Assessing off-site readiness in construction organisations from the contractors' perspective: a case study from India

Abstract

This paper intends to present Indian construction organisations' present factors in adopting Off-Site Construction (OSC) methods from the contractors’ perspective. An existing readiness maturity model has been used to assess a large organisation in India. A case study methodology has been adopted in this paper to highlight critical issues in OSC adoption in India. This paper presents an off-site readiness framework and a case study and concludes the Indian construction sectors readiness to adopt the OSC methods. Through the case study, different issues related to the adoption of OSC have been identified and highlighted for the Indian construction sector. Through the case study, several barriers related to OSC methods have been identified and highlighted within the Indian construction sector. Although the model has been applied to the Indian construction sector, it can easily be modified to fit into other areas with similar industry dynamics and business conditions. Practitioners in India can utilise the proposed OSC readiness maturity model as a structured process to guide and assess their OSC readiness in the market, enabling construction practitioners the tools to evaluate and benchmark their operations through the strategic and operational phases. This research shall add to the existing knowledge of OSC in India by mapping issues relevant to India's construction industry. Drivers and barriers affecting the implementation of OSC techniques in the Indian construction industry; the research has provided background on the status of OSC. This research study focuses on assessing and developing an OSC readiness framework for an Indian construction organisation. Scope and population for data collection within this research are limited to large construction organisations in India only.