Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Industry 4.0 Maturity in Construction

During my doctoral research, I have developed a maturity model for mapping the transformation of construction enterprises in Industry 4.0. The research design was developed in alignment with the prescribed procedure for developing maturity models based on the principles of design science including a systematic review of existing maturity models in similar domains, iterative development of the model, followed by validation of the model, and finally testing the model using organisational case studies. The research resulted in a five staged maturity model, the structure of which comprised of process categories and key process areas and the core of which comprised of maturity characteristics that construction enterprises should collectively pursue to navigate Industry 4.0 and become mature. The research gives coherence and direction to the Industry 4.0 transformation of construction enterprises by supporting their strategic planning and systematising their transformation in Industry 4.0.

Master's Degree, Construction Management

Grade: 9.5/10.0 Selected through the prestigious L&T Build India Scholarship to pursue a Master\'s in Construction Technology and Management. Build India Scholarship Scheme is an illustrious user-oriented programme with a unique ascendancy for the past two decades through which L&T moulds aspiring young talents with engineering acumen into capable construction technology managers to play a more relevant part in engineering the future of construction.

B.E., Civil Engineering

Grade: 9.02/10. Activities and societies: Compering all major departmental events, Paper Presentations, Content writing for Newsletter

ISC, Science

Grade: 94%

ICSE

Grade: 92.8%. Activities and societies: Quiz, Debate, Extempore, One act play, Cultural Activities, Social Responsibility Projects

Product Manager

At Lumber, I play a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction and ensuring the operational execution of product development aligns with our vision. I take ownership to define and communicate the long-term goals and purpose of the product, making sure it not only aligns with our overarching business strategy but also effectively meets market demands. I am also tasked with the prioritization of our product backlog and roadmap, which requires a careful and strategic process of evaluating, sequencing, and deciding on the features, enhancements, or fixes to develop.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Working on Building 4.0 CRC’s Project #66: Future of Construction Education. This research will contribute to the body of knowledge on the future skills required for the building and construction industry and the role of technology and automation in meeting those skills demands.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Transitioned from Monash University to work full-time with the Building 4.0 CRC as a postdoctoral researcher. Actively contributing to continuing and new projects of the CRC:

– Played a pivotal role in Project #3 – Projects to Platforms, focusing on leveraging modern technologies and strategies to transition from traditional project-based approaches to platform-centric implementations.

– Delved deep into Project #40 – Business Model Innovation, specifically focusing on the evolution and application of the Platform Ecosystem Business Model. Workshops were conducted in four Australian cities—Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane—with participation from all stakeholders in the building value chain, such as architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, governmental bodies, digital platform providers, and client body representatives. Through these one-of-a-kind workshops, concrete data was gathered for the first time on how participants in the industry value chain perceive such issues as business model innovation, changes to the structure of the building value chain, the positioning of their existing businesses within the value chain; operating models; and the adaptations required to embrace new ways of working.

– Work is also starting on Project #66 – This research will contribute to the body of knowledge on the future skills required for the building and construction industry and the role of technology and automation in meeting those skills’ demands.

Continue to manage and coordinate the Building 4.0 CRC’s social media page, crafting engaging content, liaising with stakeholders, and amplifying the organisation’s online presence.

Social Media Coordinator

Managing Building 4.0 CRC’s social media presence through meaningful content creation based on the CRC’s current research and industry collaborations. This is an unusual role for me, having no experience in the field, but given my subject matter knowledge and creatively engaging personal LinkedIn Posts, I was recruited to create and manage content for the CRC’s social media page.

Building 4.0 CRC is an industry-led research initiative co-funded by the Australian Government. The CRC aims to develop an internationally competitive, dynamic and thriving Australian advanced manufacturing sector, delivering better buildings at lower cost and the human capacity to lead the future industry.

Casual Academic

Units taught-

Postgraduate Program – Master’s in Project Management (Advance Contract Management, Smart Construction).

Undergraduate Program – Contract Management, Construction in Practice (advanced), Construction Communication, Design Brief Formulation, Building Science, Value Management.

Assisted in co-creation of 21C Flagship Curriculum project development – Modularisation of Architecture Studios from a student perspective.

Research Fellow

I was recruited particularly to work on the Business Model Innovation in Construction research theme. A couple of publications are underway, listed as follows –

– A systematic review of business model research in construction
– Bathpod business model archetypes (a case of successful business model innovation in construction)

I am also working on another Building 4.0 CRC project called ‘Better Buildings and Better Bottomlines’ in collaboration with prefabAUS and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre. The data collection in this research is through four workshops conducted in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over a period of six months. The workshop aims are divided into two interconnected parts:

1. To work with industry players to identify how they can take advantage of the twin currents of industrialisation and digitalisation. 2. To further explore the role that business model and value chain innovation holds for the future industry.

Recently, I’ve started project managing a brand new unit for Monash Arts, Design and Architecture (MADA) called ‘Building Prefab’ which is a specially designed unit to achieve the deliverables required to submit an entry to the Fleetwood Challenge Cup 2023.

Casual Academic Research Assistant

Commenced working at Monash primarily with a Building 4.0 CRC project called ‘Projects to Platforms’.

Construction practice is rooted in project-based thinking as organisations use temporary teams to create one-off products in response to unique and changeable site conditions. As a result, product platforms have begun to emerge in construction. However, the introduction of broader, platform-based business models promises fundamental and holistic change to traditional construction. Such business models leverage a combination of strategies in terms of product and process that require investigation, definition, critique, and adaptation for their potential use in construction. This project investigates construction’s disparate ecosystem to consolidate the broader network of actors through an examination of industry-wide business-level platforms.

Data Scientist Intern

Worked with the data science team in the co-creation of Faethm’s vertical-specific technology taxonomy with a focus on construction and real estate.

Faethm’s future of work predictive analytics is recognised globally as a world first. In 2021, Faethm joined Pearson, creating the world’s first truly end-to-end future of work company and accelerating their mission to prepare every worker, everywhere, for the future of work.

Customer Engagement Lead

Part of the scrum team developing a construction project management software suite.
I was recruited to bring in domain knowledge on construction and real estate for product definitions.
I engaged with potential users and understood the requirements, and coordinated with the technology team to get things done.

Katerra was an American technology-driven off-site construction company. It was founded in 2015 by Michael Marks, former CEO of Flextronics and former Tesla interim CEO, along with Fritz Wolff, the executive chairman of The Wolff Co. Katerra was listed on LinkedIn’s Top Startup Companies to work for in 2017. Katerra was a significant example of a company implementing the platform approach in construction.

Assistant Manager

Business Development (India – East, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar)

• Business intelligence and competitor analysis
• Pre-bid risk review
• Strategize entry into new markets
• Pre-bid meets

Master Thesis Student

• Detailed Risk Assessment of Project
• Developing an Expert System Model for automated Risk Knowledge Management at site
• Implementation of the model using a prototype web – based application

Senior Engineer

Cluster Co-ordination (Management, Planning and Control Systems)

Senior Engineer

Krishnagiri Walajahpet Road Project, Tamil Nadu

• Client Correspondence and Contract Administration
• Extension of Time and other Claims
• Prepare & circulate Weekly & Monthly Progress Reports
• Implementation of Quality Management System (ISO)
• Preparation of quarterly Sustainability Report
• Preparation of entries for yearly awards, content writing for newsletters etc. (Site received Safety award from the British Safety Council and Govt. of India)

Summer Trainee

Summer Trainee