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Offsite construction (OSC) is a modern method of construction (MMC) that involves manufacturing and assembly of buildings. Industry 4.0-driven technological advancements have accelerated OSC uptake causing many skilled construction workers requiring re-skilling or up-skilling. Quantity surveyors currently play an important role throughout a construction project life cycle, and hence, their knowledge on OSC projects is vital for the continuity of quantity surveying (QS) profession. The purpose of this paper is to critically review QS education in an OSC perspective and to propose strategies for up-skilling.

This research includes a detailed literature review of QS and OSC to evaluate how OSC affects the QS profession. Publicly available information on the university websites on accredited QS and construction management degrees was reviewed to identify OSC and MMC references, specifically the content listing and learning outcomes.

Out of the 315 degrees offered by 157 universities, only 69 degrees in 32 universities refer to OSC or MMC. OSC concept is explicitly referred in subjects related to construction technology, production management, lean construction, digital construction and MMC. As such, the research suggests including lean production principles, OSC techniques and design philosophies such as design for manufacture and assembly be added to the QS curricula.

This research is a comprehensive desktop study that does not involve empirical data-based evaluation. Research findings inform strategies to improve QS education and professional competencies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind that evaluates accredited QS degrees and learning requirements in an OSC perspective.

Recent research advocates that there are plenty of opportunities for key players in the offsite construction (OSC) sector to harness the full potential of advanced project management techniques. While previous research mainly focuses on transformations related to digital and advanced technologies driven by industry 4.0 principles, a research gap still exists on the intersection of project management capabilities and OSC. This study attempts to bridge this gap by capturing the homogeneity of different capabilities and integrating them into an overarching framework.

A scientometric analysis is conducted to provide an overview of the co-occurrence network of keywords in the representative studies. A systematic literature review (SLR) of articles published between 2010 and 2022, followed by a subsequent full-text examination of 63 selected articles, revealed 34 interrelated capabilities to be categorised under three exhaustive planning-oriented, design-oriented and delivery-oriented groups.

This review revealed an upward trend of publication on project management capabilities for OSC with a specific interest in optimisation of resources allocated to offsite operations. The top five capabilities discussed more frequently in the literature include (1) artificial intelligence for design error detection, (2) enhanced resource productivity, (3) cost saving in offsite production, (4) real-time traceability of modules and (5) applying lean agile production principles to OSC, which imply the critical role of quality, cost saving, traceability and agility in OSC.

This study elicits core capabilities and develops a new offsite project management framework for the first time. The authors provide directions for researchers and practitioners to apply capabilities for obtaining better outcomes and higher value out of offsite operations.