Dive summary:

• Sometimes the processing of bidding jobs and selecting a contractor is too slow or cumbersome for an owner's needs, and job-order contracting is a way to avoid the process while building business relationships.
• An owner specifies a price it would pay, and a pre-qualified contractor using data from constantly updated catalogs compiled by JOC service companies figures in what it will cost plus profit and comes back with a price.
• The Miami-Dade County Schools and the Chicago Department of Transportation were among the early adopters of the strategy that debuted in the U.S. in 1985 after working for the U.S. Army in Europe.

From the article:

Charles Bowers, Arizona business development manager for Centennial Contractors, a member of the Bilfinger SE Engineering and Services Group, says JOC requires a contractor to have integrity and a focus on customer service as core values—and to be flexible and responsive. ...