Adopting Product Modularity in House Building to Support Mass Customisation

Product modularity is a concept that can contribute to the improvement of product quality and production efficiency in house-building. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature on the concepts that define product modularity. Furthermore, little attention has been given to the differences between building construction and manufacturing, for which product modularity was originally developed. This research aims to address that gap by adapting the conceptualization of product modularity so that it can effectively be used in the house-building industry. The methodological approach adopted in this study was Design Science Research, and two empirical studies were carried out on construction companies based in Brazil and in the U.K. Those studies are used to illustrate the applicability and utility of the proposed concepts and tools. Research findings indicate that the adoption of product modularity concepts results in benefits to both traditional construction technologies and pre-fabricated building systems.

[1]  Lauri Koskela,et al.  Need for Alternative Research Approaches in Construction Management: Case of Delay Studies , 2013 .

[2]  Karl T. Ulrich,et al.  The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm , 2011 .

[3]  Chris Kimble,et al.  Low-cost strategy through product architecture: lessons from China , 2010 .

[4]  Cai-feng Li.  Agile Supply Chain: competing in volatile markets , 2009 .

[5]  Hans Voordijk,et al.  Construction management and economics: the epistemology of a multidisciplinary design science , 2009 .

[6]  H. Voordijk,et al.  Matching supply networks to a modular product architecture in the house-building industry , 2009 .

[7]  J. T. Voordijk,et al.  Modular Approaches in Dutch House Building: An Exploratory Survey , 2008 .

[8]  Fabrizio Salvador,et al.  Toward a Product System Modularity Construct: Literature Review and Reconceptualization , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

[9]  Johannes T. Voordijk,et al.  A methodology for developing product platforms in the specific setting of the housebuilding industry , 2006 .

[10]  武彦 福島.  持続可能性(Sustainability)の要件 , 2006 .

[11]  Thorsten Blecker,et al.  Complexity and variety in mass customization systems: analysis and recommendations , 2006 .

[12]  Betsi Harris Ehrlich.  Service with a smile: lean solutions extend beyond the factory floor , 2006 .

[13]  Johannes T. Voordijk,et al.  The concept of modularity in supply chains : A multiple case-study in the construction industry , 2006 .

[14]  Juliana H. Mikkola,et al.  Capturing the Degree of Modularity Embedded in Product Architectures , 2006 .

[15]  Sebastian K. Fixson,et al.  Product architecture assessment: a tool to link product, process, and supply chain design decisions , 2005 .

[16]  J. Aken.  Management Research Based on the Paradigm of the Design Sciences: The Quest for Field-Tested and Grounded Technological Rules , 2004 .

[17]  Masa Noguchi.  The effect of the quality-oriented production approach on the delivery of prefabricated homes in Japan , 2003 .

[18]  Bart L. MacCarthy,et al.  In the business of mass customisation , 2003 .

[19]  John K. Gershenson,et al.  Product modularity: Definitions and benefits , 2003 .

[20]  Yuo-Tern Tsai,et al.  A study of modularity operation of systems based on maintenance consideration , 2003 .

[21]  L. Koskela.  Is structural change the primary solution to the problems of construction? , 2003 .

[22]  Kosuke Ishii,et al.  Design for variety: developing standardized and modularized product platform architectures , 2002 .

[23]  Javier P. Gonzalez-Zugasti,et al.  Modular product architecture , 2001 .

[24]  Dave Alford,et al.  Mass customisation } an automotive perspective , 2000 .

[25]  Stephen Kendall,et al.  Residential Open Building , 2000 .

[26]  Moreno Muffatto,et al.  Platform strategies in international new product development , 1999 .

[27]  B. Tabrizi,et al.  Defining next-generation products: an inside look. , 1997, Harvard business review.

[28]  Ron Sanchez,et al.  Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge management in product and organization design , 1996 .

[29]  Salvatore T. March,et al.  Design and natural science research on information technology , 1995, Decis. Support Syst..

[30]  B. J. Pine.  Mass customizing products and services , 1993 .

[31]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[32]  Albert B. Cherns,et al.  Studying the client's role in construction management , 1984 .

[33]  Cecilia Gravina da Rocha,et al.  A conceptual framework for defining customisation strategies in the house-building sector , 2011 .

[34]  R. Yin,et al.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed. , 2009 .

[35]  Ashok Kumar,et al.  The Strategic Imperative of Mass Customization , 2007 .

[36]  F. Salvadora,et al.  Modularity , product variety , production volume , and component sourcing : theorizing beyond generic prescriptions , 2002 .

[37]  Kristin L. Wood,et al.  A heuristic method for identifying modules for product architectures , 2000 .

[38]  Hau L. Lee,et al.  Mass Customization at Hewlett-Packard : The Power of Postponement , 1999 .

[39]  J. Barlow,et al.  From Craft Production to Mass Customisation. Innovation Requirements for the UK Housebuilding Industry , 1999 .

[40]  Steven D. Eppinger,et al.  Integration analysis of product decompositions , 1994 .

[41]  K. Lukka,et al.  The constructive approach in management accounting research , 1993 .

[42]  Wolfgang Beitz,et al.  Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach , 1984 .

[43]  Francis D. K. Ching,et al.  Architecture form, space and order , 1979 .