NAVIGATING THE HURDLES OF DEPLOYING DIGITAL PROCUREMENT SYSTEMS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

The delivery of construction projects involves several stages which attempt to ensure that project objectives are actualized. The procurement phase is significant as it determines the efficient and optimized use of resources, materials, equipment, etc. The deployment of digital procurement systems presents a viable platform to negate the challenges associated with traditional procurement methodologies in the delivery of construction projects. This study presents the findings of evaluating the challenges related to deploying digital procurement systems for construction projects in South Africa. Data was collected from construction professionals using a quantitative approach, and a structured questionnaire with purposive and snowball sampling techniques was employed. Retrieved data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, and the research instrument was tested for reliability and validity. The study's findings show that three constructs were derived as the impediments to deploying digital procurement systems for construction projects in South Africa. These are technological challenges, socio-cultural impediments, and financial constraints. Conclusively, the study maps out recommendations that can aid professionals and relevant stakeholders in navigating the bottlenecks associated with using digital procurement systems for improved construction project execution and delivery.