Service Engineering 4.0 Applicability: Results From Stakeholders′ Engagement Assessment in the Public Building Construction Projects

The adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in service engineering has impacted traditional sectors, including construction. In large‐scale public building construction projects (PBCPs), Service Engineering 4.0 (SE4.0) incorporates robotic process automation, predictive maintenance, the Internet of Things, sensors, cloud computing, digital twins, building information modeling, and artificial intelligence, among others, to streamline planning, project management, design, construction, and building operations. While developed countries have rapidly adopted smart building services to enhance building performance and occupant comfort, developing countries including Tanzania have been relatively slow in embracing these technologies. This study examined the feasibility of applying SE4.0 to PBCPs. Data were collected from 100 stakeholders involved in public building construction, including consultants, contractors, and potential public building clients. IBM SPSS Version 27 and Smart PLS 4 Version 4.1.0.9 analyzed the gathered data. The outcome of this study demonstrated that SE4.0 is still a relatively new discipline, and most public building stakeholders have a moderate level of awareness of its application, which in turn indicates significant room for improvement. Moreover, some of the practices are not applied at all. Some challenges identified include remote site infrastructure, limited resources, traditional project delivery methods, training gaps, and high project costs. It was also found that there is no clear framework guiding SE4.0 in PBCPs, and no study has been conducted by regulators detailing the cost–benefit analysis of applying SE4.0 in PBCPs. This integration within Tanzania is limited by a lack of sufficient understanding and engagement from crucial stakeholders, which include government institutions, contractors, ICT public bodies, academic and research institutions, and public institutions. To overcome these issues, Tanzania needs to raise awareness, allocate funds, encourage investment, and provide regulatory support. This integration can enhance effectiveness, clarity, and sustainability in PBCPs.