Jones, K; Mosca, L; Whyte, J; Davies, A and Glass, J (2022) Addressing specialization and fragmentation: Product platform development in construction consultancy firms. Construction Management and Economics, 40(11-12), pp. 918-933. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Construction product platforms provide the opportunity to improve productivity in construction projects while maintaining heterogeneity of output. The growing literature on construction product platforms describes how product suppliers develop product platforms either top-down or bottom-up, independently from project delivery. Through a single case study of a consultancy firm, this paper shows how a specialist consultancy firm operating in the construction sector developed their own product platform on projects while iteratively developing and augmenting their delivery capabilities. Distinguishing between activity integration, coordination, and consolidation, the platform development process highlights how vertical and horizontal consolidation of capabilities within the engineering phase of delivery enables early resolution of both product and process specifications. This means that vertical coordination between engineering and manufacturing phases can be managed by a fully specified contract, rather than acquisition. The analysis of the case shows how construction can be more closely aligned with the linear and sequential models found in manufacturing through clarifying and distinguishing the roles of engineering, manufacturing, finishing and sub-assembly.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; fragmentation; manufacturing; product platforms |
| Index terms: | specification, specialization, fragmentation, integration, construction project, construction product, consultancy, product platform, construction sector, case study, platform, acquisition, productivity, project delivery, coordination, resolution |
| Subjects: | management, contractual condition, production management, digital design, conflict resolution, organizational analysis, industry analysis, data collection methods, organization, business, innovation and technology management, economic analysis, project delivery |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Stakeholder Management, Procurement, Digital Applications, Contract Administration, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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