Business Design Modeling for Industrialization in Construction: Cooperative Approach
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 2
Abstract
Currently, atomization and fragmented processes are strong constraints to industrializing the construction industry in Switzerland. Therefore, building construction in Switzerland is still characterized by manual production techniques and small-scaled companies. New strategies and concepts are necessary to empower the players to benefit from industrialization concepts in the client’s value creating process. This paper presents a cooperative business model for grasping the opportunity offered by industrialization in construction. This paper also gives readers an interesting insight into the system theory-based structure of the model and shows how to meet challenges such as the complexity of solution-oriented building processes, the uncontrollability of complex systems and the opportunistic behavior of players. This paper helps researchers and practitioners understand how a complex system of cooperating players may behave and what corridors for (inter)action should be established. Even if a complex system cannot be fully controlled, the model gives enough structure to prevent it from going out of control. The cooperative approach leads to a business model that is mostly free of opportunistic behavior. The cooperative business model enables the Swiss construction industry to increase the prefabrication level of the construction process, to implement mass customization in the prefabrication industry, and to introduce system services in the clients’ solution finding process.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The model in this research project was developed with practical assistance from Stüssi Betonvorfabrikation AG, Dällikon, Switzerland; Halfen Swiss AG, Dällikon, Switzerland; and Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften, Winterthur, Switzerland. The research was financially supported by Die Förderagentur für Innovation KTI (Swiss government innovation agency).
References
Ashby, W. R. (1957). An introduction to cybernetics, Chapman & Hall, London.
Bechthold, M. (2010). “A continuous challenge in custom construction.” New perspective in industrialisation in construction—A state-of-the-art Rep. (CIB Publication 329), Girmscheid, G. and Scheublin, F., eds., Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich, Zurich, 53–65.
Bertalanffy, L. V. (1984). General system theory, foundations, development, applications, George Braziller, New York.
BetonPlaza. (2006). “Anteil Zementverbrauch der Betonfertigteilproduktion in % am Gesamtzementverbrauch im Europäischen Vergleich.” 〈www.betonplaza.nl〉 (May 15, 2008).
Bock, T. (2001). “Time is money: Schneller bauen mit robotern.” BauingenieurBANGAS, 76(3), 130–134 (in German).
Bock, T., and Navon, R. (2007). 24th Int. Symp. on Automation & Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2007).” Construction Automation Group, IIT Madras, IAARC, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Boenert, L., and Blömeke, M. (2003). “Logistikkonzepte im schlüsselfertigbau zur erhöhung der kostenführerschaft.” BauingenieurBANGAS, 78(6), 277–283 (in German).
Buswell, R. A., Gibb, A. G. F., Soar, A. C., Austin, S. A., and Thorpe, T. (2007). “Applying future industrialised processes to construction.” Conseil International de Batiment pour la Recherche, l’Etude et la Documentation (CIB), Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Chin, R. C. C., and Künzler, P. A. (2006). “Adaptive product modules for mass customization: Lessons from vehicular architecture development. Adaptables2006, TU/e.” Int. Conf. on Adaptable Building Structures, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 03-05 July 2006.
Eccles, R. G. (1981). “The quasifirm in the construction industry.” J. Econ. Behav. Organ., 2(4), 335–357.
Gibb, A. G. F. (1999). Off-site fabrication prefabrication, pre-assembly and modularisation, Whittles, Caithness, UK.
Giddens, A. (1985). The constitution of society. Outline of the theory of structuration, Polity Press, Cambridge.
Girmscheid, G. (2005). “Partnerschaften und Kooperationen in der Bauwirtschaft—Chance oder Irrweg?” BauingenieurBANGAS, 80(2), 103–113 (in German).
Girmscheid, G. (2007). Overview of industrialization potentials. CIB World Building Congress 2007: Construction for Development, CIB, Cape Town, South Africa.
Girmscheid, G. and Scheublin, F., eds. (2010). New perspective in industrialisation in construction—A state-of-the-art Rep. (CIB Publication 329), Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich, Zurich (in German).
Hofmann, E. (1999). “Industrielles Bauen—Neue Wege für innovative KMU.” Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich/Stäubli AG, Zürich (in German).
Jarillo, J. C., and Ricart, J. E. (1987). “Sustaining networks.” InterfacesINFAC4, 17(5), 82–91.
Kazi, A. S., Hannus, M., Boudjabeur, S., and Malone, A., eds. (2007). Open building manufacturing. Core concepts and industrial requirements, ManuBuild in collaboration with VTT—Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Luhmann, N. (1994). Die Wirtschaft der Gesellschaft, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt (in German).
Luhmann, N. (2006). Organisation und Entscheidung, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden (in German).
Malik, F. (2008). Strategie des Managements komplexer Systeme ein Beitrag zur Management-Kybernetik evolutionärer Systeme, Haupt, Bern, Germany (in German).
Morris, A. E. J. (1978). Precast concrete in architecture, Whitney Library of Design, New York.
Popper, K. R. (2002). The logic of scientific discovery, Routledge, London.
Porter, M. E. (1992). Wettbewerbsstrategie (Competitive Strategy). Methoden zur Analyse von Branchen und Konkurrenten, Campus Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany.
Richard, R. B. (2010). “Five degrees of industrialied building production.” New perspective in industrialisation in construction—A state-of-the-art report (CIB Publication 329), Girmscheid, G. and Scheublin, F., eds., Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich, Zurich, 15–27.
Rinas, T., and Girmscheid, G. (2009a). “Business model for the prefab concrete industry—a two-dimensional cooperation network. Challenges, opportunities and solutions in structural engineering and construction.” Proc. of the Fifth Int. Structural Engineering and Construction Conf. (ISEC-5), Maggioli S.p.A., Milano, Italy.
Rinas, T., and Girmscheid, G. (2009b). “Concrete prefabrication—An empirical study of player needs in Switzerland.” Conf. Proc. Innovative Design and Construction Technologies. Building complex shapes & beyond, Maggioli S.p.A., Milano.
SwissBeton. (2007). SwissBeton Markterhebung 2006 update.
Sydow, J. (1992). “Strategische netzwerke.” Evolution und Organisation, Gabler, Wiesbaden, Germany (in German).
Thillart, C. V. D., and Oostra, M. (2010). “Mass customisation a new challenge for the building sector—concepts and networks for the European market.” New Perspective in Industrialisation in Construction—A state-of-the-art Rep. (CIB Publication 329), Girmscheid, G. and Scheublin, F., eds., Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich, Zürich, 91–101.
van Egmond-de Wilde De Ligny, E. L. C., and Kuijsters, A. (2010). “Industrialisation for Sustainable Construction?.” New Perspective in Industrialisation in ConstructionA State-of-the-art report (CIB Publication 329). Girmscheid, G. and Scheublin, F., eds., Eigenverlag des IBB an der ETH Zürich, Zürich, 37–51.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 29, 2010
Accepted: Feb 21, 2012
Published online: Feb 23, 2012
Published in print: Jun 1, 2012
Published ahead of production: Jun 15, 2012
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.