Customer Perceptions of Value Disciplines in

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent construction customers’ views of the value disciplines (Treacy & Wiersema, 1993, 1995a, 1995b) could be used by construction companies to develop a broader platform for competitive advantage, other than lowest price. To achieve this, the research determined the most important value discipline to customers and the most important attributes per value discipline. Furthermore, construction consultants are important influencers in the selection of construction firms. Therefore the research also determined to what extent consultants’ views of the value disciplines were consistent with the views of customers. The research found that customers rated the value discipline of Customer Intimacy the highest as opposed to consultants who rated Operational Excellence the highest. The three most highly ranked attributes of all value disciplines were quality, understanding customer needs, and the reputation of the contractor’s project team