<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Digitalization has the potential to radically change the way buildings are designed, produced, and operated. In this digital transformation, the establishment of information standards play an important role. However, despite substantial efforts in the development of both technology and standards, these are not yet fully adopted in construction. This study aims to review the adoption of standards and to examine whether suppliers of prefabricated concrete elements have transformed their business models. The purpose is to strengthen the understanding of the interplay between the adoption of standards and business model renewal. Driving forces for the adoption of standards are identified and coupled with suppliers’ arguments for business model protection and renewal, explained in terms of a market and a hierarchy approach. The market approach embraces the adoption of open standards for improved competition and information exchange along with the further adoption of industrialized construction. This study identifies that common standards for precast elements are lacking, which leads to waste in terms of structural re-design and liability uncertainties. On the other hand, a market situation with open standards is challenging for suppliers to utilize and benefit from their existing operational platforms. Suppliers of precast elements strive for a hierarchy approach, that is, the adoption of the whole value chain, to protect their market position and continue offering structural frameworks and services. This concurs with arguments for industrialized construction, which emphasize the benefits of continuous improvements. This study contributes to the understanding of drivers and impediments for the uptake of standards versus business model renewal in construction.</p></abstract>

Digitalization has the potential to radically change the way buildings are designed, produced, and operated. In this digital transformation, the establishment of information standards play an important role. However, despite substantial efforts in the development of both technology and standards, these are not yet fully adopted in construction. This study aims to review the adoption of standards and to examine whether suppliers of prefabricated concrete elements have transformed their business models. The purpose is to strengthen the understanding of the interplay between the adoption of standards and business model renewal. Driving forces for the adoption of standards are identified and coupled with suppliers’ arguments for business model protection and renewal, explained in terms of a market and a hierarchy approach. The market approach embraces the adoption of open standards for improved competition and information exchange along with the further adoption of industrialized construction. This study identifies that common standards for precast elements are lacking, which leads to waste in terms of structural re-design and liability uncertainties. On the other hand, a market situation with open standards is challenging for suppliers to utilize and benefit from their existing operational platforms. Suppliers of precast elements strive for a hierarchy approach, that is, the adoption of the whole value chain, to protect their market position and continue offering structural frameworks and services. This concurs with arguments for industrialized construction, which emphasize the benefits of continuous improvements. This study contributes to the understanding of drivers and impediments for the uptake of standards versus business model renewal in construction.

Industrialization of construction: Implications on standards, business models and project orientation

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Organization, Technology and Management in Construction: an International Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Digitalization has the potential to radically change the way buildings are designed, produced, and operated. In this digital transformation, the establishment...

Product	Supplier A	Supplier B	Supplier C
Wall (solid)	V	RV	V
Wall (sandwich)	RW	RW	W
Pillar (circular)	P or OP	OP	P
Pillar (rectangular)	P or RP	RP	P

Industrialization of construction: Implications on standards, business models and project orientation

Article Category: Technical paper

Publié en ligne: 22 avr. 2020

Pages: 2109 - 2116

Reçu: 11 déc. 2019

Accepté: 19 mars 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/otmcj-2020-0007

Mots clés
industrialized construction, information standards, business model, precast element, product service system

© 2020 Niclas Andersson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Examples of precast suppliers’ naming of the different types of concrete elements.

Industrialization of construction: Implications on standards, business models and project orientation

Article Category: Technical paper

Publié en ligne: 22 avr. 2020

Pages: 2109 - 2116

Reçu: 11 déc. 2019

Accepté: 19 mars 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/otmcj-2020-0007

Mots clésindustrialized construction, information standards, business model, precast element, product service system

© 2020 Niclas Andersson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Examples of precast suppliers’ naming of the different types of concrete elements.

Mots clés
industrialized construction, information standards, business model, precast element, product service system