Authors name: Asli Pelin Gurgun, Handan Kunkcu, Kerim koc, David Arditi, Senay Atabay

Year of publish: 2024

Article Title: Challenges in the integration of E-Procurement procedures into construction supply
chain

Buildings 2024, 14, 605 (https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030605)

Article Summary
The article looks into the obstacles of incorporating e-procurement methods into construction
supply chains. It emphasizes the delayed adoption of e-procurement in the construction industry,
despite its promise for improving supply chain management. The study identifies 28
impediments to e-procurement deployment and prioritizes solutions based on timeliness, cost,
quality, and construction owner satisfaction. The obstacles include unexpected order
cancellations, wide differences in material prices, and a lack of trust and communication among
stakeholders. The transition from traditional procurement to e-procurement in order to remain
competitive may result in quality trade-offs and disagreements. The report underlines the
necessity to solve these challenges in order to successfully integrate e-procurement methods into
building supply.

Methodology
The research methodology used in the article consists of five steps: a literature review, focus
group talks, a questionnaire survey, the fuzzy TOPSIS approach, and semi structured interviews.
To discover relevant studies for the literature review, a systematic search was conducted using
the Scopus database. Focus group discussions were held to investigate the identified barriers and
seek expert feedback. A questionnaire survey was also used as part of the process. Finally, semi-
structured interviews were used as part of the research technique.

Strength of the article

The strengths of the article discussing the challenges of integrating e-procurement procedures
into construction supply chains include:
The article employs a comprehensive approach, performing a literature analysis, focus group
discussions, questionnaire surveys, and semi-structured interviews to identify and assess the
hurdles to e-procurement acceptance and implementation in the construction industry.
The study focuses on project performance metrics, such as time, cost, quality, and construction
owner satisfaction, to provide a comprehensive knowledge of the influence of e-procurement
restrictions on construction projects
Practical Implications: The purpose of this study is to educate both scholars and practitioners
on the importance and benefits of using e-procurement methods in the construction sector. It has
practical applications for detecting, ranking, and overcoming hurdles to e-procurement adoption
and implementation.
Real-Time Supply Chain Management: The study emphasizes the value of data-driven real-
time supply chain management, which is consistent with the current trend of digitalization and
technology-driven supply chain operations.
Contribution to the Field: The research adds to the current body of knowledge by addressing
the specific issues and limitations connected to e-procurement in the construction industry,
therefore filling a gap in the literature

Weakness of the article

The limitations of the article include the fact that the findings are based on the perceptions of
individuals working in the Turkish construction industry, which may not be representative of
other countries. Additionally, the study acknowledges that some barriers may have been
overlooked by participants who were not familiar with e-procurement. The study also suggests
that future research should consider surveying and interviewing two distinct groups of
participants, one composed of traditional procurement managers and the other of e-procurement
managers. Furthermore, the study recognizes the need to evaluate additional performance criteria
such as communication, productivity, data security, and competitiveness. It also suggests that
potential opportunities for digital tools should be considered in future research.
Key Findings
 The study identified impediments to adopting and implementing e-procurement in the
construction industry, with a particular emphasis on project performance metrics such as
time, cost, quality, and owner satisfaction.
 The study sought to increase the viability of e-procurement by mitigating the negative
effects of the most significant hurdles and promoting data-driven real-time supply chain
management.
 E-procurement is crucial for construction organizations in adjusting to a fast changing
business environment, but there have been significant obstacles and barriers to its
adoption and execution.
 The study employed fuzzy TOPSIS to rank the barriers in order of relative relevance,
giving a systematic approach to determining their significance

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