Knowledge management for off-site construction

Off-site construction (OSC) is expected to boost productivity, shorten construction time, and reduce labour and material wastage. Despite these benefits, most OSC projects have not fully achieved these advantages, where a primary obstacle lies in the limited management of OSC knowledge. However, there is still no holistic understanding of the integration of KM in the OSC context. Therefore, this paper explores the latest development in KM for OSC through a systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and template analysis. The review is based on 66 screened and assessed journal articles from all years to 2024 with a particular focus on KM and OSC. Through the quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study groups four main research themes including KM for OSC design, KM for OSC project management, knowledge-based OSC decision-making, and the management of OSC knowledge. The results are discussed to gain a systematic understanding of key OSC knowledge domains, investigate the integration of KM for OSC, and explore future research needs including emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. [Display omitted] •Knowledge management (KM) in offsite construction (OSC) is still a global challenge.•66 articles focusing on KM and OSC were analysed using PRISMA guidelines and template analysis.•OSC knowledge domains can be mapped in a “resource-process-product-performance” model.•The systematic integration of KM and OSC is limited.•Emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have potential to facilitate the smart use of KM for OSC.