Factors affecting the blockchain application in construction management in China: an ANP-SWOT hybrid approach

ABSTRACT As a decentralised ledger and data management technology, blockchain has attracted increasing interest and has been effectively applied in various areas. Despite its promising potential, there are few studies proposing effective strategies for promoting blockchain, particularly in providing a strategic analysis of blockchain in China's construction management. This study aims to investigate the external and internal environments of blockchain application and determine the roadmaps and strategies for blockchain application in construction management in China. A strength, weaknesses, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis is employed to draw a panorama of the blockchain development status. Six roadmaps and strategies for blockchain application are proposed. By using the Analytic Network Process (ANP), a quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the ranking of SWOT sub-factors and roadmaps and strategies. The results show that ‘traceability of information’, ‘high application threshold’, ‘national policy support’, and ‘low informatization level of the construction industry’ are the most important sub-factors in strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats respectively. The best roadmaps and strategies are ‘improving the informatization level of the construction industry’, followed by ‘promoting the technological innovation of blockchain’ and ‘providing standard’. This study facilitates an in-depth understanding of the blockchain application in China's construction management. It will not only help researchers to conduct targeted blockchain research for more efficient project management, but also help practitioners to develop effective strategies for adopting blockchain.