Skill set configuration in prefabricated construction: hybrid optimization and multicriteria decision-making approach

In offsite construction, unbalanced distribution of resources can cause heterogeneity in the production environment and result in cost and time overruns. It is of particular importance to efficiently manage resource-constrained production in offsite construction in order to realize its numerous benefits over traditional construction. Although extensive research has been undertaken in the manufacturing domain to address unbalanced resource distribution, such studies in the context of offsite construction are sparse. To bridge this gap, the current study hypothesized that multiskilling and crosstraining of construction resources can provide a cost-effective solution to the problem. The aim of this research was to investigate the extent to which operational benefits can be achieved in offsite construction by using different labor skill set structures to address bottlenecks in production. A hybrid research method that adopts optimization and multicriteria decision-making techniques was used to compare performance measures associated with different labor skill sets. To this end, multiskilling policies were ranked and situations under which ranking results can be changed were discussed. The findings of this study reveal the performance and sensitivity of different multiskilling strategies pertaining to different criteria. This study aids industry practitioners in workforce planning and managing offsite construction. It also contributes to the body of knowledge by quantifying how performance measures and labor skill sets interact with each other.