Industrialization in construction – A process model for capability creation

Productivity improvement in the construction industry has been modest for decades. Problems with the schedules and costs of construction projects are well documented, as are the quality problems affecting buildings. There are several reasons behind this situation, but one of the main challenges has its roots in the fragmentation of the industry, which causes several problems between different construction stakeholders—but especially between different construction projects and project phases. Furthermore, the absence of product-based thinking and process management practices causes challenges in continuous improvement between projects.

The objective of this dissertation is to boost productivity improvement by proposing an industrial operation model (IOM) for the construction industry. This dissertation presents capability creation practices—which have not been studied previously in the context of the construction industry—as a component of the IOM. This research uses qualitative interviews to study elements of the proposed IOM and capability creation practices for sales, production, and maintenance processes.

The results of this dissertation include preconditions and steps for construction companies to implement the IOM. As part of the IOM, the capability creation processes, roles, and practices are described for sales, production, and maintenance. Capability creation practices take the requirements of the later phases of construction projects into account during the early design phase while simultaneously improving the design itself, enhancing the preplanning of sales, production, and maintenance, and preventing many known problems across the building lifecycle. In addition, capability creation practices enable the creation of more innovative solutions for the end customer.