Productivity follow up in the Swedish construction industry; an investigation of implementation and influencing factors
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Despite its economic significance, the Swedish construction sector faces persistent productivity
stagnation, exacerbated by inadequate follow-up mechanisms that fail to translate
technological advancements into measurable efficiency gains. This thesis addresses this gap by
investigating how productivity follow-up is currently implemented in Swedish construction
projects and identifying the systemic, cultural, and contractual barriers that hinder its
effectiveness. We examine the interplay between digital tools, organizational structures, and
industry norms to uncover why productivity tracking remains fragmented and underutilized.
Combining a systematic literature review with qualitative data from 15 interviews with industry
professionals and analysis of 27,000 reclamation cases, we apply grounded theory to map the
challenges and opportunities in productivity follow-up.
Key results reveal three critical findings: (1) productivity tracking relies heavily on ad hoc
methods like Excel, with advanced tools such as BIM and Earned Value Management (EVM)
siloed or inconsistently applied; (2) cultural resistance to formalized processes, rooted in
Sweden’s lagom ethos, perpetuates improvisation over structured follow-up; and (3)
contractual misalignment and weak accountability mechanisms undermine incentives for
continuous improvement. These findings contradict assumptions that digital adoption alone can
resolve productivity gaps, highlighting the need for integrated systems and cultural shifts.
While focused on medium-to-large Swedish firms, the study’s insights may inform similar
contexts in Nordic construction.
Theoretically, this study redefines productivity follow-up as a sociotechnical challenge,
bridging literature on digital transformation with institutional barriers. Our study contributes
to the practice with an original, empirically grounded framework that explains how
organizational culture, contractual structure, and digital infrastructure jointly influence follow up
effectiveness. Practically, it provides construction firms with targeted recommendations to
standardize productivity metrics, align performance incentives within contracts, and integrate
AI-enabled tools into daily routines. By contextualizing Sweden’s productivity paradox, this
work advances strategies to transform follow-up from a procedural formality into a strategic
lever for industry-wide improvement
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Swedish Construction, Productivity Follow-Up, Digital Tools, Performance Management, Organizational Learning