Design Science Research for Digital Information Management System (DIMS) in Construction and Demolition Waste Management

Abstract

In the realm of Industry 4.0, the construction sector has witnessed accelerated strides toward circular economy goals. However, a notable deficiency persists in integrated technologies spanning the entire project lifecycle—covering design, construction, renovation, and demolition phases. This inadequacy is particularly pronounced in the seamless tracing and tracking of materials, products, and waste, obstructing effective material flow analysis. This chapter adopts Design Science Research (DSR) as a methodological guide for systematically developing a Digital Information Management System (DIMS) tailored for construction and demolition waste management. This chapter focuses on a detailed exploration of the iterative steps inherent in the DSR process, specifically as applied to DIMS development with the Horizon Europe Project RECONMATIC. Starting with problem awareness and proposal, the chapter identifies existing gaps and challenges in current technologies, proposing a structured approach to address them. Moving to finding proposed solutions and tentative design, potential resolutions to the identified challenges are explored, leading to the formulation of a preliminary DIMS design. Subsequent steps involve building and testing artefacts, creating tangible prototypes, and conducting rigorous testing to validate their functionality. The evaluation and iteration phase follows, subjecting the artefacts to systematic scrutiny against predefined criteria and real-world scenarios. This iterative process refines the DIMS design and functionalities based on evaluation outcomes. Finally, the chapter underscores the importance of communicating results, presenting findings and insights, and developing DIMS for the academic and industry communities. By navigating these steps within the DSR framework, this chapter contributes a systematic, iterative, and methodologically rigorous approach to DIMS development. It strives to create a practical, effective, and sustainable solution aligning with the evolving landscape of Industry 4.0 in the construction industry. © The Author(s) 2025.