Customer satisfaction with advanced construction technologies in residential buildings

ABSTRACT

New advanced construction technologies have been gaining traction in the construction industry. Because using advanced technologies and tools ensures more accuracy. It implies that more precise measurements for the foundations, perimeters or corners and more in depth charting of existing structures, all of which contributes greatly to creating and offering buildings of high quality. This research aims to quantify the impact of construction technologies success criteria on customer satisfaction (or real estate developers) among residential real-estate developers. The study employed Kano Quality Model (KQM) to achieve research objective. The research starts by identifying the critical criteria of the construction technologies that have impact on the customer requirements and satisfaction. The gaps and the shortcomings between the customer requirements and the capability of the construction technologies are the opportunities of improvement of the construction technologies in the construction sector. Therefore, this research enables manufactures to evaluate their new construction technologies before lunching it in the market and identifying the shortcomings of their technologies as the opportunities of improvement to enhance its success. Results showed that the criterion “Reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site” has the most impact on the customer satisfaction, but its impact on the customer dissatisfaction is negligible. The criteria “Increasing safety on site”, “Reducing the Cost” and “Reducing time” have the most impact on the customer dissatisfaction. Although, construction technologies are promising, but it is still below expectations and needs development in some areas in order to become a practical and widely accepted strategy.

KEYWORDS:

• Advance construction methods
• construction technology
• customer satisfaction
• Kano Quality model
• residential building

1. Introduction

The implementation of technologies that will guarantee customer satisfaction (real estate developers) concerning construction activities has progressively become a concern of building industry worldwide. Based on the existing literature, the construction industry is characterised by customer dissatisfaction and dearth of activities that motivate customer for optimising residential buildings (Alshihre 2018). Consequently, there is a need for adopting new technologies to enhance the construction industry’s productivity and customer satisfaction (Chowdhury, Adafin, and Wilkinson 2019). Providing residential housing requires understanding the role of post-occupancy and customer feedback and traditional innovative residential housing (Maslova and Burgess 2023). Addressing these questions require an assessment of customer satisfaction with advanced construction technologies in residential buildings.

Managing advanced construction technologies and the workforce required for delivering high-quality, multi-channel support for customer builds a multifaceted and tenacious effective challenge. Adding to this challenge, it is likewise uncertain how employee and these novel advanced construction technologies interact to shape the perceptions of customers concerning service provided. Driven by real-world prominence and inconsistent findings, in the existing literature, this study examines customer satisfaction with advanced construction technologies in residential buildings. Earlier, Froehle (2006) examined the interfaces of media richness, signified by three dissimilar contexts of technology. Results indicated that service agents contribute customer satisfaction more when they show the characteristics of diligence and readiness, irrespective of the level of advanced technology used. Additionally, a technique for customer satisfaction in vital innovative technologies concerning total quality design showed that five factors are critical to the success of novel technology adoption. These comprised delineations, necessities, benchmarking, perceptions and review.

Construction sector acts as a backbone of the economic growth of any country, since it impacts on every sector’s role at all levels of the economy (Alaloul et al. 2021a; Maliha et al. 2021). Itis important since it represents the country’s prosperity, health, and quality of life (Alaloul et al. 2021b; Lean 2001). The construction sector not only aids countries to develop socially and economically, it is also a major global industry that employs millions of people and contributes to national and global economies, especially in the developing nations (Umar 2022). The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, has grown from a small metropolis of 500,000 people to a city of more than seven million people over the past fifty years. Currently, Riyadh accounts for almost 29% of the Kingdom’s GDP (Alsaud, Yas, and Alatawi 2021).

According to the housing survey conducted by General Authority for Statistics (2017), the total percentage of Saudi families who own housing units is 60% and 27% of the families who own a house are living in a traditional house (Alqahtany and Bin Mohanna 2019). It implies that the construction methods for building need to be modernised or improved to expedite the process and cover the deficit. Various construction technologies have been used in residential projects, however, the choice of technology depends on the specific needs of the residential project (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023). The Ministry of Housing in Saudi Arabia launched the Stimulating Building Technology Initiative which is one of the 2030 vision programs (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023). The construction sector has seen a surge in publications over the years, indicating that construction technologies are gaining traction across all economic sectors as a result of rapid technology growth (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023). By implementing advanced construction technologies in the residential sector, there is a possibility of transforming the strategies for construction, and maintaining residential houses, thus making them better (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023). Altuwaim, 11] argued that the effectiveness of construction technologies used in residential projects relies on their ability to improve the management of essential construction operations and provide concrete advantages to homeowners. Digital technologies constitute one of the main features of modern civilization in the twenty-first century. Such Technologies and their related building materials, applications and devices greatly affect the design and construction of architectural products and enhance building performance in general and Building thermal insulation efficiency in particular (Hamdi 2022). However, customer satisfaction has emerged as one of the key factors for this technology’s success in the construction industry. Customer/client satisfaction is usually considered one of the success criteria of the project (Coşkun and Sancar 2021). This criterion, is a subjective concept, about which tangible values cannot be easily placed, and is determined by perception at best.

It is against this background that this research aimed to quantify the impact of advanced construction technologies success criteria on customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction among real-estate developers in Riyadh. The Kano Quality Model (KQM) was used to evaluate the customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction of each criterion respectively. The structure of research is divided into seven divisions; Section 1 gives a brief introduction to advanced technologies in the construction sector and research objectives; Section 2 reviews the literature regarding the research topics; Section 3 clarifies the research methods to achieve the research objective; Section 4 presents the analysis and results; Section 5 discusses the findings; Section 6 sets out the conclusion and recommendation of this research; Finally, Section 7 comprises limitations and suggests recommendation for future study directions.

2. Literature review

Over the two past centuries, there is a significant advancement in construction techniques. This is a result of the employment of technology during construction or when manufacturing construction materials (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023). Due to the tremendous efforts made over the past 70 years in the development and implementation of technological and organisational advances, the construction industry has changed from being a crafts-based sector to an industrialised and service-oriented enterprise (Olsson et al. 2019). These technologies will speed up workflows, improve quality, and occasionally lower costs. According to Xu (Xu, Feng, and Li 2014), and Bryde (Bryde, Broquetas, and Volm 2013), construction technologies can help improve design quality, construction safety, and eventually reduce cost and save time. Azhar (Azhar 2011), indicated that it can improve productivity and project performance by improving the exchange of knowledge between stakeholders.

Advanced technologies are increasingly used in the construction sector to improve productivity, safety, and efficiency. Some examples of these technologies include building information modeling (BIM), automation and robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, simulation, and the internet of things (IoT) (Klosova and Kozlovská 2020). Building information modeling is being integrated with off-site construction to enhance its capabilities (Ghalenoei et al. 2022). Three-Dimension (3D) printing is being used to produce construction elements faster, more safely, and more efficiently than conventional manufacturing methods (Mesa Fernández et al. 2020). Off-site construction (OSC) is another technology that has become popular in recent years, which involves manufacturing different components in a controlled environment to reduce project duration and minimise construction waste (Ghalenoei et al. 2022). Other advanced construction technologies include real-time employee monitoring, which is used to reduce unsafe work behaviours and improve productivity (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023), and computer-aided methods, which are used for knowledge management in construction companies (Górecki et al. 2022). Overall, advanced technologies are improving the management of essential construction operations and providing concrete advantages to homeowners (Altuwaim, AlTasan, and Almohsen 2023).

Moreover, there is no specific information on the customer satisfaction rate for advanced construction technologies. However, a survey published by Realtor.com in August 2021 found that 66% of consumers would consider living in advanced houses (Mccluskey 2022). Advanced technologies are becoming more popular due to their sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and innovative construction methods (Choraria 2022; Olsson et al. 2019). The technology offers significant potential to increase efficiency and productivity, lower the chances of design errors and worker injuries, and reduce the carbon footprint of construction (Choraria 2022). Advanced technologies have the potential to revolutionise the construction industry. However, there are still limitations to its use in house construction. Some of the limitations include the size of the printer, which can limit the size of the printed object (Niemela et al. 2019; Tahmasebinia et al. 2018; Zhao and Loporcaro 2019; Чернєва, Wojnar, and Pogan 2020). Additionally, the materials used in advanced technologies may not be as strong as traditional building materials, which can affect the durability and safety of the structure (Tahmasebinia et al. 2018, 2020; Zhao and Loporcaro 2019). There are also challenges in integrating advanced technologies with existing construction methods and regulations (Niemela et al. 2019; Zhao and Loporcaro 2019; Чернєва, Wojnar, and Pogan 2020). However, research is ongoing to address these limitations and make advanced technologies a feasible construction technique (Niemela et al. 2019; Tahmasebinia et al. 2018, 2020; Zhao and Loporcaro 2019; Чернєва, Wojnar, and Pogan 2020).

Several studies have used the Kano Quality model to identify and rank attributes that impact customer satisfaction in various sectors. The Kano Quality model is used to identify, categorise, and rank the attributes of a product or service based on their effects on customer satisfaction. It is a useful tool for service providers to evaluate the impacts of their current practices on customer satisfaction and to realize the relative importance of the attributes of their products or services (Kermanshachi et al. 2022). The Kano Quality Model is a customer satisfaction framework that categorises product features into three categories: basic, performance, and excitement. While there are no search results that directly discuss the Kano Quality Model in relation to Advanced technologies buildings or the construction industry, there are some related search results. However, the use of virtual reality technology to visualize construction designs in advanced technologies has been discussed, which can help increase customer satisfaction with the design (Abdelhameed et al. 2022). Another study explores how self-manufacture affects customer satisfaction with Advanced technologies. Results indicated that the sentiment of creating has a stronger influence on users’ willingness to pay than co-creation (Fisher 2022). Additionally, a study on passive house design alternatives for labour camps in Qatar discusses the use of renewable energy technologies to enhance energy efficiency in buildings (Hassabou 2018). Although these search results do not directly address the Kano model, they provide insights into factors that can influence customer satisfaction in the construction industry and building design.

The benefits of using the Kano Quality Model in advanced technologies for housing include identifying and prioritizing customer needs and expectations, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. The Kano Quality Model can help construction companies design and deliver products that meet or exceed customer expectations, resulting in reduced construction costs and improved construction efficiency. Integrating advanced technologies with house construction also offers significant advantages, such as the capacity for mass customisation of designs and parameters to meet functional and aesthetic purposes, the reduction in construction waste from highly precise placement of materials, and the use of recycled waste products in layer deposition materials (Rimmer 2021; Tahmasebinia et al. 2018). As a result of using the Kano Quality Model in advanced technologies for housing, construction companies can better understand customer needs and expectations, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduced construction costs, and improved construction efficiency. The Kano Quality Model can improve advanced technologies for housing by identifying and prioritising customer needs and expectations. By understanding these requirements, construction companies can design and deliver products that meet or exceed customer expectations, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Integrating the Kano Quality Model with advanced technologies for housing can result in reduced construction costs and improved construction efficiency. The advantages of integrating advanced technologies with house construction, such as the capacity for mass customisation of designs and parameters to meet functional and aesthetic purposes, the reduction in construction waste from highly precise placement of materials, and the use of recycled waste products in layer deposition materials, can be leveraged to meet customer needs and expectations. Through using the Kano Quality Model in advanced technologies for housing, construction companies can better understand customer needs and expectations, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduced construction costs, and improved construction efficiency (Rimmer 2021; Tahmasebinia et al. 2018). The Kano Quality Model can be applied in the construction industry for housing using advanced technologies to assess customer satisfaction. Advanced technologies can be used to create building components and even entire houses, allowing for mass customisation of designs and parameters to meet functional and aesthetic purposes. The reduction in construction waste from the highly precise placement of materials and the use of recycled waste products in layer deposition materials are also advantages of integrating advanced technologies with house construction (Rimmer 2021; Tahmasebinia et al. 2018). The Kano Quality Model can be used to identify and prioritise customer needs and expectations, including basic requirements, performance requirements, and excitement requirements. After understanding these requirements, construction companies can design and deliver products that meet or exceed customer expectations, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty (Tahmasebinia et al. 2018).

Analysis of international customer satisfaction concerning building industry by Othman (Othman 2015) revealed that in a competitive building projects, (e.g., residential building), realising customer satisfaction has been recognised as a degree for the success of building projects and operative tool for maintaining competitive lead. This view, emerges from the critical role played by clients as the core of the building industry and a driving force for enhancement. Usually, customers are excluded from design and the process of project execution and decisions are taken on their behalf. Companies which could not consider the needs of their customers and satisfaction face the danger of losing their customers. Apart from the contribution of the national and international customer satisfaction indices and barometers that have been established globally, these have their own shortcomings and limitations that hinder their application and adoption worldwide. Hence, this study aimed to assess customer satisfaction with advanced construction technologies in residential buildings. To achieve this aim, a literature review was performed to identify the existing gaps concerning customer satisfaction with innovative building technologies. The major gap relates to lack of client-engagement at planning phase and during project implementation. There are many international surveys concerning customer satisfaction index to measure the identified drivers and define the most critical ones. Additionally, the international customer satisfaction index in construction, established from Othman (Othman 2015) represented a synthesis that is new and innovative in thought and adds value to the exiting knowledge that has not been previously establish in the construction literature, especially from developing countries. Therefore, this study is attempt to extend our current knowledge concerning customer satisfaction with advanced construction technologies in residential buildings. Assessing customer satisfaction with advanced building technology in residential buildings aid in improving the living standard based on their functional and technical parameters, and the level of cooperation among customers and contractors/builders.

3. Methodology

This research aims to measure the customer willingness to use construction technologies in residential projects by creating a customer satisfaction matrix according to Kano Quality Model. Although measuring the service/product quality is difficult because of its intangible nature since it deals with expectations and perceptions of consumers which is difficult as well to determine due to the complexity of human behavior (Chingang Nde and Lukong 2010), it is very important for success and keeping competition in the market. Service quality is defined as the overall assessment of a service by the customer (Roy and Ganguli 2008). If the customer expectation is lower than the customer assessment this means the customer is satisfied but if the expectation is higher than the assessment, then the customer is dissatisfied. Figure 1 presents a flowchart for the study.

Figure 1. Flowchart of the study.

3.1. Customer satisfaction matrix

The targeted customers are the real-estate developers. To create the customer satisfaction matrix, several criteria have been derived from the literature and expert interview and then evaluated by the targeted respondents. Based on literature review eighteen (18) success criteria have been identified for new construction technologies in addition to brainstorming sessions within construction engineering and management research group, and interviews with professionals. The professional comprised five experts in construction industry and/or in real-estate development. Table 1 outlined the criteria and their sources. In quantitative research, standardisation of procedure is required for random selection for study participants (or experts) to eliminate the possible effect of external factors and guarantee generalisation of the results (Sargeant 2000). However, in qualitative research subject selection is mainly purposeful. Therefore, participants are chosen who can best provide answers to the research questions and increase insight concerning the topic under investigation (Sargeant 2000). Thus, one of the most essential tasks in the study design stage is to identify suitable participants. In this study, the selection criterial was based on research question, theoretical perspectives and suggestion guiding the study.

Table 1. List of success criteria with their sources.

#	Criteria	Sources
A	Reducing the time (construction time)	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Kazemian et al. 2017; Kidwell 2017; Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
B	Reducing the cost (construction cost)	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Kazemian et al. 2017; Kidwell 2017; Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
C	Reducing manpower	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
D	Capability to build a complex design	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Kidwell 2017; Le et al. 2012; Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
E	Capability and ease of changing the design during and after construction	Lessons learned from Dubai Future Foundation (DFF)
F	Reducing the lifecycle cost	(Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
G	Capability to install heat and sound isolation	Brainstorming
H	Increasing customization to fit customer needs	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Kazemian et al. 2017; Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017; Wu, Wang, and Wang 2016)
I	Increasing precision and reducing rework	(Kidwell 2017; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017)
J	Facilitation of integration of services and the structure	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017)
K	Reducing reliance on skilled labor	(Kidwell 2017; Schuldt et al. 2021; Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017)
L	Increasing safety on site.	(El-Sayegh, Romdhane, and Manjikian 2020; Pessoa and Guimarães 2020; Schuldt et al. 2021)
M	Increasing the benefit of visualization and communication	(Uppala and Tadikamalla 2017)
N	Capability to build a multi-story building	Brainstorming, interviews
O	Capability to apply different types of exterior design (glass facade, stone facade, brick, etc)	Brainstorming, interviews
P	Avoiding mobilization of building components and installing them on site	Lessons learned from Dubai Future Foundation (DFF)
Q	Reduce the need for a storage area for materials and equipment on site	Brainstorming, interviews
R	Capacity of equipment to withstand climatic conditions	Interviews

3.2. Kano two-dimensional quality model

Although, other possible methods to identify and rank criteria in construction work, such as AHP, SEM, and regression are widely used in research concerning construction industry, in this study Kano Two-Dimensional Quality Model (KQM) was chose due to its advantages over the aforementioned models (Hartono and Chuan 2011; Sheth, Jain, and Ambika 2020). The KQM can aid in identifying and focusing on the features that are of major concern to customers and distinguish company’s products or services from others. It also helps to avert over-engineering or under-delivering products or services by balancing the important, performance and delighter features.

The Kano two-dimensional Quality Model (KQM) was used in this research since it is a very useful and great technique to prioritize and classify customer needs and requirements. The model measures customers’ opinions and the effect of the product/service quality on their satisfaction (Huang 2017). KQM defines different classifications of product quality attributes that have an impact on customer satisfaction. If the customer’s need is met, the customer will be satisfied or just no dissatisfaction feeling. Also, if the customer’s need isn’t met, the customer will be dissatisfied or just no satisfaction feeling. KQM is a two-dimensional model which shows the nonlinear relationship between customer satisfaction and quality (Huang 2017). The attributes or selection criteria of KQM, as shown in Figure 2, can be classified as follows:

1. Must be attributed: The requirement is basic for the customer. Where the absence of this requirement will cause customer dissatisfaction. While the fulfillment of it will not make the customer happy. It leads only to “not dissatisfied”.

2. One dimensional attribute: Better fulfillment of the requirement will lead to a linear increment of customer satisfaction. But when the requirement is not met, customer satisfaction will decrease (which means the dissatisfaction will increase).

3. Attractive attributes: It is unexpected by the customer. It is kind of a “nice to have” requirement. If this requirement is not met, there is no problem and no feeling of dissatisfaction. But the level of satisfaction will be maximized if this requirement is available.

4. Indifferent attributes: It is a “no preference” requirement. This means that the customer does not care if this requirement is available or not.

5. Reverse attributes: The achievement of this requirement will lead to a high level of dissatisfaction.

Figure 2. Kano two-dimensional quality Model (Juan, Huang, and Chen 2014).

Although there are several advantages of applying KQM to find the relationship between customer satisfaction and quality attributes, the nature of the traditional KQM usually causes some limitations, which could not precisely reflect the customer’s satisfaction level. Therefore, a three-stage quantitative assessment will be applied based on the developed KQM. The KQM Features are further summarized below:

3.2.1. Basic expectation

Basic expectations are contributions that customers expect the construction company to meet. These are not a source of satisfaction, though might cause frustrations if not met (Aikala 2009; Hartono and Chuan 2011). Expectations can only be screwed up. Instances comprises direct hot water in houses, rechargeable EV batteries, consistent e-commerce distribution and file saving in documents. Investing in these features are costly and at best achieve only a dispassionate customer satisfaction. Customers do not tell others regarding them during interaction though might protest to others if not met (Jiang, Wang, and Sun 2023). Diminishing returns can be cause by over investment; good enough is normally enough. Basic expectations are created if there are too many openings for competitors (Li 2020; Lin et al. 2021). Intelligent start-ups will concentrate on tacking a lesser amount of features. Thus, it reduces the investment barrier to realise basic expectations and produce opportunity to invest in excitement generators and performance payoff.

3.2.2. Payoff performance

Feature of payoff performance are not totally crucial but can boost the enjoyment of the offering and can simplify realisation of tasks (Berger et al. 2022; Renfree et al. 2014). These elements have a linear correlation between customer satisfaction and investment. Instances, comprise long range EV batteries, room service in residential houses or hotels, next-day distribution and innovative formulas in tables and spreadsheets. In payoff performance, over investment rises the risk of feature decay, complexity of products and creating novel unmet basic expectations (Maccioni 2020; Paseda 2006).

3.2.3. Excitement producers

Excitement producers are sources of unpredicted delight and “wow elements”. These are not anticipated and do not trigger hindrance when unavailable (Al Rabaiei, Alnajjar, and Ahmad 2021; Nurjannah et al. 2020). Instances comprised corresponding whiskey samples in hotel rooms, distant EV climate control, bonus contributions for sheets and prime. Word of mouths comes with excitement producers. These excitement producers fail if basic expectations are not met and performance payoffs are low (Shen et al. 2021). These comprised luxury investments and normally only a few will turn out to be “showstopper” features. Eventually, excitement producers will become basic expectations which further increases the investment barrier for competitors. Using these details, a questionnaire was developed.

• First, the questionnaire consists of two questions per attribute: positive and negative (functional and dysfunctional). The first question measures the reaction of the customer if the attribute is available in the product (functional form). The second question measures the reaction of the customer if the attribute is not available in the product (dysfunctional form). Each question has five different options; Like, Must be, Neutral, Live with and Dislike.

• Second, each pair of answers is aligned with the Kano evaluation. Table 2 will reveal the customer’s perception toward the attributes of a product.

  Table 2. Kano Evaluation Table (Shahin et al. 2013).

  Customer needs		Dysfunctional form of the question
  		I like this feature omitted	(2)I need this feature omitted	(3)I am neutral about this feature	(4)I can live with omitting this feature	(5)I dislike omitting this feature
  Functional from of the question	(1) I like this feature included	Q	A	A	A	O
  	(2) I need this feature included	R	I	I	I	M
  	(3) I am neutral about this feature	R	I	I	I	M
  	(4) I can live with including this feature	R	I	I	I	M
  	(5) I dislike including this feature	R	R	R	R	Q

  Notes: A – Attractive need; O – one dimensional need; M – must be need; I – indifferent; R – reverse; Q – questionable.

Third, the application of the customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction coefficient, as shown in Equation 1 and Equation 2 is done to understand how strongly a product attribute will affect the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the customer. The range of the positive SC is between (0 and 1). The closer of SC to 1, the higher influence of the attribute on customer satisfaction. On the other hand, the range of the negative SC is between (0 and −1). The closer of SC to −1, the higher influence of the attribute on customer dissatisfaction.

(1) $\mathit{SC}=\frac{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(1)

(2) $\mathit{DSC}=\frac{-\left(\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(2)

Where:

SC: Satisfaction Coefficient

DSC: Dissatisfaction Coefficient

A: Attractive

O: One- Dimensional

M: Must-be

I: Indifferent

Customer satisfaction matrix was used to show the effect of having the identified success criteria for new construction technologies on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction in a quantitative manner. To create the customer satisfaction matrix, the satisfaction coefficient (SC) needs to be found by using the (Equation 1(1) $\mathit{SC}=\frac{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(1) ) and the dissatisfaction coefficient (DSC) by using the (Equation 2(2) $\mathit{DSC}=\frac{-\left(\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(2) ). A sample of this matrix is shown in Figure 3. The matrix contains an X-axis, which represents the level of satisfaction, and a Y-axis, which represents the level of dissatisfaction. The centre of this matrix is the average of SC and DSC. The criteria located in quadrant 1 have the highest impact on both the customer’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction and the criteria located in quadrant 3 have the lowest impact on both the customer’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Figure 3. Template of the customer satisfaction Matrix.

In the questionnaire, participants have five (5) choices; I like, Must be, Neutral, Live with and Dislike. The participants evaluated each criterion twice, once if this criterion is functional and once if it is dysfunctional. For example, the first criterion (Reducing time) has been evaluated twice, once if it is functional and once if it is dysfunctional (time increased NOT decreased). The choices are the same in both of them. The participants have been asked to evaluate of all these criteria compared to the traditional construction method (concrete cast on site). When responses were collected, every individual response was analyzed separately. In every criterion, the evaluations of functionality and dysfunctionality have been paired together according to Table 2. After that, when all the individual responses have been analyzed, similar attributes have been added together for each criterion to find how many (Attractive = A), (Must be = M), (one-dimensional = O) and (Indifferent = I). Then, the SC and DSC were found for each criterion by applying Equation 1(1) $\mathit{SC}=\frac{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(1) and Equation 2(2) $\mathit{DSC}=\frac{-\left(\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(2) . For example, if the responses are 50 and the number of attributes for a criterion are: (A = 15, O = 20, M= 8 and I = 7). By applying the equations, the SC= 0.7, and the DSC = −0.56. Assume, the average of SC and DSC are 0.42 and −0.38 respectively. Then this criterion will be in quadrant 1 as shown in Figure 4. The selection of 50 responses was based on the availability of professionals who are relevant to the study.

Figure 4. Example of customer satisfaction Matrix.

4. Analysis and results

4.1. General information

A survey based on Kano Quality Model has been conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A general overview of the target real-estate developer is shown in Table 3. The survey research is targeting employees in real estate development companies with the following conditions: (a) The real estate company has to be in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (b) The real estate company has to have previous experience in residential projects with the Ministry of Housing to ensure high qualifications for participating residential real estate companies in this survey, and (c)The participant has to be an engineer. The respondent comprised 38 persons. Reducing time, cost and manpower provide capability to build a complex design, ease of changing the design during and after construction and to install heat and sound isolation. Reducing the lifecycle cost, increasing customization to fit the customer needs, increasing the precision and reducing rework. Facilitation of integration of the services and the structure, Reducing reliance on skilled labour and increase safety on site, and the benefit of visualization and communication. Capability to build a multi-story building and to apply different types of exterior design (glass facade, stone façade, brick, etc.). Avoiding mobilization of building components and installing them on site and reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site.

Table 3. Overview of target Real Estate Developer.

#	Variables	Classification	Percentage %
1.	Number of respondents as per their major	Civil/Architectural engineering	71%
		Electrical/Mechanical/Industrial engineering	11%
		BA/Finance/Accountant	11%
		Others	7%
2.	Number of respondents as per their years of experience	0~5 years	24%
		5~10 years	39%
		above 10 years	37%
3.	Number of respondents who worked previously in modern construction techniques	Yes	53%
		No	47%
4.	The number of respondents who worked Previously on housing projects with 50 units and more.	Yes	79%
		No	21%

Likewise, it comprised the criteria for reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site. Kano Quality Model attributes and (SC & DSC) of each criterion is typified with different values for the criteria (Must-be, Attractive, Indifferent, One-Dimensional, Revers Questionable, SC and DSC as contained in Table 4. The model results revealed that the proposed classification for the criteria based on their impact on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction could be a useful tool to further explore discrepancies and similarities for strategy preferences among the customers and designers and this result might reduce the communication gap for future residential housing design. Reducing time, cost and manpower in residential building project will have significant impact customer satisfaction. The design and success of any residential building project will rely largely on customer satisfaction concerning building quality and efficient resource management in perfective manner to execute the project with a realistic time and budget without compromising the quality (Sasidhar et al. 2017). Proper and timely procurement of material, adequate manpower deployment at appropriate time and mobilisation of equipment may cause delays in residential buildings projects. Finally lack of customer satisfaction affect the project cost and time (Sasidhar et al. 2017).

Table 4. Kano quality Model attributes and (SC & DSC) of each criterion.

Criterion	The criteria	Must-be	Attractive	Indifferent	One-Dimensional	Revers	Questionable	SC	DSC
A	Reducing time	29%	38%	18%	12%	0%	3%	0.5152	−0.4242
B	Reducing the Cost	32%	18%	26%	21%	3%	0%	0.3939	−0.5455
C	Reducing manpower	9%	21%	65%	3%	0%	3%	0.2424	−0.1212
D	Capability to build a complex design	41%	32%	18%	9%	0%	0%	0.4118	−0.5
E	Capability and ease of changing the design during and after construction	47%	18%	26%	6%	0%	3%	0.2424	−0.5455
F	Reducing the lifecycle cost	44%	21%	29%	3%	0%	3%	0.2424	−0.4848
G	Capability to install heat and sound isolation	9%	35%	38%	12%	3%	3%	0.5	−0.2188
H	Increasing customization to fit the customer needs	32%	15%	35%	12%	3%	3%	0.2813	−0.4688
I	Increasing the precision and reducing rework	15%	47%	32%	3%	0%	3%	0.5152	−0.1818
J	Facilitation of integration of the services and the structure	35%	38%	12%	9%	3%	3%	0.5	−0.4688
K	Reducing reliance on skilled labor	38%	21%	32%	3%	3%	3%	0.25	−0.4375
L	Increasing safety on site	32%	12%	29%	26%	0%	0%	0.3824	−0.5882
M	Increasing the benefit of visualization and communication	15%	41%	32%	6%	3%	3%	0.5	−0.2188
N	Capability to build a multi-story building	41%	29%	21%	6%	0%	3%	0.3636	−0.4848
O	Capability to apply different types of exterior design (glass facade, stone façade, brick, etc)	15%	29%	50%	3%	0%	3%	0.3333	−0.1818
P	Avoiding mobilization of building components and installing them on site	12%	53%	15%	12%	6%	3%	0.7097	−0.2581
Q	Reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site	44%	24%	26%	3%	0%	3%	0.2727	−0.4848
R	Capacity of equipment to withstand climatic conditions	38%	18%	29%	9%	3%	3%	0.2813	−0.5

4.2. Customer satisfaction with construction technologies

Kano Quality Model has been applied to classify the criteria based on their impact on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This has been done by three steps:

1. Pairing the answers from the respondent for every criterion when it is functional and dysfunctional according to Table 4. The result of the pairing is one of the following: (must-be), (Attractive), (Indifferent), (One-Dimensional), (Reverse) or (Questionable).

2. Applying Equation 1(1) $\mathit{SC}=\frac{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(1) and Equation 2(2) $\mathit{DSC}=\frac{-\left(\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}\right)}{\left(\mathit{A}+\mathit{O}+\mathit{M}+\mathit{I}\right)}$(2) , to find the Customer Satisfaction Coefficient (SC) and the Customer Dissatisfaction Coefficient (DSC).

3. Creating the customer satisfaction matrix and inserting the criteria based on their SC and DSC values.

The Customer Satisfaction Matrix is used to quantitatively show the impact of each criterion on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The matrix contains an X-axis, which represents the level of satisfaction (SC), and a Y-axis, which represents the level of dissatisfaction (DSC). The center of this matrix is the average of SC and DSC which is (0.3854, −0.3952) in this case.

Table 4 shows the result of the survey which contains the criteria with their attributes and the SC and DSC and Figure 5 shows the customer satisfaction matrix for real-estate developers in Riyadh.

Figure 5. Customer satisfaction matrix for real estate developer.

The criterion “Reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site” has the most impact on the customer satisfaction, but its impact on the customer dissatisfaction is negligible. The criteria “Increasing safety on site”, “Reducing the Cost” and “Reducing time” have the most impact on the customer dissatisfaction. Table 5 provides further details on KQM.

Table 5. Conclusion of the result of KQM.

Criterion	Criterion	SC	DSC	Quadrant (KQM)
B	Reducing the Cost	0.394	−0.545	Q1
E	Capability and ease of changing the design during and after construction	0.5	−0.469	Q1
H	Increasing customization to fit the customer needs	0.515	−0.424	Q1
O	Capability to apply different types of exterior design (glass facade, stone façade, brick, etc)	0.412	−0.5	Q1
A	Reducing time	0.382	−0.588	Q2
F	Reducing the lifecycle cost	0.281	−0.469	Q2
G	Capability to install heat and sound isolation	0.364	−0.485	Q2
I	Increasing precision and reducing rework	0.281	−0.5	Q2
J	Facilitation of integration of the services and the structure	0.242	−0.485	Q2
L	Increasing safety on site	0.242	−0.545	Q2
N	Capability to build a multi-story building	0.25	−0.438	Q2
R	Capacity of equipment to withstand climatic conditions	0.273	−0.485	Q2
M	Increasing the benefit of visualization and communication	0.333	−0.182	Q3
P	Avoiding mobilization of building components and installing them on site	0.242	−0.121	Q3
C	Reducing manpower	0.5	−0.219	Q4
D	Capability to build a complex design	0.515	−0.182	Q4
K	Reducing reliance on skilled labor	0.5	−0.219	Q4
Q	Reduce the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site	0.71	−0.258	Q4

• The criteria which are located in Q1 are (B, O, E and H). They have an impact on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction and that impact is more than the average of the impact of the other criteria

• The criteria which are located in Q2 are (A, G, N, F, J, R, I and L). They have an impact on customer satisfaction that is less than the average of the other criteria whereas they have an impact on the customer dissatisfaction that is more than the average of the other criteria.

• The criteria which are located in Q3 are (P and M). They have an impact on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction and that impact is less than the average of the impact of the other criteria.

• The criteria which are located in Q4 are (K, C, D and Q). They have an impact on the customer satisfaction that exceeds the average of other criteria whereas they have an impact on the customer dissatisfaction that is less than the average of the other criteria.

5. Discussion

In the customer satisfaction matrix in Figure 4 there are four (4) quadrants, and each quadrant has its impact on customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Kano Quality Model aims to quantify the impact of each criterion on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

• The first quadrant (Q1) means that the criterion has an impact on both customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction more than the average of the impact of the other criteria. The criteria (H, E, O and B) are located in Q1, though it is clear that out of these four, (H) has the highest impact on customer satisfaction and at the same time it has the lowest impact on customer dissatisfaction whereas (B) has the highest impact on customer dissatisfaction but it has the lowest impact on customer satisfaction. Current finding is concurrent with the existing literature. For instance, Mkpojiogu and Hashim (Mkpojiogu and Hashim 2016) evaluated the correlation between Kano models’ customer satisfaction scores and self-stated requirements importance. The study discovered that integrating customer or client satisfaction requirements in design is of great significance or value to the future customers or clients of the projects or products. Additionally, the current result can be useful for improving quality of the design. In service industry, the quality of design has been improved using the Kano Quality Model to overcome competition. Additionally, Andriani, Irawan (Andriani, Irawan, and Asyura 2021) proposed eighteen attributes for improving design quality, five of which are adding and completing service-related, infrastructure upgrading, development and improvement of standard operating procedure (SOP), sporadic repairs and substitute of service support gear, purchase of housekeeping apparatus, cleaning of houses and infrastructure, information, warnings and signs.

• In (Q2) there are six criteria (A, G, L, J, R, I, F and N). These criteria have impact on customer dissatisfaction more than the average of the other criteria, but their impact on customer satisfaction is less than the average so it is negligible. Arif and Syahputri (Arif and Syahputri 2021) reported similar results while assessing the effects of brand image and product quality on loyalty and satisfaction of customer as intervention variable in local industry. Likewise, many factors are known to influence customer satisfaction on projects that adopts some modern practices, e.g., green residential buildings and the role of economic performance on client’s categories. Hence this type of result offers a far-reaching contribution to customer satisfaction and to existing construction companies. The result is momentous to contractors since it allows them to strategically design their projects by considering the categories of clients.

• In (Q3) there are two criteria (P and M). These criteria have impact on both customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction that is less than the average of the impact of the other criteria, so they are negligible. This finding could be used to revisit the relationship between project success and project management as a moderating role and engagement of stakeholder and team building (Shaukat et al. 2022). Thus, project managers not only require to increase stakeholder engagement and strategies for team-building, but to scrutinise all the critical decisions concerning projects from customer satisfaction, sustainability and to further create a significant value proposal for each group of stakeholder, which are increasingly identified as essential issues for projects success. In (Q4) there are four criteria (K, C, D and Q). These criteria have impact on customer satisfaction more than the average of the other criteria, but their impact on customer dissatisfaction is less than the average so it is negligible. This finding can have some influence on the impact of project or service quality on customer satisfaction or loyalty with new technologies as a mediation for customer or client mediation. Narotama (Narotama 2019) argued that client satisfaction has significant correlation to client loyalty. Theoretically, the current result is essential for refining the concept of relationship quality in a customer satisfaction and project management context and for aiding managers of residential building projects to enhance regularly unsubstantiated subcontractor relationship in a rising competitive market where the relationship quality is a key determinant of competitive advantage and project outcome.

The findings indicate that new construction technologies in the sector are required to have high performance in number of critical criteria to achieve the satisfaction of real-estate developers in their residential projects as well as to avoid their dissatisfaction. Further, this study indicated that new advanced construction technologies correlates with customer satisfaction.

Therefore, it is essential for construction industry to consider the types of technologies used in their quest to satisfy their first-time residential customers. Previous studies have concentrated on skilled and primarily public sector customers (Adewunmi Oluwatayo, Ibem, and Amole 2014). Hence, this research has provided empirical findings concerning selection criteria for construction industry that influence the customer satisfaction who are engaged in residential building services.

Once this achieved, it is highly expected that the new construction technologies success in the residential construction sector. The main factors that should receive top priority from manufactures of advanced construction technologies to avoid the dissatisfaction of real-estate developers of their introduced new technologies:

• “A” (Reducing time)

• “B” (Reducing the Cost)

• “L” (Increasing safety on site)

• “O” (Capability to apply different types of exterior design: glass facade, stone façade, brick, etc)

• “I” (Increasing precision and reducing rework)

Accordingly, the capability and performance of the new construction technologies is overall expected to outperforms the traditional construction method “concrete cast in” once compared in terms of time, cost, safety on site, ability to apply different type of exterior design, and precision in order to meet the customer expectation and avoid their dissatisfaction.

The main factors that should also receive attention from manufactures of advanced construction technologies to achieve further satisfaction of real-estate developers of their new introduced technologies:

• “Q” (Reduce the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site)

• “D” (Capability to build a complex design)

• “H” (Increasing customization to fit the customer needs)

• “K” (Reducing reliance on skilled labor).

• “C” (Reducing manpower)

• “E” (Capability and ease of changing the design during and after construction)

Accordingly, once the capability and performance of the new construction technologies is high in above criteria, the real-estate developers will be satisfied and positive with the new introduced construction technology; however, if the capability and performance of the new construction technologies is low in above criteria, it will not affect on dissatisfaction of real-estate developers except criteria H and E that may have an effect on dissatisfaction of real-estate developers.

6. Conclusion and recommendation

It is an undeniable fact that construction technologies field is a promising research area for growth in the construction industry. This research aimed to measure the feasibility of applying the construction technologies in the residential projects. The research deliverable is identifying the critical criteria of the construction technologies that impact on the customer requirements and dissatisfaction. The gaps between the customer requirements and the capability of the construction technologies are the opportunities of improvement of the construction technologies in the construction sector. This research starts with creating the evaluation criteria which were created through, experts’ opinions and interviews, extracts from previous papers and research. After that, the customer satisfaction matrix has been created using Kano Quality Model. The criteria were distributed on the matrix depending on their SC and DSC values. The specific findings are:

1. The model results revealed that the proposed classification for the criteria based on their impact on the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction could be a useful tool to further explore discrepancies and similarities for strategy preferences among the customers and designers and this result might reduce the communication gap for future residential housing design.

2. Reducing time, cost and manpower in residential building project will have significant impact customer satisfaction.

3. The design and success of any residential building project will rely largely on customer satisfaction concerning building quality and efficient resource management in perfective manner to execute the project with a realistic time and budget without compromising the quality.

4. Although, construction technologies are a promising construction methodology, but it is still below expectations and needs development in some areas in order to be used in housing projects.

5. For advanced technologies building to be taken seriously as a long-term construction technique, it must be cost-competitive with traditional techniques and valuable to and usable by its customers.

6. Decision-makers will have to weigh the trade-offs between construction technologies and conventional methods as well as the potential effects of their choice on the community’s society and economy as construction technologies becomes more competitive.

7. The numerous applications, proof of concept, and research developments over the past 10 years show that although construction technologies is still in its infancy, there is potential for the future.

Therefore, it recommended encouraging investment in construction technologies with continued funding for research and development, construction technologies could become a practical and widely accepted method of construction with the potential to revolutionize the way the industry handles materials, design, scheduling, labor, logistics, and cost in far-flung, remote, and expeditionary environments.

7. Limitations, and future suggested research

This research faced some difficulties and obstacles, such as:

• A limited number of research papers are related to construction technologies in construction sector.

• The scarcity of projects all over the world that have been built using construction technologies. This caused difficulty in finding experts in this field.

Suggested areas for future research in construction technologies could include:

• Ways to improve construction technologies to be able to construct a whole building (including the foundation and the roof).

• Inclusion of construction technologies in the standard and codes.

• The usage of construction technologies in non-residential buildings.

• Examining the extent to which people accept construction technologies.

• Doing the same study in a different city and doing a comparison study.

• The impact of construction technologies on manpower and labor in the construction industry.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Researchers Supporting Project number [RSP2023R280], King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [RSP2023R280].

Notes on contributors

Ayman Altuwaim

Dr. Ayman Altuwaim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He holds a master’s degree in Engineering Project Management from University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He received his Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Illinios at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is an assistant professor of civil engineering at King Saud University. He held several administrative and academic positions. His research interests focus on project planning and control, optimization and decision making, risk management, construction contract management, cost management, sustainable development, and application of technology in construction.

Abdulelah AlTasan

Eng. Abdulelah AlTasan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia. He holds a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abdulmohsen Almohsen

Dr. Abdulmohsen AlMohsen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He holds a master’s degree in Construction Logistics Management from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He obtained his Ph.D. Certificate from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in Strategic Risk Analysis in Joint Ventures. He is an assistant professor of civil engineering at King Saud University. He held several administrative and academic positions at King Saud University. His research interests focus on construction and project management, construction contracts, application of technology in construction, contract and cost management, logistics management, sustainable development, project control, and risk management.