An FsQCA and NCA Analysis on the Drivers and Comprehensive Impact Analysis of the Implementation of Digital Twins

Abstract

The adoption of digital technology is one of the key processes in the digital transformation of China's construction industry. As a representative digital technology in the digital transformation process of Construction 4.0, digital twin technology has attracted widespread attention in various fields, and its practical application is also growing rapidly. However, its implementation in the construction industry (CI) still faces major challenges. Although previous studies have made significant progress in understanding the drivers and barriers to the implementation of digital twins (DTs) in the CI, these studies have neglected to explore the comprehensive impact of various factors, and the configuration relationship between them remains unclear. This study uses a quantitative method to conduct a questionnaire survey to obtain 33 case sample data. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA) methods are used for antecedent configuration analysis. The results show that: (1) The successful deployment of DTs in the CI does not depend on any single determinant, but is the adaptive result of the synergistic effect of multiple antecedent variables; (2) Six critical factors affecting the implementation of DTs in China's CI are identified, which can be summarized into four different causal paths or configurations, which are conducive to the implementation of DTs in China's CI. This study further explores and clarifies the comprehensive impact of antecedent variables on the implementation of DTs in China's CI provides a reference for the practice of digital transformation in the CI.