Zhou, S (2024) Platforming for industrialized building: a comparative case study of digitally-enabled product platforms. Building Research & Information, 52(1-2), pp. 4-18. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Digitally-enabled product platforms are becoming prominent approaches for industrialized building. Such a platform is a collection of common and stable modules and interfaces that can derive products effectively using digital delivery. The usage of construction product platforms has been studied in the existing buildings literature; however, there is relatively less on firms' strategies of platform elements for platforming, which encompasses both the development and deployment of a digitally-enabled product platform. This paper examines how construction firms strategize for platforming, through a comparative case study approach with nine international case firms. Findings indicate that three typologies platforms that firms implemented: those rely on a kit of parts only; those have also developed structured interfaces; and those have also established design rules. Inferring from findings, this paper articulates the influential role of customer requirement certainties across multiple market segments in shaping these strategies. By offering a novel classification of platforming strategies under varied certainties of customer requirements across market segments, this paper contributes to the research on construction product platforming strategies. This has implications for practitioners and opens new areas for research, taking the characteristics of customer requirements within or across market segments into account in strategic decision-making on digitally-enabled product platforms.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | digital delivery; firm strategy; industrialized building; platforms; product platform |
| Index terms: | construction product, becoming, practitioner, market segment, strategy, industrialized building, construction firm, decision-making, product platform, platform, case study, module |
| Subjects: | innovation and technology management, philosophical process, decision analysis, data collection methods, practitioner, economic analysis, market analysis, organization, management, digital design, architectural elements, building construction |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Engineering Principles, Design Practice, Research Practice, Risk Management, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here