Research On Supply Chain Management for Engineering Projects

Abstract

Against the backdrop of global engineering projects becoming increasingly large-scale, complex, and international, their supply chains—as temporary, location-fixed, and long-cycle complex systems—face inherent dynamism and uncertainty. This leads to persistent industry challenges such as cost overruns and schedule delays. Traditional management models struggle with risk mitigation and cross-organizational coordination, while emerging technologies remain applied in isolated pockets, failing to systematically address information silos and data barriers. This paper systematically examines the unique characteristics of engineering project supply chains and delves into their three core management dimensions. In procurement and supplier management, organizations must balance centralized versus decentralized approaches and global versus local sourcing while building strategic partnerships to enhance resilience. For logistics and inventory management, attention should focus on “last-mile” delivery and adopt a hybrid push-pull strategy to balance risk and efficiency. In information flow and collaboration management, organizational barriers must be overcome through models like integrated project delivery. The study further highlights that digital technologies—including BIM, IoT, big data, and blockchain—serve as key enablers for enhancing supply chain visibility, collaboration, and trustworthiness. Moreover, in response to sustainability agendas and external disruption risks, building supply chain systems that integrate green practices with resilience strategies has become an inevitable trend.