Conceptualising project management capabilities for offsite construction
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 30 August 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Recent research advocates that there are plenty of opportunities for key players in the offsite construction (OSC) sector to harness the full potential of advanced project management techniques. While previous research mainly focuses on transformations related to digital and advanced technologies driven by industry 4.0 principles, a research gap still exists on the intersection of project management capabilities and OSC. This study attempts to bridge this gap by capturing the homogeneity of different capabilities and integrating them into an overarching framework.
Design/methodology/approach
A scientometric analysis is conducted to provide an overview of the co-occurrence network of keywords in the representative studies. A systematic literature review (SLR) of articles published between 2010 and 2022, followed by a subsequent full-text examination of 63 selected articles, revealed 34 interrelated capabilities to be categorised under three exhaustive planning-oriented, design-oriented and delivery-oriented groups.
Findings
This review revealed an upward trend of publication on project management capabilities for OSC with a specific interest in optimisation of resources allocated to offsite operations. The top five capabilities discussed more frequently in the literature include (1) artificial intelligence for design error detection, (2) enhanced resource productivity, (3) cost saving in offsite production, (4) real-time traceability of modules and (5) applying lean agile production principles to OSC, which imply the critical role of quality, cost saving, traceability and agility in OSC.
Originality/value
This study elicits core capabilities and develops a new offsite project management framework for the first time. The authors provide directions for researchers and practitioners to apply capabilities for obtaining better outcomes and higher value out of offsite operations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the University of Newcastle in providing the funding and resources for this research.
Citation
Ginigaddara, B., Ershadi, M., Jefferies, M. and Perera, S. (2024), "Conceptualising project management capabilities for offsite construction", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2023-0203
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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