Abstract
Projects, such as construction projects, are complex transactions which require suppliers to group their competencies into a consortium of firms in order to formulate an offer meeting customer’s specifications. This gives rise for the project suppliers to a wide range of options by which to enter the project pyramid ranging from prime contractor to subcontractors roles. As such, the project entry mode can be directly related to the bidding strategy. But, at the same time, the selection of the mode of entry on a specific project goes beyond this single bidding strategy. This decision is encapsulated into more long-term marketing priorities such as the development of inter-organisational relationships and the buiding up of a position in a specific market.
This paper follows the chronological study of a cement plant project (CP4) in Vietnam for a customer called CVT. The focus is on the intercction between two potential actors of the project supply consortium: a French engineering firm (Petech) willing to act as prime contractor and a posssible supplier for the electrical lot which is a French industrial company (Grinlec). The paper highlights the three conflicting logics that are at play between the actors of the consortium: (1)the project perspective, (2)the relational perspective between actors and (3)the market perspective. The paper highlights the fact that, for a given actor of the supply side, the choice of project entry mode in the consortium is the result of its own combination of these three logics.
This paper follows the chronological study of a cement plant project (CP4) in Vietnam for a customer called CVT. The focus is on the intercction between two potential actors of the project supply consortium: a French engineering firm (Petech) willing to act as prime contractor and a posssible supplier for the electrical lot which is a French industrial company (Grinlec). The paper highlights the three conflicting logics that are at play between the actors of the consortium: (1)the project perspective, (2)the relational perspective between actors and (3)the market perspective. The paper highlights the fact that, for a given actor of the supply side, the choice of project entry mode in the consortium is the result of its own combination of these three logics.