Construction Supply Chain Resiliency Strategies from a Life-Cycle Perspective

Construction supply chain (CSC) disruptions have caused local and global issues, with an increased awareness to identify practical strategies to combat these issues. This paper aims to address the research gap in phase-specific resiliency strategies to mitigate disruptions in the construction supply chain (CSC). A qualitative approach was adopted to close this gap by conducting a literature review of CSC resiliency articles to identify key resiliency strategies and supply chain life cycle (SCLC) phases. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by (1) identifying trends in the number of publications in CSC resiliency research, (2) proposing a taxonomy of strategies, and (3) determining the most effective strategies for each phase of the SCLC. The strategies found to benefit the most significant amount of SCLC phases are detection/monitoring systems (innovative technologies like BIM and RFID), localization, and flexibility. The findings of this paper will inform key stakeholders (i.e., designers, manufacturers, suppliers, subcontractors, and contractors) on how to improve their decisions when dealing with CSC disruptions. Future recommendations call for more material-, construction-type-, and geographically- specific analysis to understand which strategies are viable to particular industries and stakeholders as well as further research into which strategies can benefit the winding up and control and maintenance phases of the SCLC.