Impact of contractor internal tendering procedure governance on tender win-rates: How procedures can be improved

Construction contractors normally, though not always, pursue tenders with the expectation of winning and subsequently making a project profit. Corporate governance (CG) constraints, risk appetite, and selected tender strategy impact contractors' tendered prices and any associated qualifications. Therefore, failure to win may not constitute 'failure' in senior executive's eyes. Increasing CG within some jurisdictions has led to more complicated contractor internal tendering procedures (ITP) with layers of management reviews and risk committee sign-offs. The question arises as to whether these changes make any difference to tender win rates and subsequent project outcomes. A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 25 high-profile Australasian based construction contractors (11, either directly or via parent companies, operate internationally-Europe, Africa, Asia and North America), providing a mix of publicly listed and privately owned companies, as part of a wider research program investigating the efficiency and effectiveness of contractors' ITP. Moving beyond previous research limitations of smaller contractors (often sub-AU$100m turnover) this qualitative research looks at much larger contractors. Content analyses of the interview transcripts found that, while contractors talked equally about 'win' and 'lose', most did not see losing a tender as 'failure'. Only a quarter felt their changed ITP made a difference to their tender win-rate. Somewhat unexpectedly interview findings suggest that approximately three-quarters of contractors have ITP that do not formally require lessons learned (LL) from previous tenders nor projects to be inputs in subsequent tender pursuits. Larger contractors (over AU$500m turnover) were twice as likely to discuss LL, indicating different governance approaches to tender outcome expectations. Informal LL approaches were applied to clients' reputations (particularly payment) in bid/no-bid decisions. Interviewee suggestions of processes by which contractors can improve resultantly their LL procedures, as part of their CG, are also presented

Rethinking the tendering frameworks of construction contractors in the context of a soft systems methodology approach

Limited research has been conducted on the internal tendering procedures (ITP) of construction contractors because of the commercially sensitive and confidential nature of the subject matter. This limitation explains the reluctance of contractors to undergo interviews. Existing research (outside bid/no-bid and margin decision factor identification and subsequent decision modeling development) only begins to provide insights into key tendering stages, particularly around risk assessments and corporate review processes. Early research suggested one to three review stages. However, when considering the whole work procurement process from prospect identification to contract execution, five to seven series of reviews can be arguably applied by some contractors, wherein some reviews stepped through several layers of internal senior management. Tendering processes were presented as flowchart models that traditionally follow “hard” system (rectangular shapes and straight line arrows) steps, which suggest that a precise process also leads to precise results. However, given that contractors do not win every tender they submit, the process is less precise than that suggested in rigidly structured flowcharts. Twenty-five detailed semi-structured interviews were held with purposely selected high-profile publicly and privately owned construction companies in Australia with significantly varied turnovers. Analyses show that contractors are concerned about the negative effects of increasing corporate governance demands, with many stating that people involved are the most critical element to tendering success. A new way of presenting the ITP of contractors is assessed using a soft systems methodology (SSM) approach. SSM offers an alternative way of considering human interaction challenges within the ITP of contractors, which needs to be tested with the industry. The format graphics of SSM guidelines are presented as a way of offering contractors a different approach, which may assist individuals who are looking to re-structure their tendering activities in a more humanistic and less rigid procedural approach

Linear Dichroism in the NEXAFS Spectra of n-Alkane Crystalline Polymorphs

postprintNSERC (Canada)Peer ReviewedLinear Dichroism in Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy is a useful tool for studying molecular orientation and for clarifying spectroscopic assignments. n- Alkane molecules can form single crystals with different polymorphs; orthorhombic and monoclinic in the case of even chain lengths between n-C28H58 and n-C40H82. These polymorphs exhibit different linear dichroism in their NEXAFS spectra; in particular a backbone-oriented transition contributes to the low-energy “C-H” band in the monoclinic polymorph

X-ray Spectroptychography

NSERC (Canada)Peer ReviewedX-ray spectroptychography is an emerging method for the chemical microanalysis of advanced nanomaterials such as catalysts and batteries. This method builds upon established synchrotron X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy techniques with added spatial resolution from ptychography, an algorithmic imaging technique. This minireview will introduce the technique of X-ray spectroptychography, where ptychography is performed with variable photon energy, and discuss recent results and prospects for this method

Internal molecular conformation of organic glasses: A NEXAFS study

NSERCPeer ReviewedThe origin of the exceptional stability of molecular glasses grown by physical vapor deposition (PVD) is not well understood. Differences in glass density have been correlated with thermodynamic stability for thin films of N,N′-Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-diphenylbenzidine (TPD) grown by PVD at specific substrate temperatures below the glass transition temperature. However, the relationship between the internal conformation of glass molecules and the thermodynamic properties of molecular glasses is not well studied. We use carbon 1s near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy to examine different TPD sample preparations in which differences in the thermodynamic stability of the glass are known. Density functional theory simulations of the NEXAFS spectra of TPD allow us to attribute spectroscopic differences to changes in the internal conformation of the TPD molecule and relate this conformation to the stability of the TPD glass. This provides a direct experimental measurement of the internal conformation of molecules forming an organic glass

Systematic Investigation of π–π Interactions in Near-Edge X-ray Fine Structure (NEXAFS) Spectroscopy of Paracyclophanes

NSERCPeer ReviewedNEXAFS spectroscopy has potential for study of packing and order in organic materials but only if intermolecular effects are understood. This work studies how π–π interactions between adjacent unsaturated groups affect their NEXAFS spectra, with a broader goal of building a general understanding of the role of intermolecular effects in NEXAFS spectroscopy. These effects are examined using paracyclophane (PCP) molecules, in which the benzene–benzene separation distance is controlled by varying the length of the alkyl groups separating the benzene rings. NEXAFS spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) simulations are used to examine spectroscopic changes related to the strength of these π–π interactions. A characteristic red shift is observed as adjacent benzene rings get closer together. This shift is attributed to Coulombic and orbital interactions between the adjacent benzene rings, mediated through overlapping π/π* orbitals

Making chemical sense of phase in soft X-ray spectroptychography

NSERCPeer ReviewedSpectroptychography is being used to realize a significant improvement in the spatial resolution of x-ray spectromicroscopy, allowing chemical microanalysis at finer spatial scales. The chemical sensitivity of near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) is familiar to most researchers who use x-ray spectromicroscopy for chemical microanalysis. However, the additional phase information available through ptychography provides additional and tantalizing data, and potentially additional chemical information. This paper explores the chemical information available in phase for a system of silicon dioxide nanospheres

Silicon 1s Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy of Functionalized Silicon Nanocrystals

NSERCPeer ReviewedSilicon 1s Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectra of silicon nanocrystals have been examined as a function of nanocrystal size (3 – 100 nm), varying surface functionalization (hydrogen or 1-pentyl termination), or embedded in oxide. The NEXAFS spectra are characterized as a function of nanocrystal size and surface functionalization. Clear spectroscopic evidence for long range order is observed Si-NCs that are 5-8 nm in diameter or larger. Energy shifts in the silicon 1s NEXAFS spectra of covalently functionalized silicon nanocrystals with changing size are attributed to surface chemical shifts and not to quantum confinement effects

Temperature Dependence in the NEXAFS Spectra of n-Alkane

NSERCPeer ReviewedThe near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of orthorhombic single crystals of n-octacosane (n-C28H58), recorded at room temperature (298 K) and at cryogenic temperatures (93 K), show distinct differences. The characteristic carbon 1s → σ*C–H band in the NEXAFS spectrum of n-C28H58 is broader and has a lower-energy onset in its room temperature spectrum than in its NEXAFS spectrum recorded at cryogenic temperatures. Density functional theory simulations show that nuclear motion and molecular disorder contribute to the observed spectral broadness and are the origin of the low-energy onset of the C–H band in the room temperature spectru