A dynamic e-Reporting system for contractor's performance appraisal

Contractor performance should be monitored and controlled on a regular basis, so that any undesirable shortfalls or failures could be identified and rectified without further losses or delays. However, contractor Performance Appraisal and Reporting (PAR) has been conducted in an ad hoc manner and is usually limited to independent project level exercises. The needs for a more structured approach to PAR and the potential benefits of reviewing contractor performance at an organizational level (i.e. by covering the overall project portfolio) lead to a proposal for an industry-wide dynamic PAR system. Advancements in World Wide Web techniques provide enhanced capacities to collect compile and disseminate performance-related information to various construction stakeholders in a timely and cost-effective manner. This paper describes the conceptual framework formulated for an e-Reporting system in the form of a web-based PAR. The system design and a brief overview of a prototype e-Reporting system are also provided. The potential applications of the e-Reporting system in dynamic decision support scenarios are also discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.