Smyth, HJ;
(2016)
The business development management function: processes at the front of the front end of the management of projects.
In: Kähkönen, K and Keinänen, M, (eds.)
Proceedings of the 20th CIB World Building Congress - Intelligent Built Environment for Life.
International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB): Tampere, Finland.
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Abstract
The strategic front-end of the management of projects is where the construction is scoped, defined and designed client-side prior to engagement with main contractors on the supply side through procurement. At the front of the front end on the supply side is the business development management (BDM) function, the euphemism for sales. BDM is claimed to be isolated from other processes along the project lifecycle. Applying marketing theorization around securing work and delivering value for the analysis, this paper addresses BDM in ten major contractors to examine the extent of integration. Marketing offers three theoretical lenses: the transactional marketing mix, the more transformational relationship marketing and the current emergence of the service-dominant logic. Each lens facilitates conceptual evaluation of BDM in terms of current practice at the front of the front end, the extent of integration in the project lifecycle from its own theoretical position, and the rigor of value propositions and delivery. This is complemented at a detailed BDM level by an interaction sales approach. The findings show elements of all theories across the main contractors and in BDM processes in each contractor. A lack of integration is evident using all three analytical lenses and value propositions and delivery are constrained as a result. Management awareness of theory and applied configurations in BDM are thin and provide an explanation for the low integration, resulting in firms constraining their ability to effectively articulate and differentiate value propositions, deliver value propositions to clients and constrain growth in a competitive market.
| Type: | Proceedings paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | The business development management function: processes at the front of the front end of the management of projects |
| Event: | Intelligent Built Environment for Life, CIB World Building Congress |
| Location: | Tampere, Finland |
| Dates: | 31 May 2016 - 03 June 2016 |
| ISBN-13: | 9789521537400 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | http://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/CIB_DC29566.pdf |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | business development management; marketing mix; relationship marketing; service-dominant logic; value propositions |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett Sch of Const and Proj Mgt |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1559302 |
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