Findings from preliminary case studies on knowledge flow in aerospace and construction supply chains

A critical issue in supply chain management (SCM) is the effective management of knowledge through the whole project lifecycle. Firms in both the aerospace and construction industries face considerable challenges to manage project knowledge effectively in their supply chains (SCs). With the high level of outsourcing in design and manufacturing, the effective use of project knowledge across the aerospace SC is acknowledged to be crucial to the success of any project. Similarly, the construction industry has a very fragmented SC and the effective use of knowledge across the SC is a big challenge for all actors in construction SCs. This research aims to define the key issues of SCM in the two industries and clarifies the gaps and bottlenecks in the knowledge flow through the SCs. For this purpose, the preliminary findings of case studies in the construction and aerospace sectors are presented in this paper. The main differences between the aerospace and the construction SCs are discussed. The key problems in SCM and knowledge management (KM) practices in these industries are clarified. The case study method adopted to investigate knowledge flow in SCs is described. Finally, the paper concludes that the findings of these case studies will be used to enable the SCs to transform into knowledge chains.