Measurement of information loss and transfer impacts of technology systems in offsite construction processes

Offsite construction, also known as industrialized/prefabricated construction, is an alternative approach to delivering construction projects, compared to the on-site stick-built/built-on-site construction approach. Today's offsite construction processes often use technology systems (e.g., digital design tools and automated machinery) to increase productivity and improve product quality. These systems operate collectively and rely on information generated in different operating environments. Therefore, information interoperability is critical to achieving overall construction efficiency and economics. This creates a need to study the impacts of information loss and transfer due to information interoperability, specifically for offsite construction processes. Given this, the paper uses a qualitative (case study) approach to document the offsite construction processes and the information requirements for each process. The efforts spent on information generation and transfer are taken as inputs for calculating the information loss and transfer impact using a quantitative (Monte Carlo simulation) approach. It contributes to the body of knowledge with (1) documentation of the current offsite construction processes based on wood panelized construction and the information requirements for all involved technology systems; (2) a case study approach that can be generically applied in other offsite construction companies to capture the information efficiency due to information interoperability; and (3) a generic simulation-based approach to measure the impacts of information loss and transfer between processes. As a result, the paper proposes phases of technology adoption and strategies for offsite construction companies. ; Practical Applications This research proposes some practical implications specifically for the offsite construction industry that intends to adopt new technology systems and/or evaluate the efficiency of information handling in their existing practice, through a case study. For example, offsite construction firms can develop their own evaluation metrics to assess the information loss and transfer before investing in new technology systems, by following a similar approach to this case study. This may include comparing different technology systems from the perspective of return on investment. The approach can also be used to evaluate existing technology systems and set a baseline/benchmark. This will help management to understand the potential losses in effort due to poor information interoperability and set targets for enhancing these systems. Lastly, the proposed phases of technology adoption and strategies can help the offsite construction industry to set targets for progressive technology transformation and serve as a reference for setting expectations from a business perspective. It also helps the company to identify the required talents and know-how in the technology transformation process.