Towards a prototype development for construction material procurement using SharePoint

One of the main problematical operational issues in construction projects is the co-ordination of building materials to arrive on site at the right time, in the right quantities, and at an acceptable quality level. The number and details of the steps involved in the material lifecycle indicate the complex nature of the process and the potential for problems in the process for even a relatively small project. This heightens the need for more flexible and sophisticated project management tools to support collaborative geographically dispersed participants in the simultaneous planning and scheduling of tasks, and their execution, and they must highlight the critical technical and business risks that challenge successful material procurement. This work illustrates the use of a SharePoint environment to tackle problems in the interesting field of material supply chain, from the point of view that collaborative working is necessary in the materials supply chain environment. Hence, it justifies the use of techniques such as Just-In-Time decision support for material procurement processes. This paper is based on a case study which describes and discusses current and future approaches to material procurement, which can enhance the project team’s activities. Ultimately, improvements in material procurement as a result of effective and efficient communication and document management approach can reduce construction times, information overload, and costs.