Abstract:

A case study research assignment was given to students in a module titled Construction Management using BIM to develop their understanding of how an unforeseen disruptor could influence construction management practice and the risk of (lean) waste occurring in a construction management work process. The disruptor of interest was COVID-19, and the assignment was done in groups of 2. Each group was required to centre their interview questions around their chosen company’s construction management practice before and during COVID-19 and after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. The students that took the module were in the MSc Mechanical Engineering (Sustainable Building Technology) Programme. Under the direction and guidance of the module instructor, the student authors of this paper wrote a non-fiction story as other students in the module. The student authors of this paper wrote a story on the journey a construction company staff went through to convince the senior management of his company to invest in digital solutions to aid in the effective streamlining of their work processes to increase the value delivered to the company and all stakeholders of their projects. The module instructor gave the case study research assignment as part of a learning journey designed to invoke critical and reflective thinking that induces the learning needed to develop an educational experience in construction management value delivery. Self-reflections of the student authors on the learning journey suggest the aim was achieved. The students’ professional capabilities improved, and they were ready to contribute the experience gained from the learning journey to the industry. This paper contributes to the educational experience development needed by students, industry professionals, and academics to improve value-oriented productivity in the construction industry.

Keywords: Construction management; Digital transformation; COVID-19; Value-oriented productivity; Applied learning; Storytelling

Download Full paper

Cite as: “Loh JJ, Ambalavan KA, and Fadeyi MO (2023). COVID-19 convinced the senior management of a construction company to invest in digital transformation. Teaching and Learning Case Studies #05. ISSUU Digital Publishing.”