Context-dependent reconfiguration of construction delivery through digital management

Digital transformation in construction increasingly depends on how digital capabilities are organised within project delivery rather than on technology adoption alone. This study examines how digital management reconfigures construction delivery across different project contexts. Drawing on 26 semi-structured interviews with digital delivery leaders and coordination professionals in Malaysia, the study combines thematic analysis, abductive reasoning, and structured cross-context comparison. The findings show that digital reconfiguration is context-dependent rather than a uniform progression towards greater technological sophistication. Three recurring configurations emerge: coordination-focused, delivery-integrated, and lifecycle-oriented digital management. Their prominence varies according to the dominant delivery problem, governance requirements, stakeholder responsibilities, and intended downstream use of digital information. Across the study, information governance stabilises digital inputs, workflow-embedded automation connects digital outputs to delivery action, and lifecycle continuity extends information value beyond immediate project delivery, while human oversight supports interpretation, validation, and accountable control. The study contributes a configurational explanation of digital transformation by showing why comparable digital capabilities become organised differently across construction delivery environments. Practically, the findings suggest that organisations should align digital investment with governance requirements, workflow integration, professional oversight, and intended downstream information use rather than assess digital capability primarily through technological sophistication.