Improving sub-contractor selection process in construction projects: Web-based sub-contractor evaluation system (WEBSES) Gokhan Arslan a, ⁎ , Serkan Kivrak a , M. Talat Birgonul b , Irem Dikmen b a Anadolu University, Civil Engineering Department, 26555 Eskisehir, Turkey b Middle East Technical University, Civil Engineering Department, 06531 Ankara, Turkey Accepted 14 August 2007 Abstract One of the most important phases in the construction industry (CI) is the bidding process. During the bidding process, selecting the most appropriate sub-contractors (SCs) for the relevant sub-works is highly critical for the overall project performance. In order to select the most appropriate SCs for the project and prepare the most realistic and accurate bid proposal, general contractors (GCs) have to know all financial, technical and general information about these SCs. Within this context, GCs should consider several factors in the selection process. These factors may include the quality of production, efficiency, employment of qualified members, reputation of the company, accessibility to the company, completion of the work on time etc. This paper proposes a web-based sub-contractor evaluation system called WEBSES by which the SCs can be evaluated based on a combined criterion. It enables GCs to select the most appropriate SCs for their relevant sub-works, speed up the selection process and gain time and cost savings during the bidding process. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Sub-contractor; Construction industry; Information technology (IT); Evaluation 1. Introduction Sub-contracting has extensively been used in the CI. It allows GCs to employ a minimum workforce in construction projects and promotes specialization [1,2]. Many GCs only act as construction management agents in construction projects and sub-contract a large volume of their work to SCs [3]. SCs play an important role in the success of construction projects [4,5]. The success level of these projects may depend on the philosophy of selecting “the right person for the right job” [6]. Clearly, the correct choice of SCs increases the overall success of a construction project. However, the importance of SC selection is mostly underestimated and neglected in construction [7,8]. SC evaluation is a vital part of the project management cycle. As construction projects become more complex, the need for evaluating SC performance becomes more crucial. Although there are no generalized sets of rules in evaluating SCs, several factors should be considered by the GC in the selection process. These factors may include the quality of production, efficiency, employment of qualified members, reputation of the company, accessibility to the company, completion of the work on time, etc. The use of information technology (IT) applications in the CI has been recognized as highly essential for improving business performance [9,10]. IT tools enable companies to speed up the business activities. Especially, Internet-based technology has been recognized as the most important tool to facilitate in- formation transfer effectively and a collaborative working en- vironment in construction projects [11]. A considerable amount of time and cost saving can be achieved by the use of Internet technologies. A construction company has generally several projects that are located in different geographical areas. In- formation exchange can be performed effectively between the members of these projects through the use of web-based applications. Thus, problems caused by geographic fragmenta- tion can significantly be reduced [12]. When considered the advantages, the use of web-based technology can be an effective Automation in Construction 17 (2008) 480 – 488 www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 222 321 35 50; fax: +90 222 323 95 01. E-mail addresses: gokhana@anadolu.edu.tr (G. Arslan), serkankivrak@anadolu.edu.tr (S. Kivrak), birgonul@metu.edu.tr (M.T. Birgonul), idikmen@metu.edu.tr (I. Dikmen). 0926-5805/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2007.08.004