Construction daily reports in public procurement: Japan vs Switzerland from public owners' perspective

Purpose Detailed Construction Daily Reports (CDRs) in Switzerland not only enhance project management but also help bidders submit competitive bids based on actual construction costs, fostering transparency in the bidding process. This study examines the perspectives of Japanese public owners regarding the importance of CDRs in public procurement and evaluates their readiness to implement Swiss CDRs in Japanese construction sites. Design/methodology/approach The research design utilizes quantile regression analysis for its robustness and efficiency over ordinary least squares regression. A pilot study was carried out to confirm the effectiveness of the developed questionnaire. Following this, the questionnaire was distributed to public owners, resulting in data collection (N = 110). A non-normality test revealed that the data were not normally distributed. Consequently, quantile regression analysis was performed using R (version 4.4.1), allowing for the integration of the Quantreg package with sjPlot to visualize quantile distributions. This analysis assessed the impacts of various factors on perceptions of necessary system improvements and the acceptance of Swiss systems' CDRs. Findings The results indicate that respondents with experience on construction sites have a negative reaction to the introduction of Swiss CDRs due to their reluctance to disclose current conditions that often differ from those outlined in the design documents. Additionally, the scores for the Japanese and Swiss CDRs across various independent variables revealed significant differences in working conditions, the payment situation of workers and the relationship between CDRs and the bidding system, suggesting that a larger proportion of respondents view Swiss CDRs as offering more varied information than Japanese CDRs for enhancing the bidding system. Furthermore, the willingness to introduce Swiss CDRs heavily relies on their perceived usefulness and their potential to improve the bidding system. Originality/value This groundbreaking research on Swiss CDRs offers a significant method for collecting data on construction sites. It assists both public owners and contractors by facilitating more precise construction cost estimates. Accurately understanding these costs is crucial to prevent unsuccessful bidding and ensure bids are grounded in reliable cost information, fostering healthier bidding practices in Japan and beyond. Additionally, the study's methodology contributes to the developing theoretical framework of social innovation for future progress studies.