Critical success factors for digital partnering of construction organisations – a Delphi study

The construction organisations in developing countries are lagging in digital technology usage; hence, they are still characterised by poor project delivery and technological backwardness. To checkmate this problem, partnering with other organisations was proposed, while critical factors needed for successful digital partnering of construction organisations were assessed.

The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Delphi method was used to get experts' opinion on some identified factors necessary for successful digital partnering. The experts for the study were selected using defined criteria, and a combination of interquartile deviation, Kendall's coefficient of concordance and chi-square was used to achieve robust consensus among respondents. Mann–Whitney U test was also used to ascertain the difference in perception of experts.

The findings revealed trust in digital partners, top management support and digital partner selection as the three key success factors for partnering. Other factors that can be considered alongside these main factors are the creation of a common goal, a long-term commitment, effective communication, proper conflict resolution and structured as well as continuous digital training, workshops and meetings.

Instead of going through the digitalisation journey alone, construction organisations, particularly in a developing country like South Africa, stand a better chance of surviving the dynamic construction and digital environment by partnering with other organisations within and outside the industry. Carefully selecting the right partner, trusting in their capability and ensuring constant commitment is necessary for the success of the process.

The value of this study lies in its ability to showcase the critical success factors needed for effective digital partnering, an aspect that lacks adequate consideration in the digitalisation of construction industry discourse.