A fuzzy synthetic evaluation of market intelligence information for identifying opportunities in the construction industry

Purpose Market intelligence is essential for enhancing contractors' competitiveness. However, the specific types of information that contractors should prioritize when gathering intelligence to improve efficiency remain underexplored. This study aims to identify the most critical market intelligence information (CMII) that contractors monitor to capitalize on potential opportunities. Design/methodology/approach A sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach was employed to generate measurements for the questionnaires, with the final analysis conducted using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE). Findings The exploratory factor analysis identified four categories of CMII: construction market dynamics, government policies, economic growth indicators, and environmental sustainability issues. The FSE analysis ranked construction market dynamics as the most critical. Research limitations/implications The study population was limited to large-scale contractors, and the naming of the CMII was subjectively determined, which may not fully capture the complexity of the underlying relationships among the variables. Practical implications Classifying market intelligence information based on criticality will enable contractors to focus on the most essential information, thereby saving time and reducing costs when gathering intelligence. In addition, the results of this study contribute to the existing body of knowledge on market intelligence by identifying the most CMII in the Ghanaian construction industry. Social implications By highlighting the most CMII, the study can assist medium-sized and smaller contractors in identifying and competing for market opportunities. In turn, this may help to reduce the dominance of a few large firms, promoting fairer competition and broader access to project opportunities. Originality/value This study is the first to explicitly and systematically examine CMII within the construction industry.