To improve the performance of the construction industry, innovative methods were introduced to make them better. Industrialised building systems (IBS) and prefabrication construction are the popular methods used and studied. However, these methods are still unable to meet the demands of the stakeholders. Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) is a design principle that is seen as capable of improving the situation. The uptake of DfMA in the construction industry needs to be analysed to obtain a better picture of the existing condition of the method and its manner of implementation it going forward, but there are still too few studies performed on this topic. This paper gathers relevant articles from the previous studies on DfMA. With the available data, the main benefits, hindrance factors, and enabling factors for DfMA uptake in the construction industry were identified in this study. The authors also identified the research trend among the research themes and the benefits of building information modelling (BIM) integration with DfMA. By synthesising the information from previous studies, a conceptual framework was developed. Knowledge gaps and future potential research topics are also discussed in this paper, forming a simple research framework for future effort guidance. With a suitable strategy and guidelines, the application of DfMA could improve the performance of the construction industry in Malaysia and other places with similar construction environments and approaches.

Industrialized building systems (IBS) have long been applied in Malaysia to increase construction productivity and reduced the dependency on unskilled foreign labourers. However, projects using IBS still face issues related to time and cost overrun, poor quality, and the dependence on unskilled foreign labours. This is mainly caused by less collaboration and low adoption of technology in project implementation. To enhance the performance of the construction industry, design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) principles were introduced. To add value to the DfMA principles, it is paired with the building information system (BIM) which would help in creating a sustainable digital environment in the construction industry. The main objective of this study is to look at the readiness of Malaysia’s construction industry to adopt the DfMA principles and develop a framework for it. This study builds a solid base from data collected from literature reviews. It is then progressed by interviewing several subject matter experts covering the perspectives of policymakers, developers, and IBS manufacturers. Based on thematic analysis, factors of people, processes, organization, and environment are identified. From these factors, a framework to adopt DfMA was formed. This study would assist the stakeholder in better understanding the DfMA principles and what is required to adopt them to exploit their potential to produce a sustainable construction in line with government policies on construction 4.0 and achieving the sustainable development goals. Based on this study, a better plan and strategy could be produced for a more competitive construction industry.