TY  - CONF
TI  - Workforce readiness: the need for a competency framework in off-site construction to support Lean transformation
C1  - Singapore, Singapore
C3  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
SP  - 1052
EP  - 1063
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.24928/2026/0167
AU  - Sobh, Dana
AU  - Shehab, Lynn
AU  - Hamzeh, Farook
AD  - PhD Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, dsobh@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0009-0004-2609-054X
AD  - Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, lshehab@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0002-2708-3550
AD  - Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, hamzeh@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0002-3986-9534
ED  - Hamzeh, Farook
ED  - Poshdar, Mani
ED  - Garcia-Lopez,, Nelly P.
AB  - Off-site Construction (OSC) has shifted the work from traditional sites to more controlled production environments. However, lean implementation in OSC remains restricted because workforce readiness is often addressed through trades or stand-alone skills rather than as a combination of integrated competencies that enable lean practices and impact performance. Furthermore, existing research on OSC workforce development remains fragmented and offers limited guidance on how workforce capabilities support lean transformation. This study presents a conceptual literature review that examines how workforce competencies are currently framed within OSC, and identifies gaps in how those competencies are defined and structured. Building on this analysis, the research proposes a competency framework that positions workforce capabilities as socio-technical enablers of lean practices in OSC. The framework organizes competencies into four themes: Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics, and is embedded within the Toyota Production System (TPS). To demonstrate its applicability, the competencies are identified as primary or secondary enablers of four commonly used lean tools: 5S, Last Planner System (LPS), 5 Whys, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM). The study contributes to the understanding of workforce readiness in OSC and serves as the foundation for future empirical research on competency development and understanding its impact on performance.
KW  - Off-site construction
KW  - workforce competencies
KW  - Lean implementation
KW  - KSAO.
PB  - 
T2  - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)
DA  - 2026/06/22
CY  - Singapore, Singapore
L1  - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/2479/pdf
L2  - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/2479
N1  - Export Date: 19 June 2026
DB  - IGLC.net
DP  - IGLC
LA  - English
ER  -