Production Capability Creation (PCC) for Collaborative Construction Projects – A Qualitative Study From Finland

The construction industry has been suffering from modest productivity development in recent decades. To address the recognized problems, collaborative delivery methods are replacing traditional project delivery models, especially in large and complex projects.The aim of this research is to describe the production capability creation (PCC) process as a solution for planning the production phase. The PCC process should be implemented parallel to the design phase and owned by the production. A qualitative and inductive approach, based primarily on case company interviews, is applied to identify the twelve most important challenges for preplanning in the design phase from a group of different types of stakeholders in construction projects. Based on these challenges, the main areas of PCC are structured, solving the depicted production challenges, enabling a wasteless and cost-efficient production phase to avoid unnecessary delays and problems. Parallel implementation of PCC and design processes of the building naturally also improve the result of the design itself. With PCC, contractors can recognize the need for improvement in their processes but, more importantly, can directly contribute to the design of the building. Described PCC process solves major challenges emerging from the case company interviews. Earlier literature on capability creation is scarce, and for the construction industry it is even more narrow. The PCC process presented in this research enables significant improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, and the elimination of waste in the construction industry

Industrialization in construction:a process model for capability creation

Abstract Productivity improvement in the construction industry has been modest for decades. Problems with the schedules and costs of construction projects are well documented, as are the quality problems affecting buildings. There are several reasons behind this situation, but one of the main challenges has its roots in the fragmentation of the industry, which causes several problems between different construction stakeholders—but especially between different construction projects and project phases. Furthermore, the absence of product-based thinking and process management practices causes challenges in continuous improvement between projects. The objective of this dissertation is to boost productivity improvement by proposing an industrial operation model (IOM) for the construction industry. This dissertation presents capability creation practices—which have not been studied previously in the context of the construction industry—as a component of the IOM. This research uses qualitative interviews to study elements of the proposed IOM and capability creation practices for sales, production, and maintenance processes to create a basis for capability creation in these three operative business processes. The results of this dissertation include preconditions and steps for construction companies to implement the IOM. As part of the IOM, the capability creation processes, roles, and practices are described for sales, production, and maintenance. Capability creation practices take the requirements of the later phases of construction projects into account during the early design phase while simultaneously improving the design itself, enhancing the preplanning of sales, production, and maintenance, and preventing many known problems across the building lifecycle. In addition, capability creation practices enable the creation of more innovative solutions for the end customer.Tiivistelmä Rakennusteollisuuden tuottavuuskehitys on ollut vaatimatonta jo 1970-luvulta lähtien. Ongelmat rakennushankkeiden aikatauluissa ja kustannuksissa ovat varsin tuttuja, heikentäen samalla myös asiakkaalle myytävien tuotteiden eli rakennusten laatua. Syitä ongelmiin on monia, mutta yksi keskeisimmistä on alan pirstaloituminen, mikä aiheuttaa ongelmia sekä alan eri toimijoiden, että etenkin rakennushankkeen eri vaiheiden välillä. Samoin teollisen tuote- ja prosessiajattelun puuttuessa jatkuva parantaminen ja toiminnan tehostaminen eri projektien välillä jää vaillinaiseksi. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tarkoitus on edistää rakennusalan tuottavuuskehitystä kuvaamalla teollinen toimintamalli alan yritysten toiminnan tehostamiseksi. Väitöstutkimuksessa esitellään eri liiketoimintaprosessien kyvykkyyksien luomisen menetelmät, joita ei ole aiemmin tutkittu rakennusteollisuudessa. Tutkimuksessa on käytetty laadullisia haastatteluja, joilla on tutkittu teollisen toimintamallin osatekijöitä sekä kyvykkyyksien luomisen mallia myynnin, rakentamisen ja ylläpidon liiketoimintaprosessien näkökulmista, kehittäen samalla tutkittavien yritysten avulla kyvykkyyksien luomisen perusteet kaikille kolmelle liiketoimintaprosessille. Väitöstutkimuksen tuloksena esitetään esivaatimukset ja menetelmät teollisen toimintamallin käyttöönotolle. Lisäksi kuvataan prosessit, roolit ja toimintatavat, joilla rakennusteollisuus voi huomioida myynnin, rakentamisen ja ylläpitovaiheen vaatimukset jo suunnitteluvaiheessa. Samalla suunnittelusta tulee tehokkaampaa, parannetaan myynnin, rakentamisen ja ylläpidon tehokkuutta sekä luodaan myös innovatiivisempia ratkaisuja asiakkaalle. Ja mikä tärkeintä, vältetään lukuisia ongelmia koko rakennushankkeen ja rakennuksen elinkaaren ajan

Industrial operation model for the construction industry

Abstract For decades, the construction industry has been searching for avenues to improve productivity. One potential direction for improvement is industrialisation, which involves repetitive and modular products and standardised processes to achieve economies of scale. This article describes an industrial operation model (IOM) based on the literature and uses empirical studies to find the emerging elements of the IOM in the construction industry. We employed qualitative and inductive approaches to build the general IOM framework. We determined the main challenges for the IOM through semi-structured interviews with 11 companies. The current state of the analysed IOM elements was perceived as inconstant and generally weak. In any case, we were able to describe several challenges in the main areas of the IOM. In this study, six preconditions for the IOM were defined as critical: defined target markets and products, effective product portfolio management, product and process data availability, efficient operative business processes, systematic continuous improvement, and governance and owners of the main IOM elements. The IOM framework and the proposed preconditions can be used as bases for future productivity development in the construction industry

Production capability creation (PCC) for collaborative construction projects:a qualitative study from Finland

Abstract The construction industry has been suffering from modest productivity development in recent decades. To address the recognized problems, collaborative delivery methods are replacing traditional project delivery models, especially in large and complex projects. The aim of this research is to describe the production capability creation (PCC) process as a solution for planning the production phase. The PCC process should be implemented parallel to the design phase and owned by the production. A qualitative and inductive approach, based primarily on case company interviews, is applied to identify the twelve most important challenges for preplanning in the design phase from a group of different types of stakeholders in construction projects. Based on these challenges, the main areas of PCC are structured, solving the depicted production challenges, enabling a wasteless and cost-efficient production phase to avoid unnecessary delays and problems. Parallel implementation of PCC and design processes of the building naturally also improve the result of the design itself. With PCC, contractors can recognize the need for improvement in their processes but, more importantly, can directly contribute to the design of the building. Described PCC process solves major challenges emerging from the case company interviews. Earlier literature on capability creation is scarce, and for the construction industry it is even more narrow. The PCC process presented in this research enables significant improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, and the elimination of waste in the construction industry

Maintenance capability creation for buildings:concurrent process with design and construction

Abstract Purpose: This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the elements for creating the maintenance capability and the process to be used in construction life cycle projects for buildings. Design/Methodology/Approach: An inductive and qualitative research method was used to construct the proposed process based on the literature and 18 interviews in two large construction companies. Findings: The results indicate that the maintenance phase is usually overlooked during the design and construction phases, and capabilities are not systematically built. In particular, processes are lacking in data management, causing severe problems in maintenance. Originality/value: This study presents a process including key requirements and activities for creating maintenance capability in conjunction with the design and construction phases, which is novel to the literature. The validated process can be adapted based on the needs of the construction company

Sales capability creation during new product development:early involvement of sales

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to focus on creating sales capability as part of new product development (NPD). The aim is to define generic requirements for building sales capability as a part of NPD and to propose a necessary process by defining key activities for sales readiness. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive and qualitative research method was used to construct a sales capability creation process based on a current state analysis in seven companies. Findings: The results indicate that the status of companies’ sales-related planning varies during the NPD, and the related activities are not systematically managed. Considering sales early is necessary to enable a smooth and cost-efficient start of sales, and to avoid unnecessary delays and problems in other functions. At the same time, the companies recognise the need for improvement. Originality/value: This paper presents a potential process including systematic activities for creating sales capability in conjunction with product development, which is novel to the literature. The proposed process is applicable in aligning industrial company needs