Industry 5.0 and offsite construction in Nigeria: required skills and competencies for effective construction management

This issue on off-site construction is an output produced by Task Group 74 of CIB. CIB is the acronym of the abbreviated French (former) name: Conseil International du Bâtiment (in English this translates to International Council for Building). In the course of 1998, the abbreviation has been kept but the full name changed into International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction. CIB was established in 1953 as an association whose objectives were to stimulate and facilitate international cooperation and information exchange between governmental research institutes in the building and construction sector, with an emphasis on those institutes engaged in technical fields of research. CIB has since developed into a worldwide network of over 5,000 experts from about 500 member organizations with a research, university, industry or, government background, who collectively are active in all aspects of research and innovation for building and construction. CIB members are institutes, companies, and other types of organizations involved in research or in the transfer or application of research results. Member organizations appoint experts to participate in CIB commissions. An individual also can be a member and participate in a commission. CIB commissions initiate projects for research and development and information exchange, organize meetings, and produce publications. These meetings can be commission meetings for members only or international symposia and congresses open to all. Publications can be proceedings, scientific or technical analyses, and international state-of-the-art reports. Task Group 74 was established to develop research in the area of new production and business models in construction, with a special emphasis on off-site construction. In 2008, CIB realized that if offsite production and manufacture is to make a positive contribution to society, research is needed to identify the issues associated with related cultural, societal, economic, and business models. Against this background, Task Group 74 was formed. The focus of the task group was on addressing the necessity for a strong, coherent international research strategy to address theories as related to production and business models within the built environment disciplines and develop a comprehensive built environment innovative off-site research roadmap. One of the deliverables for this task group was compilation of research in the area of off-site construction from all around the world, and this special issue is that deliverable. This is truly an international issue with contributions from around the globe. This issue includes technical papers, case studies, forum articles, and a book review. The forum “Industrialized Building Systems: Strategic Outlook Manufactured Construction in Malaysia” by Lou and Kamar presents the issues faced by the Malaysian construction industry in the implementation of off-site construction. The forum “Promoting Off-Site Construction: Future Challenges and Opportunities” by Arif et al. presents a research roadmap for off-site construction in the areas of design, manufacturing, and construction. The paper “Supporting Site-Based Processes Using Context-Aware Virtual Prototyping” by Aziz presents the application of building information modeling to facilitate off-site construction. The paper “House-Building Business Models and Off-Site Construction Take-Up” by Pan and Goodier presents the multifaceted relationship between business models and offsite construction. This provides a good starting point for future researchers studying business models in off-site construction. The paper “Evaluation of Application of Lean Principles to Precast Concrete Bridge Beam Production Process” by Senaratne and Ekanayake presents the results of research in the application of lean principles in precast bridge beam construction process. The paper clearly highlights the benefits of lean to the precast construction process in Sri Lanka. The paper “BIM Standard in Off-Site Construction” by Nawari investigates the application of BIM standards to off-site construction and proposes an information delivery model that can be applied to off-site construction. The paper “Off-Site Construction Planning Using Discrete Event Simulation” by Alvanchi et al. presents the results of the application of discrete event simulation for effective project planning in a steel structure fabrication project. The paper “Robustness-Oriented Design of a Panel-Based Shelter System in Critical Sites” by Cennamo et al. presents design and off-site construction of buildings for critical and emergency situations such as natural disasters. This paper presents an application of off-site for disaster management purposes. The paper “Adaptable Industrial Building System: Construction Industry Perspective” by Sadafi et al. presents the results of a survey on construction professionals in Malaysia highlighting the issues associated with the implementation of off-site construction in Malaysia. The paper “Application of Modular Construction in High-Rise Buildings” by Lawson et al. presents case studies highlighting issues with the use of modular construction in high-rise buildings in Europe. The paper “Effects of Lean on Sustainability of Modular Homebuilding” by Nahmens and Ikuma presents the results of a case study on the effects of lean on the sustainability of a modular homebuilder in the United States. The paper presents some interesting issues dealing with the social sustainability in the modular housebuilding sector. The paper “Business Design Modeling for Industrialization in Construction: Cooperative Approach” by Girmscheid and Rinas presents a cooperative business model for grasping the opportunity that is offered by industrialization in construction for Switzerland. The results of this study can easily be replicated in other countries. The paper “Lean Management and Low Carbon Emissions in Precast Concrete Factories in Singapore” is a case study by Wu and Low presenting a checklist that can be used by precasters to reduce nonvalueadding activities in their processes leading to reductions in carbon emission. The paper “Comparative Analysis of Lean Construction with Design-Build Using a Framework of Contractual Forms of Agreement” by Becker et al. is an attempt to promote the concept of lean construction in the design and construction community and also presents a framework that compares designbuild contracts with lean construction. The paper “Maintenance Integrated Design and Manufacture of Buildings: Toward a Sustainable Model” by Wood is a technical note that develops a professional overview of anticipated maintenance over the life

Off-site construction (OSC) is an innovative construction method that transfers most of the site-based work to a more controlled environment. Construction waste minimization, speedy schedules, higher sustainability, and better quality are some of the perceived benefits of OSC. Therefore, significant research attention has been given to OSC. However, minimal research attention has been given to procurement management in OSC, which could impact its pace of adoption. Existing studies on the procurement methods of OSC projects have overlooked several criteria related to OSC that impact the selection of the appropriate procurement methods (i.e., design-build, construction management, etc.). In addition, the literature lacks decision-making tools to assist OSC practitioners in selecting the appropriate procurement method. In this regard, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by (1) identifying the criteria that impact the selection of OSC procurement methods; (2) developing a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model to select the appropriate OSC procurement methods. The developed MCDM model uses a hybrid approach of analytic network process (ANP) and evidential reasoning (ER). The ANP, which considers the interdependencies among the collected OSC procurement criteria, is used to calculate the relative importance weights through questionnaire surveys. The ER method evaluates various OSC procurement methods in accordance with the criteria importance weights. The results indicate that project quality, cost control, and funding arrangement are the prominent selection factors. On the other hand, the model reveals that the integrated project delivery (IPD) and construction management (CM) methods have the highest utility scores. The MCDM model has been validated by comparing the results with similar studies. The present study could assist OSC practitioners in selecting the appropriate procurement method for OSC projects.

Ingredients for digital transformation projects trainings

Lean practice is recognised for having a great potential in promoting safety risk management in off-site construction (OSC). This paper presents results of a study conducted to assess the impact of lean practice on safety risk management in OSC in a developing country. A quantitative approach using a survey-based questionnaire was adopted. Lean management practices (LMPs) identified from a literature review were empirically tested using a sample survey of 103 OSC contractors. The survey responses were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The top ranked LMPs for safety risk management in OSC included two mistake-proofing practices, i.e., use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and use of hazard warning equipment; two last planner system (LPS) practices, i.e., involvement of workers in safety planning and providing necessary working equipment; and one first run studies (FRS) practice, i.e., critical analysis of work methods. These LMPs are useful in controlling high-consequence safety risks in OSC. Based on evidence found in this study, the paper argues that lean practice can bring great value to safety risk management in OSC in countries where OSC is transitioning.

The UK government is actively seeking to promote offsite construction (OSC) to improve housing and sustainability and achieve net-zero carbon targets. However, OSC adoption rates remain low. This qualitative study assessed OSC awareness through 12 interviews with experienced UK construction industry (UKCI) professionals. Its findings indicate that while OSC awareness exists, it is low among potential end users. Construction professionals are more aware, but general knowledge and adoption of OSC are still limited, and there are significant awareness–adoption gaps among industry stakeholders. These gaps are a major barrier to broader adoption. The study relies on a theoretical framework to propose with actionable strategies that will enhance OSC awareness and adoption. These recommendations provide a roadmap for increasing OSC uptake, offer insights for academic research, and highlight benefits for the construction industry, businesses and the environment. Additionally, they can be used to serve as a guide for other countries considering OSC adoption.

The problem of distance between the processes of world transition to a new technological platform, information technologies, to the digital economy and digitalization of various spheres of activity, including education, on the one hand, and not sufficiently deep studies of the phenomenon of digital transformation, including the digital transformation of education, on the other hand, is studied. Lack of elaboration of the essence of digital transformation provokes the free and often marketing use of the concepts of digitalization, digital technologies, and digital transformation of education, and in practice leads to low efficiency of actions taken to implement projects and programs of digital transformation. The lack of strict assumptions leads to a lack of meanings, a multiple increase in the managerial and organizational complexity of implementing the actual practice of digital transformation in education, and as a result, there is an imitation or formal implementation of promising projects. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the General model of digital transformation and to specify it in relation to the digital transformation of education, demonstrating all the elements of the structure of the transformed object and the nature of the cardinal transformations. The hypothesis being tested — the transformation process covers not only the means of educational activity, in particular, digital technologies, but also other elements of it — the goal, object, subject, changing the essence of the educational activity itself, contrasting it with the processes of training and preparation. The system-based research methodology is used. Research methods: main — theoretical analysis and synthesis of existing scientific positions, observation of practical artifacts of digital transformation of education; accompanying — experimental method for testing the results of research. The main results were: distinguishing digital transformation projects, highlighting their unique properties and characteristics that differ from projects of optimization, improvement, development; substantiating the model of digital transformation of education, including proof that in the process of transformation, not only the means (digital technologies), but also the content of the educational process, its goals, subjects and methods of communication between them change dramatically. This suggests a new approach to changing the education process under the influence of digital transformation, its distance from the processes of education and training, which will become a starting point in the self-organization of teams of projects of digital transformation of education. The results will be useful to heads of education authorities at all levels, managers and development teams of educational organizations of basic and additional education, who are planning or implementing digital transformation projects.

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the existing and emerging Offsite Construction (OSC) skills. Construction industry is inherently labour oriented, fashioning poor labour productivity, low sustainability, slow and costly processes. These shortcomings promote OSC alongside driving forces such as industrialisation, automation and digitalisation. However, the traditional construction skills are not on par with the complexity, where robots, co-bots and digital-driven automated systems create the need for novel OSC skills.Design/methodology/approachData collection is executed through a Roundtable activity hosting Construction Management academics form Australian universities specialising in construction technology. They engaged in ranking of skills along with creating a word cloud for the question, “what are the future construction skills that will be more beneficial in an OSC platform?” Word cloud is reviewed in a discussion approach while skills ranking data is analysed using descriptive statistics.FindingsThe most prominent OSC skills are logistics manager, project manager and digital producer. Attributes of skills that come under construction trades workers, design, engineering and specialist professionals will vary based on onsite-offsite percentage combination in a construction project. Study reviews the required construction skills at two ends of a continuum featuring the trade-based skills; bricklayer, concreter and carpenter at one end (traditional build) and the heavily digitalised and automated skills at the other end (OSC). The noticeable transition towards OSC urges industry practitioners, policy-makers and education providers to focus on understanding and cultivating key OSC skills.Originality/valueThis study describes the transition of skills from onsite to OSC. It is presented as one of the earliest attempts to evaluate OSC skill profiles.

In the article, the authors analyze the statistical data of the digital transformation market, and investigate the digital transformation project management system. In the context of the rapid development of Industry 4.0 technologies and the transition of the Russian Federation to a data economy, it is necessary to constantly develop a strategic management system for digitalization and a digital transformation strategy for each enterprise. It is also necessary to analyze and optimize the portfolio of digital transformation projects in order to achieve strategic business goals. Limited resources and constant changes in the context of the external and internal environment of the enterprise dictate the need to select the most effective projects in the company’s digital transformation portfolio and develop tools for the digital transformation project management system. The products and services of digital transformation projects are based on Industry 4.0 technologies or end-to-end information technologies of the “Digital Economy” (artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data and others). The purpose of the research is to improve the management system of digitalization processes and develop tools to support strategic management of digital transformation projects within the project office. The result is the development of a set of tools, including a mechanism for selecting digital transformation projects, and a methodological model for strategic management of digital transformation projects, which provides support to the project office of the enterprise for the organization of portfolio management. The proposed management system also includes a mechanism for choosing an approach to managing digital transformation projects. The leading scientific methods underlying the solution of the problem are systematic and expert methods of analysis, which made it possible to analyze the processes of digitalization and management, systematize the problems and trends in the development of digital transformation of enterprises, and identify the main elements of the project selection mechanism. The results of the study can be applied to manage the digital transformation of enterprises and the transition to the concept of a “smart enterprise” based on Industry 4.0 technologies. The proposed tools are recommended to be used to improve the efficiency of enterprise project offices, the effectiveness of the formation of digital infrastructure and an intelligent digital transformation management system.

Industry 4.0 is a promising concept that allows industries to meet customers’ demands with flexible and resilient processes, and highly personalised products. This concept is made up of different dimensions. For a long time, innovative digital technology has been thought of as the only dimension to succeed in digital transformation projects. Other dimensions have been identified such as organisation, strategy, and human resources as key while rolling out digital technology in factories. From these findings, researchers have designed industry 4.0 theoretical models and then built readiness models that allow for analysing the gap between the company initial situation and the theoretical model. Nevertheless, this purely deductive approach does not take into consideration a company’s background and context, and eventually favours one single digital transformation model. This article aims at analysing four actual digital transformation projects and demonstrating that the digital transformation’s success or failure depends on the combination of two variables related to a company’s background and context. This research is based on a double approach: deductive and inductive. First, a literature review has been carried out to define industry 4.0 concept and its main dimensions and digital transformation success factors, as well as barriers, have been investigated. Second, a qualitative survey has been designed to study in-depth four actual industry digital transformation projects, their genesis as well as their execution, to analyse the key variables in succeeding or failing. 46 semi-structured interviews were carried out with projects’ members; interviews have been analysed with thematic content analysis. Then, each digital transformation project has been modelled regarding the key variables and analysed with regards to succeeding or failing. Investigated projects have consolidated the models of digital transformation. Finally, nine digital transformation models have been identified. Industry practitioners could design their digital transformation project organisation and strategy according to the right model.

Off-Site Construction (OSC) is a new construction method based on factory production. Due to its advantages over traditional methods, such as high productivity, economic efficiency, and excellence in quality, OSC research has actively been conducted worldwide ranging from design and production standardization, transportation method, to construction planning. Thus, to understand what knowledge has been developed to improve the management of OSC projects, this study reviewed OSC papers that focus on improving a specific project management area (e.g., time, cost, and quality) in a specific phase of a project, i.e., “process-level research.” This study found 94 papers with such a focus, out of 222 OSC project management papers published from 1986 to 2018, and assessed the trends of the research with multiple dimensions, including project phases, OSC types, application types, and management areas. Main findings are as follows: (1) process-level research has been increasing fast since 2006. (2) Non-volumetric pre-assembly type contributes the most to the increase of process-level OSC management research. (3) Research focuses vary depending on the application type (e.g., living quality issues for residential, economics issues for non-residential, productivity issues for plant). (4) Wider project management areas (e.g., quality, human resources, risk) have gained attention from OSC papers since 2006. (5) Non-volumetric type gained interests in residential and non-residential buildings, whereas modular type was studied frequently in plants. This study would help project management researchers understand the trends in OSC and plan and conduct future OSC project management research.

Offsite Construction (OSC) continues to gain popularity for faster, safer, cheaper and more sustainable construction project delivery. An improved quality performance is a chief selling point in the advocacy for the widespread adoption of OSC. Paradoxically, quality issues that arise in OSC projects can be extremely costly. However, quality management (QM) is underexplored in the growing OSC literature. This paper critically reviews the QM of OSC literature to uncover the state-of-the-art and proffer recommendations for future research. 38 articles, selected from Scopus and Web of Science, published from 2009 to 2021 and distributed across 20 journals, were selected through a systematic literature review supplemented by a snowball search. An overview of QM of OSC research is provided based on the yearly distribution of articles, country/territory of affiliation, journal sources, OSC types, project life cycle stages and technologies utilised. The findings revealed a growing interest in the sub-domain. The articles were categorised under six topics: post-production quality assessment, rework and defect management, quality risk management, process improvement, requirements management and quality performance factors. This paper also proposes future research directions based on the prevailing knowledge gaps.

Offsite construction (OSC) has been increasingly adopted in the construction industry, especially with increased practical interest in digital transformation in construction, automated production, assembly, and delivery. The uptake of OSC has not however been consistent internationally, and the adoption rate of modular and prefabricated construction is still poor in many developing and developed countries. This review aims to detect and classify the barriers for adopting OSC by assimilating previous research studies. This paper systematically analyses 75 research articles, published in the past decade spanning between 2012 and 2022 inclusive. A total of 47 barriers were identified through this review and the five most frequent barriers were: lack of skills and expertise in OSC within the organization, poor cooperation and integration between stakeholders in the value chain, higher project costs, higher capital cost, and lack of a national standards and design codes for prefabricated components. The analysis offers insights into gaps that exist that could support greater OSC activity globally. Barrier trends by publication year and country are reported to highlight changes in research activity to delineate recommendations for future work to ensure greater uptake.

Editorial

Although offsite construction (OSC) has emerged as a promising solution to low productivity issues in the construction industry, knowledge for effective management of OSC projects is yet to be explored and developed further. To enhance our understanding of the landscape of the current OSC management knowledge, this study identified and reviewed 83 operation-level OSC management papers. By mapping the papers on three dimensions (i.e. OSC project type, project phase, and management area), this review sheds light on the knowledge areas addressed more frequently than the other areas over time in a detailed manner. The review also shows that papers on planning, manufacturing, maintenance phases and schedule, resources, and stakeholder management areas have a relatively large number of citations, implying a great interest in these research areas. Finally, the review discusses that substantial research work is still required in the areas of OSC execution strategy, emerging technologies in offsite manufacturing and schedule management, internet of things (IoT)-based material logistics planning and tracking, building information model-based visualization and decision support, and social and environmental effects of stakeholder engagement in OSC projects.

Purpose The global housing shortage has underscored the need for innovative solutions, such as offsite construction (OSC). Despite its potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance sustainability, the adoption of OSC has been slow due to economic, social and technical barriers. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of 68 selected publications from 1995 to 2024, exploring trends in information management within OSC, particularly in housing. The analysis of the selected papers on OSC in housing revealed a growing research interest since 2009. Findings Publications have increased steadily, peaking in 2022, with Automation in Construction, Journal of Cleaner Production and Buildings emerging as the leading journals. Keyword analysis highlighted “building information modeling” and “prefabrication” as dominant themes, reflecting their crucial role in the field. The co-authorship and co-citation analyses identified Geoffrey Qiping Shen as a leading researcher, with Hong Kong and China leading in publication and citation counts, highlighting their significant impact on the field. The findings also revealed a growing interest in integrating advanced technologies, such as building information modeling (BIM), artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), alongside a focus on sustainability, modular construction and lifecycle management. Originality/value This analysis in this study highlights key themes like BIM prefabrication and sustainability and identifies leading researchers and regions, emphasizing the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT in the field. Limitations include reliance on existing publications and the exclusion of industry practices not yet widely documented. Future research should broaden its scope to include recent industry developments and regional case studies, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive information management systems to support the evolving OSC discipline.