Applying the real options theory for identifying flexibility in project delivery of health organisations

Healthcare is influenced by many uncertainties. Uncertainties affecting health organisations also influence real estate since this facilitates the primary process. Within real estate management, decisions have to be made today while there is little knowledge about the future. Therefore, flexibility is needed in the process of designing, constructing and operating real estate. A case study has been done to gain insight about how health organisations deal with flexibility. The real options approach is used to show what types of flexibility have been used, and that uncertainty can also generate opportunities. Of the five types of flexibility, only in two types real options were identified in the case study. These were stage, abandon, defer and scale within process flexibility and the options growth and switch within product flexibility. This is partly a result of the fact that the project in the case study is not further advanced than the preliminary design phase. Nevertheless it can be concluded that project managers already act as using real options. Consciously using this concept might create even more real options to be used in project management

Een visie op agrologistiek rondom de A1 eiwitcorridor: het proces naar agrologistieke innovaties

De eerste paper geeft de context weer: een toelichting op de huidige situatie. Het schetst het spanningsveld tussen enerzijds het economische en sociale belang van de agrobedrijvigheid in dit gebied en anderzijds de toenemende economische en maatschappelijke problemen. De tweede paper schetst een aantal ‘duurzame innovatierichtingen’: ideeën voor oplossingen voor de geschetste onduurzaamheden. In de derde paper, tenslotte, gaat over het proces om te komen tot agrologistieke innovaties. Daartoe worden ook ervaringen van andere innovatietrajecten gepresenteer

The changing strategic roles for warehousing in an emerging economy: case study in Ukraine

The increasing globalisation of the world economy is having a profound impact on logistics. Emerging economies are experiencing rapid developments that affect their warehousing facilities. The purpose of this study is to explore the strategic roles that warehousing plays and the changes therein. Based on a literature review, a new model has been developed in which changes in the strategic warehouse role depend on three primary location drivers and on site competence. Focusing on Ukraine, an emerging economy, data were collected through a desk study, questionnaires completed by international third-party logistics companies located in Ukraine and through in-depth expert interviews. The results show that the model developed is appropriate for use in the initial determination of a warehouse location and for its further development in an emerging economy

Public procurement of innovation in construction: A design science approach

The inclusion of innovation as a policy objective in public procurement has increased significantly at public organizations over the last years. However, public organizations often struggle with how they should stimulate innovation through public procurement as there are many different ways possible and knowledge on the efficiency and effectiveness of different methods is relatively scarce and mostly based on case studies. In this study a combined approach of design science and engaged scholarship will be followed to (1) identify the factors that influence the impact of public procurement of innovation;(2) develop recommendations for including innovation in the public procurement strategy of municipalities and (3) develop tools that can be used in individual procurement projects

Supplier-contractor collaboration in the construction industry:A taxonomic approach to the literature of the 2000-2009 decade

Purpose – Recent developments in the construction industry resulted in an increased importance of collaboration with and managing of suppliers by prime contractors. The focus of this study is on getting insights into existing knowledge on this topic and the gaps in this knowledge base. The goals of this study are threefold: to verify the current state of, to gain insights into, and to provide suggestions for supplier‐contractor research. Design/methodology/approach – The current state of supplier‐contractor research in the construction industry is verified through a taxonomic approach to the literature on buyer‐supplier research over the last decade (2000‐2009). The method followed consists of the following three steps: journal selection, initial article selection and final article selection. Findings – Supplier‐contractor research in the construction industry is still a relatively under‐researched phenomenon. The major topics discussed in the identified articles are aspects of partnering (conditions, characteristics and barriers/obstacles) and (sub)contracting/procurement issues (practices, selection criteria, performance and characteristics). Research limitations/implications – This study concludes that future research should focus on longitudinal studies, testing organisational barriers to partnering, the benefits of partnering in practice, conditions under which the formation of collaborative relationships between suppliers and contractors takes place, and experiences with this formation process. Practical implications – In practice, contractors do see a need to develop closer and more collaborative relationships with their suppliers. This study highlights the topics that need to be addressed to achieve these goals. Originality/value – This study is a literature overview of relatively scarce research on collaborative relationships between suppliers and contractors in the construction industry