Examining the Effectiveness of Supply Chain Strategies on Project Performance in the Mazabuka–Kafue Road Construction Project

Supply chain management has become an important component of construction project delivery because procurement, supplier coordination, inventory, logistics, information and risk processes affect material availability and continuity of works. This study explored the effectiveness of supply chain strategies on performance in the Mazabuka–Kafue Road Construction Project in Zambia. Four objectives guided the study: evaluating strategies adopted; determining their influence on project performance; analyzing factors influencing effectiveness; and ascertaining implementation challenges. A mixed-methods case-study design was used, with quantitative data from 100 respondents and qualitative information from 15 key informants. The findings show widespread recording of conventional strategies, including procurement planning, supplier relationship management, inventory management and logistics planning, while digital technology use was limited. Procurement planning was often changed because of delays, supplier relationships included both performance-management and contractual approaches, and inventory records remained substantially manual. Stakeholder coordination, financial resources, technical capacity, communication, infrastructure and institutional commitment were mostly moderate to weak. Lengthy approval procedures and delayed supplier payments were recurring implementation conditions. The study concludes that the presence of supply-chain strategies does not by itself establish effectiveness; implementation depends on integration, coordination, technical capacity, information flow and institutional conditions.