A Systematic Literature Review and Conceptual Framework of Construction Industrialization

Construction industrialization (CI) has dramatically altered how architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) companies design, manufacture, build, operate, and manage. Despite its growing relevance in both academia and companies in the last decades, the CI field has, however, been considered unclear, fragmented, and with a high level of misunderstandings. To address this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review, this paper provides a holistic and comprehensive conceptualization of the phenomenon and its theoretical basis for the global engineering and construction management community. In total, 102 articles from the last 11 years (2010-2021) from the Scopus and Web of Science databases were collected and analyzed. So, one primary contribution of this paper is the establishment of a definition for the CI concept. Another important contribution is the definition of a conceptual framework that introduces industrialization as a new way of operating the business, where five major dimensions, namely strategy, organization, business processes, supply chain planning, and resources, need to be aligned and managed simultaneously for competitive advantage. Furthermore, 10 design principles, five influencing factors, and 19 initiatives are presented to provide an integrated and holistic view of the concept. This article gives businesses a better knowledge of what industrialization in the construction industry actually means, enabling them to move forward with this transformation. Finally, the research provides a basis for improving future contributions in CI and adjacent management disciplines.

Automated summary

This paper provides a holistic and comprehensive conceptualization of construction industrialization (CI) through a systematic literature review. It establishes the definition of CI and a conceptual framework, and presents design principles, influencing factors, and initiatives for a better understanding of the concept. The research contributes to the knowledge and understanding of CI in the construction industry and provides a basis for future contributions in this field.