Christian Thuesen

Efficient on‐site construction: learning points from a German platform for housing

Purpose – This research aims to analyse the implementation of a German platform for housing projects through a successful case on modern methods of construction featuring efficient on‐site construction. Through continuous development, the platform has been carefully designed to suit a carefully selected market – optimising cost and value. Based on the platform, the company has managed to create a high‐quality product at low cost. In fact, they have managed to reduce costs by more than 30 per cent, enabling the company to sell houses to people that normally would not be able to afford a house of their own.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a case study approach combining a qualitative collection of empirical material with an analytical framework drawing upon classical modelling techniques for development of product platforms.Findings – The paper identifies some central learning points from the German platform such as: platform does not imply that “off‐site manufacturing” is the most optimal pro...

The projectification of everything: Projects as a human condition

Projects have become omnipresent not only in the economy but also in our society and our lives. Projects organize and shape our actions at work, in our professional profiles and networks, and also in our homes and free time activities. Drawing on the philosophical cornerstone concepts of activity, time, space, and relations, this article introduces an alternative conceptualization of projects as a “human condition.” The article concludes with implications to the project management community, in terms of both project management practice and research.

Modularization in the Construction Industry Using a Top-Down Approach

Throughout the last centuries, the manufacturing industry has experienced great improvements in efficiency and cost reductions, but the same improvements have not taken place in the construction industry. Based on the principles of mass customization that are known from the manufacturing industry, a case study of one of the largest construction companies in Northern Europe was carried out according to the principles of action research. This approach was used to clarify whether potential exists for using the principles of mass customization to improve efficiency and minimize costs connected with the construction of buildings; and if so, what they are. The main technical solutions used for residential and office buildings were analyzed using a top-down approach. These solutions were identified and their relations mapped using a Product Variant Master (PVM). When a satisfactory overview was achieved of the major technical solutions, a configuration system was made. Such a system is often used to communicate findings from the PVM to the user. Through the work of constructing the PVM and the configuration system, it was found that a great potential exists for implementa- tion. Based on the findings and experiences gathered throughout the process, the conclusion is that the principles of mass customization are best used in the construction industry if used with a top-down perspective.

Rethinking the Business Model in Construction by the Use of Off-Site System Deliverance: Case of the Shaft Project

AbstractThis paper presents a set of insights to be used in the development of business models for off-site system deliveries contributing to the development of off-site manufacturing (OSM) practices. The theoretical starting point for discussing the development of business models is the blue ocean strategy literature combined with theories on mass customization and platform development identifying the optimization of cost and value through the handling of complexity as the central process. This framework is developed to analyze a specific case on system deliverances—the prefabrication of installation shafts. Findings from the development and production of the installation shaft show that system deliveries represent a promising strategy for moving from a red ocean competitive environment with the predominant Cost+ business model to a blue ocean situation in which the competition emerges in the constant pursue of value creation and cost reduction. On the basis of that system, deliverances represent a promi...

Understanding Complex Construction Systems Through Modularity

This paper develops a framework for understanding complexity in construction projects by combining theories of complexity management and modularization. The framework incorporates three dimensions of product, process, and organizational modularity with the case of gypsum wall elements. The analysis finds that the main driver of complexity is the fragmentation of the design and production, which causes the production modules to construct and install new product types and variants for each project as the designers are swapped for every project. The many interfaces are characteristics of an integral system, rather than a modular, although the industry forces modular organizational structures. This creates a high complexity degree caused by the non-alignment of building parts and organizations and the frequent swapping of modules.

Stepwise Modularization in the Construction Industry Using a Bottom-Up Approach

The manufacturing industry has experienced a great deal of improvement in efficiency and cost reductions throughout the last centuries. But although there have been improvements in the manufacturing industry, the principles and work methods in the construction industry have stood still for more than a hundred years. Based on principles of mass customization applied in the manufacturing industry, two cases of successful implementation of mass customization and modularization have been investigated as a means of showcasing the possibility to incorporate standardization in parts of the construction industry. The investigation examined two different companies that have standardized parts of a construc- tion. One, Altan.dk, standardized the method for constructing balconies; and NCC Skakt standardized the construction of shafts. Altan.dk standardized their balconies by studying the balconies they previously built and constructing solution spaces in which a configured balcony can be constructed. The information gathered from studying these balconies was then put into a Product Variant Master, so that an overview of the product was achieved. All the information gathered was put into a configurator in order to guide the entire construction process. NCC Skakt standardized their shafts by studying apartments already constructed and extracting different archetypes of toi- lets and kitchens. Much information was gathered, which was fed into a Product Variant Master, so that an overview could be achieved. This led to a standardization of the shafts. Three types of shafts that make up 95 percent of the investi- gated market were defined. Based on the findings and experiences gathered through the standardization, it is concluded that the principles of mass customization of a sub-part can be successful when implemented stepwise. The case shows that substantial benefits can be gained through implementing modularized construction. It is especially interesting to note that these benefits are achieved through the development of a module with focus on the internal interfaces.

Modularising design processes of façades in Denmark: re-exploring the use of design structure matrix

ABSTRACT Modularity has shown great potential in the manufacturing industry, reducing order lead time and creating variety with limited resources. In the construction industry, the implementation of modularity has been limited to off-site production (OSP). The construction design process incorporates a substantial number of disciplines and stakeholders. Moreover, in the application OSP, the design phase is critical due to the necessity of freezing the design early in the process. This study explores the opportunities for optimising the design processes for OSP through the application of modularity. Framed by a large general contractor, the research is based on a case study of façade design, which is representative of design processes for OSP. Research is based on a theoretical framing within design management and modularity, combined with empirical material from 20 interviews and a two-hour-long workshop with a cross-functional design team. The findings were that (1) the application of a modularity perspective in design has the advantage of accelerating the execution process, as the workload and coordination are transferred to the design process, which, in turn, requires enhanced design management. (2) The design structure matrix (DSM), an approach for operationalising modularity theory, is a promising tool for planning and scheduling complex design processes. The DSM method successfully enabled the identification of dependencies and interfaces between the crucial cross-organisational design activities that are related to the façade design process. (3) The developed process modules are helpful to visualise and execute the process for both project participants and managers.

Using a Configuration System to Design Toilets and Place Installation Shafts

The aim of this research is to discover how configuration systems can support a products design process when a high degree of variation is required and a very open or endless space exists for possible configurations. The article is based on an industrial case involving a firm that wishes to offer a bathroom configurator to architects. The aim of the con- figurator is to help architects design a bathroom according to relevent requirements and norms. In offering the configura- tor, the firm aims to enable a design that can be coordinated with a prefabricated installation shaft sold by the firm, and also to create customer leads. Four scenarios are developed for how design can be supported by four different types of configuration technologies. The four scenarios are evaluated in relation to a number of functional and technical require- ments. The scenarios indicate that a good and varied range of opportunities exist for using configuration systems in the construction industry. They also show that it can be done without fundamentally changing the present process.