A case study of multi-team communications in construction design under supply chain partnering

Purpose - The increasing "globalisation" and complexity of construction design implies that the project team may involve subcontractors in the construction supply chain from widely distributed geographic areas. Thus communication is a vital process for the design. The aim of the present work is to investigate how construction design under supply chain partnering can be improved through a study of communication issues and problems.Design methodology approach - A questionnaire survey is initially conducted to investigate communication issues and problems in construction design. Based on the survey results, a case study is carried out to gain further insights into these issues and problems, exploring how the procurement like supply chain partnering influences the multi-team communications in construction design.Findings - The paper finds that partnering can eliminate many communication barriers and has a positive impact on social collaboration in the design process. It could have a negative impact on the team communications if proper procedures have not been put in place. In addition, co-location can increase the degree of interaction, communication and technical collaboration in the partnership.Originality value - This paper may help construction project practitioners to focus their attention on the necessary respects of multi-team communications between supply chain partners in construction design, leading to high cooperation and ultimately improving the quality of the design outcomes.