Digital Project Readiness Index (DPRI): A Quantitative Framework for Measuring AI, BIM and Digital Twin Adoption in Steel Plant Expansion Projects

Although the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies provides new avenues to enhance project performance across industrial domains, steel plant expansion projects have no widely recognized tool to ascertain digital readiness for project implementation. This study proposes a digital project readiness index (DPRI), an aggregate index constructed using AI, BIM, digital twins, mobile field supervision, and project performance analytics. The framework assesses the level of digital readiness in five aspects: digitalized planning, BIM implementation, data connection, predictive capabilities, and digital lifecycle asset management. Weight of index components is derived through a hierarchical structure using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The DPRI offers a quantitative mechanism to enable project managers in determining their project’s digital transformation capabilities, benchmarks for comparing across the industry, and areas of digital improvements. The methodology adds to the literature on industry 4.0 project management and has managerial implications for the successful modernization of steel plant expansion.