Drivers, constraints and the future of offsite manufacture in Australia

Purpose – Much has been written on offsite manufacture (OSM) in construction, particularly regarding the perceived benefits and barriers to implementation. However, very little understanding of the state of OSM in the Australian construction industry exists. A “scoping study” was recently conducted to determine the “state-of-the-art” of OSM in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to report on the overall findings of the study. Design/methodology/approach – The study took a broad qualitative survey-based approach. This involved three industry workshops, several interviews and seven case studies across four major states of Australia. The study surveyed a range of suppliers across the construction supply-chain, incorporating the civil, commercial and housing segments of the market. Findings – The study revealed that skills shortages and lack of adequate OSM knowledge are generally the greatest issues facing OSM in Australia. OSM uptake into the future is dependent on many factors, not least of which is a better understanding of the construction process and its associated costs. Unlike the USA and UK, the Australian construction industry faces unique challenges in how it transforms construction into a modern and efficient industry. Originality/value – This is the first work undertaken to determine the benefits and barriers to OSM in the Australian construction industry.