteria. This paper aims to address the gap by reviewing academic papers on contractor prequalification criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

A desktop search was conducted under the “T/A/K (title/abstract/keyword)” field of the Scopus search engine. A total of 49 papers were initially identified; however, only peer reviewed journals were selected for the study; therefore, a sample of 36 was subsequently used. Further filtering was done in which 26 papers were found valid for further analysis as it was realized that, not all the identified papers presented empirical arguments about the issue of contractor pre-qualification criteria. The selected 26 papers were subjected to content analysis to identify the key contractor pre-qualification criteria.

Findings

A total of 41 criteria were identified which were subsequently classified into six main categories, namely, technical considerations, management considerations, financial considerations, reputation considerations, general experience considerations and health, safety and environmental considerations. There was an indication that, the involvement of health, safety and environmental considerations in contractor prequalification proceedings is limited.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation of this research was the limited number of papers selected for further analysis based on the Scopus search engine. The identified criteria serve as a basis for further empirical studies on contractor prequalification criteria.

Practical implications

The outcome of this study broadens the understanding of practitioners and researchers on the various criteria for contractor prequalification.

Originality/value

By critically reviewing available literature on contractor prequalification, the study sets the tone for further empirical studies on contractor prequalification.

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2013

Ossama Hosny, Khaled Nassar and Yasser Esmail

Contractor prequalification is a typical multiple criteria decision‐making problem that includes both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The conditions surrounding the…

Abstract

Purpose

Contractor prequalification is a typical multiple criteria decision‐making problem that includes both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The conditions surrounding the prequalification decision are often imprecise, subjective and uncertain; assessments are consequently made using linguistic approximations. Fuzzy set theory is specifically designed to handle qualitative and linguistic data based on approximations and provides a method of representing in numerical form the linguistic approximations used to describe the decision‐maker judgments. However, fuzzy set theory has a weakness in identification of the relative weights of the decision criteria. On the other hand, one of the most accurate and easy methods for identifying the relative weights is the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The main objective of this paper is to develop a new integrated decision model composed of fuzzy set theory and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodologies approach that takes full advantages of the fuzzy set theory and the AHP. Two fuzzy approaches are considered, namely Chang's extent analysis and Jaskowski aggregated group decision analysis.

Findings

Both approaches are applied and validated on actual contractors in the Egyptian construction market. A software tool is developed to automate the calculations and a case study is provided.

Originality/value

This research produced a new integrated decision model composed of fuzzy‐AHP methodology approach that takes full advantages of the fuzzy set theory and AHP for tackling the uncertainty and imprecision of contractor prequalification during the prequalification stage, where the decision‐makers comparison judgments are represented as fuzzy triangular numbers. The default criteria used in this model had been collected through the literature review and experts’ opinion for building projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 February 2020

Asli Pelin Gurgun and Kerim Koc

Competent contractors are one of the critical stakeholders to achieve targeted sustainability objectives in green building (GB) projects. Prior to contractor selection…

Abstract

Purpose

Competent contractors are one of the critical stakeholders to achieve targeted sustainability objectives in green building (GB) projects. Prior to contractor selection, prequalification is an important step, which requires contractors with certain capabilities in addition to traditional features. This study aims to develop a systematic and practical model for prequalification in GB projects using a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach by adopting the analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Design/methodology/approach

The AHP model with 8 main criteria groups and 25 sub-criteria is structured based on literature review and professional opinions accompanied by a pilot study. Then, interviews with experts, who are experienced in the development and application phases of GB projects in Turkey, are arranged to collect judgements. The agreement levels between different groups of experts are analysed via Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Model applicability is tested on six hypothetical contractors for practicality.

Findings

The results show that i) financial capabilities, ii) legal status and iii) sustainability groups are the top three main criteria, while i) compliance with schedule requirements of the client, ii) current legal status including suits, iii) negative litigation history records, iv) contractor's compliance capacity to client's sustainability checklist for the proposed project and v) sustainability with lower life cycle cost (durability, maintenance, constructability) are the top five sub-criteria.

Originality/value

There is a gap in the literature analysing contractor prequalification phase in GB projects. This study attempts to fill this lack provided with a practical evaluation tool.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2021

Omid Amiri, Mahmoud Rahimi, Amir Ayazi and Garshasb Khazaeni

Nowadays, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts are being widely used to perform industrial and infrastructure projects because of several reasons like high…

Abstract

Purpose

Nowadays, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts are being widely used to perform industrial and infrastructure projects because of several reasons like high speed of implementation. However, these contracts are always accompanied by high risks and uncertainties. Thus, selection of the right EPC contractor has significant importance. This paper aims to present a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model for EPC contractor prequalification.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the EPC contractor prequalification criteria are defined by using literature review and interviewing experts. Second, the weights of criteria are determined by interviewing experts. Then, each EPC contractor is evaluated in each criterion. Finally, fuzzy weighted average (FWA) approach is employed to select the right contractor among potential EPC contractors.

Findings

The proposed model is prepared as an applicable model for clients to select the right EPC contractors among contractors who want to conduct the project.

Originality/value

As a lack of applicable model does exist to assign the prequalification of EPC contractors, this study is one of the first research studies which proposed a fuzzy MCDM model for evaluation of EPC contractors. To cope with the uncertainty of the prequalification problem, fuzzy logic has been used. Using fuzzy sets leads to reaching more reliable results. Also, a real case study is provided to explain the proposed model.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 February 2012

Isaac Aje

Prequalification of contractors is a very important step in construction project procurement under the contract “Due Process” policy in Nigeria. The purpose of this study…

2259

Abstract

Purpose

Prequalification of contractors is a very important step in construction project procurement under the contract “Due Process” policy in Nigeria. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the impact of contractors' prequalification on cost, time and quality performance of construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire addressed to construction practitioners selected from clients, consultants and contractors' organizations. Also archival data on 77 completed building projects relating to prequalification assessment of contractors and project delivery variables were sourced from consultant quantity surveyors. The data were analysed with the aid of mean score and one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Findings

The results show that contractors' prequalification has significant impact on time and quality performance of construction projects as evidenced by p‐values of 0.039 and 0.030, respectively.

Practical implications

The findings should provide a valuable reference for clients and consultants during contractors' prequalification and contract award.

Originality/value

The outcome of this paper will assist clients and consultants in the construction industry to carry out objective assessment of contractors' potential performance in relation to project goals prior to contract award.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2009

O.I. Aje, K.T. Odusami and D.R. Ogunsemi

Management capability is one of the major criteria for evaluating construction contractors during prequalification and tender evaluation This paper aims to investigate the impact…

2632

Abstract

Purpose

Management capability is one of the major criteria for evaluating construction contractors during prequalification and tender evaluation This paper aims to investigate the impact of contractors' management capability as a prequalification criterion on cost and time performance of selected building projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Prequalification assessments of management capability of wining contractors as well as cost data relating to 77 completed building projects executed between 2004 and 2007 are obtained. The data obtained from a questionnaire and archival data are analyzed using one‐way analysis of variance and multiple regression.

Findings

The results reveal that contractors' management capability has significant impact on cost and time performance of building projects as evidenced by p‐values of 0.042 and 0.039, respectively.

Practical implications

The research could be of significant benefit at the research implementation stage of public procurement practice especially in relation to the construction industry in Nigeria. Construction practitioners involved in prequalification and tender evaluation should continue to seek relevant information relating to management capability from the candidate contractors during prequalification and tender evaluation.

Originality/value

Models capable of predicting the final cost and duration of building projects are eventually derived based on prequalification assessment of contractors on management capability, proposed contract duration and the initial contract figure. The goodness of fit of the models as defined by the value of R2 is found to be 96.2 percent and 90.01 percent for cost and time, respectively; thus signifying high predictive efficacy of the models.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1999

S. THOMAS NG, R. MARTIN SKITMORE and NIGEL J. SMITH

Contractor prequalification involves the establishment of a standard for measuring and assessing the capabilities of potential tenderers. The required standard is based on a set…

Abstract

Contractor prequalification involves the establishment of a standard for measuring and assessing the capabilities of potential tenderers. The required standard is based on a set of prequalification criteria (PQC) that is intended to reflect the objectives of the client and the requirements of the project. However, many pre‐qualifiers compile a set of PQC according to their own idiosyncratic perceptions of the importance of individual PQC. As a result, sets of PQC, and hence prequalification standards, vary between prequalifiers. This paper reports on an investigation of the nature of the divergencies of the perceived importance of individual PQC by different groups of prequalifiers via a large‐scale empirical survey conducted in the UK. The results support the conclusion that there are significant systematic differences between groups of prequalifiers, with the individual PQC that contribute most to the differences being the method of procurement, size of project, standard of quality, financial stability, project complexity, claim and contractual dispute and length of time in business.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1999

FARZAD KHOSROWSHAHI

The way in which clients or their consultants undertake to select firms to tender for a given project is a highly complex process and can be very problematic. This is also true

Abstract

The way in which clients or their consultants undertake to select firms to tender for a given project is a highly complex process and can be very problematic. This is also true for public authorities as, for them, ‘compulsory competitive tendering’ is a relatively new concept. Despite its importance, contractors' prequalification is often based on heuristic techniques combining experience, judgement and intuition of the decision makers. This, primarily, stems from the fact that prequalification is not an exact science. For any project, the right choice of the contractor is one of the most important decisions that the client has to make. Therefore, it is envisaged that the development of an effective decision‐support model for contractor prequalification can yield significant benefits to the client. By implication, such a model can also be of considerable use to contractors: a model of this nature is an effective marketing tool for contractors to enhance their chances of success to obtain new work. To this end, this work offers a decision‐support model that predicts whether or not a contractor should be selected for tendering projects. The focus is on local authorities because, in the absence of a viable universal selection system, there are significant variations in the way they conduct prequalification. The model is based on the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) and uses data relating to 42 local authorities (clients). With the aid of a questionnaire and a scaling system, the prequalification attributes that are considered to be important by clients are identified. The survey indicates significant variations in the level of importance given to different attributes. Statistical methods are adopted to generate additional data representing disqualified instances. Following a preprocessing exercise, the data form the basis of the input and output layers for training the neural‐net model. An independent set of data is subjected to a similar preprocessing for testing the model. Tests reveal that the model has a highly satisfactory predictive accuracy and that the ANN technique is a viable tool for the prediction of success or failure of the contractor to qualify to tender for local authority projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2017

Nabil Semaan and Michael Salem

The construction industry today is one of the biggest industries in the world. As projects continue to grow in complexity, project management continues to evolve. Contractor…

1148

Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry today is one of the biggest industries in the world. As projects continue to grow in complexity, project management continues to evolve. Contractor selection is a difficult task that owners and project managers face. Although previously researchers have worked on the subject of contractor selection, a comprehensive decision support system for contractor selection has not yet been developed. Recent reports of major delays and cost overruns in mega projects highlight the need for a model that is able to be flexible and comprehensive becomes evident. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The research focuses on obtaining insights from field experts using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Then, a model was developed in the light of the data collected. Accordingly, the model was tested on a case study.

Findings

This paper presents a model for contractor selection that is wholesome in its take on the topic. The model incorporates both managerial and technical aspects of the problem. The model was tested on a case study and it was proven to be feasible in real world applications. The contractor selection decision support system serves the needs of both academics and industry managers, as an integral part of project management.

Originality/value

The model presented in this paper is innovative in its take on the problems. MCDA tools have been uniquely modified in this paper to cater to the needs of the selection problem while accounting for the criteria hierarchy that incorporates aspects that are instrumental for proper evaluation of a contractor’s likelihood of success.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2000

E. PALANEESWARAN and M.M. KUMARASWAMY

Benchmarking of best practices has proved useful in the business and manufacturing sectors. However, benchmarking is not established in the construction industry in general and in…

Abstract

Benchmarking of best practices has proved useful in the business and manufacturing sectors. However, benchmarking is not established in the construction industry in general and in government organizations in particular. A study of the contractor selection methodologies used by various clients confirms the multiplicity of approaches in practice. This paper aims at identifying some relevant ‘best’ practices and highlighting ‘innovative’ contractor selection approaches that have been used by large public clients. A ‘co‐operative’ and ‘non‐competitive’ conceptual benchmarking model is formulated and presented with a view to encouraging continuous improvement in contractor selection for construction projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

1 – 10 of 326