Building Procurement

As an industrial process, construction is unique in that the method of procurement of any built asset (building, infrastructure or process plant) defines many of the subsequent management processes that take place during the building phase – a very different situation to the purchase of goods and services in most other industries. The procurement process is therefore central to the success of any construction project and many of the problems which impact construction projects can be traced back to the procurement phase, so a good understanding of the methods of procurement and the influence it has on project success is essential for all those working in the industry.

Much has changed in the global construction industry since publication of the first edition of Building Procurement, for example the global liquidity & banking crisis and the debt burden of many major economies. This new edition has been rewritten to take account of these significant developments, but at its core it continues to provide a critical examination and review of current procurement practices in the UK, continental Europe (including EU procurement procedures), China and the USA. It retains its original strong emphasis on the need for clients to establish achievable objectives which reflect the project business case and focuses on development of suitable strategies and management structures to meet those objectives in the current construction climate.

Building Procurement will be essential reading for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students of construction management and practitioners working in all areas of construction management.

Review of the first edition

"...a thorough and comprehensive investigation of building procurement..."
Construction Management and Economics

Roy Morledge isProfessor of Construction Procurement in the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University.

Adrian Smith is a Senior Consultant in Procurement and Project Management at Stradia Ltd, Sheffield and a Senior Consultant to the College of Estate Management, Reading.