A House Is Not a Car (Yet)

Aitchison, Mathew

doi:10.1080/10464883.2017.1260915

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…LC is considered a critical approach for the construction industry to adopt to alleviate incompatibilities between MA and OSC as evidenced by comparative research (e.g. Aitchison, 2017;Gibb, 2001;Gann, 1996;Groak, 2002;Herbert, 1959;Kelly, 1951). Previous studies have highlighted longstanding differences, barriers and constraints between them (e.g.…”

Section: Measuring Incompatibilities Between Ma and Oscmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These comparisons are not new and have played a critical conceptual and rhetorical role in much of the thinking around industrialized housing production. Herbert (1959) provided a historical interrogation of the housing industry's reliance on the car analogy and the cultural, economic and social context surrounding it (Aitchison, 2017), as Burnham Kelly did as early as 1951 in his book (Kelly, 1951). Until the late twentieth century, the rise of the lean production system pioneered by Toyota captured the minds of the construction industry while standardization and preassembly (OSC) were considered as the driving force behind it.…”

Section: Measuring Incompatibilities Between Ma and Oscmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A mixed method for measuring incompatibilities between manufacturing approaches and off-site construction

Luo

Hong

Sher

2021

ECAM

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PurposeThe purpose of this research is to measure incompatibilities between the manufacturing approaches (MA) used by the manufacturing industries, and those used for the off-site construction (OSC) of buildings. The aim is to explore which of these approaches could be integrated into OSC in a precise manner as viewed by architects as well as how this might occur.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical research and empirical cycle (EC) was adopted as a methodological framework to measure incompatibilities. A combination of quantitative and qualitative mixed methods was explored through a literature-based case study of prefabricated houses and cars, nine real-life projects built by the second author's research team and the first-named author's practical experiences of leading these projects, based on a logic framework derived from the authors’ reflections of their architectural practices.FindingsThe findings quantitatively present the incompatibilities between cars (automobile bodies) and prefabricated houses. Design-related aspects have the most potential for integration (42.3% increment). The key lessons were identified as specific design philosophies and related guidelines for architects.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited to single types of products (cars) and buildings (prefabricated houses) in particular regions. The key lessons just present a preliminary evaluation of the application of the design philosophies and related guidelines in nine real-life projects to comply with word limit constraints.Practical implicationsThis study could help architects and other practitioners to locate and target and alleviated incompatibilities between MA and OSC. It could also precisely identify integration shortcomings to optimize decision-making as well as technical pathways for possible and effective breakthroughs.Social implicationsThis study provides fundamental research as a starting point for further discussion and development. A series of additional in-depth investigations combined with case studies are planned for the future. These could provide alternative study approaches to develop more appropriate architectural design methodologies and more streamlined processes.Originality/valueThe research contributes an alternative architectural perspective when measuring incompatibilities between MA and OSC. The results highlight the implications of precise measurement and provide guidance for architects. These facilitate the effective and successful integration of MA into OSC of buildings and promote the uptake of lean construction (LC) in OSC.

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Section: Measuring Incompatibilities Between Ma and Oscmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Measuring Incompatibilities Between Ma and Oscmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mixed method for measuring incompatibilities between manufacturing approaches and off-site construction

Luo

Hong

Sher

2021

ECAM

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“…Situational contingencies are a part of the external business environment that IHB companies come across with in projects. Specific customer requirements and site conditions (Aitchison 2017) are typical examples. Moreover, Viking and Lidelöw (2015) identify the interpretive local requirement setting as detrimental in the IHB context.…”

Section: Business Models and The External Business Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Business models are the field of research that connected product platforms and the external business environment in the IHB context (Brege et al 2014, Lessing and Brege 2015, Lessing and Brege 2018. The terminology regarding the external business environment in the project dimension of IHB was adopted from Viking and Lidelöw (2015) and Aitchison (2017). The units of analysis were revised to the state as presented in the frame of reference and applied on empirical data in conducting analysis and synthesis iteration (Step 6).…”

Section: Data Collection and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this section, the analysis of empirical data that addresses the first objective, that is to synthesise a model that provides a coherent description of product platform alignment in the IHB context, is presented. The model (Figure 2) consists of product platform elements (Robertson and Ulrich 1998), market position, offering (Brege et al 2014) and the external business environment (Sutherland 2004, Viking and Lidelöw 2015, Aitchison 2017) and the connections and interplay (Ritter and Lettl 2018) between them. It is a general description common to all four business models investigated.…”

Section: Product Platform Alignment Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Product platform alignment in industrialised house building

Popovic

Schauerte

Elgh

2021

Wood Material Science & Engineering

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Vertical integration of supply chains has enabled industrialised house-building companies to develop and use product platforms. Constant changes in the external business environment, such as customer needs, legal requirements and demand fluctuations, continually compel companies to strategically align their product platforms with market position and offering accordingly. Achieving alignment is often hindered by a lack of understanding of the interplay between the external business environment, product platform, offering and market position. The knowledge on product platform alignment in this industry exists in the literature; however, a coherent description of product platform alignment is missing. The aim of this research was, therefore, to expand the knowledge on the strategic aspects of product platforms by describing product platform alignment in industrialised house building. Empirical data were collected in two Swedish companies producing timber-frame single-family houses. The developed model provides a coherent description of product platform alignment via five alignment modes that group interplays between product platform, business model and the external business environment, whereas identified challenges additionally enrich the description. Formalisation of the product platform knowledge and the changeability of manufacturing systems are identified as two main enablers of achieving product platform alignment.

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