Research Objective 2

The second research objective sought to investigate the implementation of the IOIS by main contractors. In this study, the term implementation is taken as a set of activities consisting of three phases: (i) pre-implementation activities such as planning and requirements specification, (ii) implementation which is concerned with the development activities and the actual delivery of the technology, and (iii) post-implementation where the focus turns to adoption and on-going use of the technology until the solution becomes fully diffused into an organisation’s core business and IS strategy (Linton 2002).

There are clearly epistemological limits to studying the IOIS implementation due to variations in systems being implemented and the breadth of issues encountered during the management of the implementation process. In this regard, a decision was made to focus the research on Cloud-based private B2B e-Marketplace systems. Another decision in the process of studying IOIS implementation was to adopt two different but complementary perspectives to the nature of inquiry: that is, (i) the evaluation of the IOIS implementation project as the object of assessment and (ii) the evaluation of the IOIS artefact as the object of assessment. Consequently, the second objective was split into two tasks and carried out in two phases to better accommodate these two perspectives. The aim in the first task (Task 4) was to explore the key success/failure factors in an IOIS implementation project whilst the second task (Task 5) was primarily concerned with the IOIS artefact (the evaluation of the use and adoption of a Cloud-based B2B e-Marketplace system).

A case study research strategy was adopted to satisfy the second research objective. Yin (2014) advocated the use of case study to investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. The case study research strategy not only makes a good instance of documentation and analysis of rare cases (implementation and use of private B2B e- Marketplace systems by AEC organisations), but it also provides detailed and rich insight into ‘how’ and ‘why’ certain outcomes occur in a given context (Yin 2014). This in our case is the critical factors that play a key role during an IOIS implementation which is not commonly reported or investigated in the wider IS research domain, let alone in the AEC context (Jrad and Sundaram 2015a). Another reason for the selection of case study strategy was the availability of the project and the access provided to RE, allowing the empirical investigation to extend over 2 years and the data collection to spread over a 3-year period (see Figure 3:1). Moreover, the case study strategy was also deemed beneficial for improving the future product/service delivery practices at the sponsoring company by identifying the key project and technical impediments that crop-up during multi-firm IS development projects. Prior to empirical investigation, a critical review of the IS development literature was undertaken to identify the common implementation challenges reported in generic and AEC-specific IS literature. Primarily, the review of literature examined the research on WPMS, e-Marketplaces and EDI, which are commonly deployed in supply chain context to support SCI. The main challenges reported in the past literature are categorised into several themes and presented in Chapter 2:2: pp. 16-25, of this thesis.

The IOIS implementation project in the case studied was undertaken for a large contractor firm which is one of the top 20 contractor firms in the United Kingdom (UK) in terms of turnover8. The decision to implement IOIS was made at organisational level by the firm’s senior level management during early 2011. The sponsoring company was selected in mid-2011 as the technology solution provider to design, develop and implement the system. The development process consisted of three main stages. In the first stage, a procurement system was developed by the sponsoring company which took around 6 months to accomplish. The second stage involved setting up of the link between the contractor firm and the technology vendor. In the third stage, the selected supply chain firms (n=10) were invited/brought into the project to enable a fully automated procurement process. Following a short trial period with one of the business units of the contractor firm, the Cloud-based B2B e-Marketplace system was rolled live across the three business units (construction, facilities management and infrastructure), five specialist subcontracting businesses (Civil Engineering, Custodial, Groundwork Engineering, Interiors and, Mechanical and Electrical) and 42 projects of which five were Joint-Venture projects. Following describes the methodology adopted in relation to each research task.

Task 4. Lessons Learned During Supplier On-Boarding Phase of an IOIS Implementation Project. The investigation in Task 4 focused on the supplier integration (supplier on-boarding) stage which was the core task in delivery of the IOIS by the sponsoring company. The direct observation by the RE was carried out over a longitudinal time frame (little over 2 years) beginning from late 2012, and involving ten supplier integration projects. The data gathered from multiple sources were collated in a master spreadsheet for each supplier integration project as shown in Figure 3:2. The data sources include project development logs (the back-end software activities), meeting minutes, and project reports as well as participant-observation data gathered through face-to-face and teleconferencing meetings. In addition, the RE captured information from the email communications for identifying both the technical and project related issues during the supplier integration process. Email is one of the most widely used tools in intra and inter-firm project communication and collaboration. In the current era of work practices, email is well integrated with everyday workplace tasks of project team members who are dispersed across geographies and time zones (Whittaker and Sidner 1996). Another reason for selection of email data was that email documents the accountability and commitment in projects. The information extracted from the past email communications not only provide a lot of insight into the particulars of each integration project but also— perhaps more importantly,

8 _{Based on data from: theconstructionindex.co.uk/, (Top 100 Construction Companies in 2016)}

reveal invaluable information on individual, collective and organisational memories on projects.

Task 5. Post-implementation Evaluation of IOIS— A case Study of a B2B e-Marketplace. The research in Task 5 focused on the ex-post implementation stage, covering the first year of going live to identify and analyse the key characteristics of the IOIS which yields the best chance of use and adoption amongst its primary user base. More specifically, there were two questions which the research sought to address: (i) what was the extent of adoption and acceptance, and (ii) what were the challenges that users faced during the on-going use of the system? The study utilised a well-established theoretical model developed in the IS literature; DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model by DeLone and McLean (1992), to explore these two questions. Several complementary qualitative and quantitative data sources were utilised for data collection and analysis including; information gathered from technical issue logs, 12-month usage statistics, and two electronic questionnaire surveys (issued to end- users at two different points in time). With regards to the usage analysis, a master register (which contained data relating to system use at multiple levels, for example: individual, project and business unit), was created to analyse the actual usage statistics in the first year of going live with the implementation project.

Yin (2014) advocates the use of four tests in order to strengthen the generalisability and increase the internal and external validity of the findings derived from a case study research. These are shown in Table 3:3 along with the strategies that were employed during the course of investigation. In addition, the RE had adopted the role of a neutral/detached observer in data collection and analysis in order to prevent value-ladenness of the inquiry. Further, the RE had adhered to a transparent and consensual research process (involving close collaboration between the contractor firm and sponsoring company) to enable a non-biased data collection, analysis and refinement of the research findings.