Outsourcing Construction Logistics in a Rural Area - An Evaluation of a TPL-arrangement

Abstract

Historically, the construction industry has suffered from low efficiency and poor performance. The management of the logistics activities has been found to be one main cause for this lagging performance. To facilitate construction logistics, TPL has emerged as a phenomenon that can enhance the industry’s performance. However, most studies of TPL concern complex projects situated in urban areas. In addition, these projects commonly have a lack of space for storage or are located in areas which are sensitive for disturbances. Thereby, this master’s thesis aimed to fill a gap in TPL research by examining a project situated in a rural area with plenty of space for storage, where the environment was not remarkably sensitive for disturbances. The purpose of the study was to examine the experienced effects of the TPL-arrangement. The thesis also investigated how the project’s prerequisites and preparations made prior to application affected the outcome of the TPLarrangement. To reach the purpose, a literature review was conducted together with 17 semi-structured interviews and a site visit. The results showed that it is important to early involve the TPL-provider to reach the desired outcome, both in the planning and in the production. It is also important to anchor the solution among all involved actors, i.e., to make sure that everyone understand why it is applied and why it is applied at the specific time. If it is not sufficiently anchored, scepticism can arise which results in that actors deviate from the set restrictions, which in the long run harms the outcome of the TPLarrangement. Lastly, to be able to monitor a project’s logistics performance, it is necessary to break down the objectives into more tangible targets that can be measured in the daily production.