Coordination mechanisms for construction supply chain management in the Internet environment

The construction industry in general is characterized with high fragmentation, low productivity, cost and time overruns, and conflicts compared with other manufacturing industries. Supply chain management as an innovative management mode provides a new solution for resolving these problems from systems perspective. Coordination is the core issue to improve construction performance in construction supply chain (CSC). In this paper, the concepts of CSC and CSC management are defined. Furthermore, the inter-organization problems that effect CSC coordination are identified. Considering the Internet fosters the integration of construction processes and provides an efficient platform for CSC coordination, this paper presents two types of Internet-enabled coordination mechanisms: market mechanism, such as auction and contracting, and coordination flow, including information hub and electronic marketplace, for improving construction performance and to accelerate the innovations in the construction industry.