Effekter av prissökningar - En studie av påverkan på byggprojekt i Sverige

Sammanfattning: The volatile market situation in recent years has led to a conflict between client and contractor with regard to unusual price increases and delivery disruptions. There is rarely a common understanding in the project organization on how to deal with these, which can affect the relationship between the client and the contractor. The aim of the study is to contribute to the development of knowledge for the benefit of operators affected by unusual price movements and supply disruptions and to provide a snapshot of the sector. The study aims to enable stakeholders to benefit from the results of the study, in terms of understanding the impact of crisis conditions and alternative approaches to dealing with price rises and supply disruptions. To answer the questions, a multiple case study has been conducted, in which a total of ten interviews have been conducted with the client’s project manager and the contractor’s project manager in five different projects. The study has been qualitative to draw on the respondents’ experiences of the current situation, how it has affected the projects, the relationship with their counterparts and the role of construction law. Sweden represents a small part of the global market that has been affected by price increases and supply disruptions. The domestic construction industry relies on international dependencies for raw materials and raw material processing, which creates vulnerability to disruptions and crisis conditions. The conflict between the client and the contractor is based on how to interpret and apply construction law, in terms of abnormality, significance, and unpredictability. Clients consider that the limit of what is significant starts at 15%, while contractors consider that the same limit starts at 3%. When entering contracts, ambiguous terms should be interpreted and defined by the contracting parties as an addition to the tender or alternatively defined by the client and written in the tender documents. Good cooperation and the right motivational factors are important prerequisites for a successful and optimally functioning project. This can be achieved by focusing on long-term relationships as part of their long-term planning, rather than striving for short-term success and profit.