Platforming for industrialized building: a comparative case study of digitally-enabled product platforms

Abstract

Digitally-enabled product platforms are becoming prominent approaches for industrialized building. Such a platform is a collection of common and stable modules and interfaces that can derive products effectively using digital delivery. The usage of construction product platforms has been studied in the existing buildings literature; however, there is relatively less on firms’ strategies of platform elements for platforming, which encompasses both the development and deployment of a digitally-enabled product platform. This paper examines how construction firms strategize for platforming, through a comparative case study approach with nine international case firms. Findings indicate that three typologies platforms that firms implemented: those rely on a kit of parts only; those have also developed structured interfaces; and those have also established design rules. Inferring from findings, this paper articulates the influential role of customer requirement certainties across multiple market segments in shaping these strategies. By offering a novel classification of platforming strategies under varied certainties of customer requirements across market segments, this paper contributes to the research on construction product platforming strategies. This has implications for practitioners and opens new areas for research, taking the characteristics of customer requirements within or across market segments into account in strategic decision-making on digitally-enabled product platforms.