Withstanding supply chain vulnerabilities in off-site construction logistics: a narrative review and 3d visualisation

Abstract

Logistics operations challenges in Off-Site Construction (OSC) trigger Supply Chain Vulnerabilities (SCVs), highlighting the need for a better understanding of appropriate Withstanding Measures (WMs). Existing research often lacks an integrated mechanism to systematically map SCVs and WMs. This limits decision-makers’ ability to understand interdependencies and prioritise responses effectively. As a result, there is a need for a visualisation model which also provides structured analysis of the relationships between SCVs and WMs. Therefore, this paper focused on developing a Three-Dimensional (3D) visualisation model to map SCVs and their corresponding WMs. Initially, a narrative literature review approach was employed to identify the SCVs in OSC and their relationships with WMs. A total of 30 papers were s selected through structured screening using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Total of 73 SCVs and 98 WMs both across six thematic categories were identified. Based on the outcome of the literature review, the model was developed using CodeSandbox web development platform. The findings reveal that the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into Building Information Modelling (BIM) enables the mitigation of the highest number of SCVs. However, 61.64% of the identified SCVs are addressed by only a single WM, indicating limited exploration of WMs in these areas. Therefore, this study offers a novel contribution by developing a 3D visualisation model, addressing a critical gap in both relational mapping and visual decision-support in OSC Supply Chain (SC) logistics.