Early Supplier Involvement (ESI) in Dutch infrastructure projects
An exploratory study to identify the current status of the Dutch infrastructure sector in terms of early supplier involvement
S. Lotchouang Kouam (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
M.J.C.M. Hertogh – Graduation committee member
L.P.I.M. Hombergen – Mentor
Wouter Kersten – Mentor
Wouter van der Bijl – Mentor
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Abstract
Early supplier involvement (ESI) can be defined as a mechanism for involving preferred suppliers in the early phases of product design and development. The concept of ESI is frequently mentioned in the context of New Product Development (NPD) and has been in existence for over half a century with positive results in a number of industries. In the Dutch infrastructure sector however, the implementation of the ESI concept is not yet as widespread as in the automotive or electronics industries. Consequently, the opportunity to conduct this study comes from the recent developments that resulted in an increased reliance on suppliers' knowledge in Dutch infrastructure projects, combined to the fact that ESI seems to be a potential solution to cope with those changes. Therefore, through literature study and interviews with practitioners within the Dutch infrastructure sector, it is aimed to identify the current status of ESI within the Dutch infrastructure sector, identify barriers and stimuli to the ESI process and derive some recommendations for the sector.