EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MOBILE-BASED DEFECT MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS (DMAs) ON HOMEBUYER SATISFACTION IN HIGH-RISE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1817Keywords:
construction defects, homebuyer satisfaction, digital defect management, technologyAbstract
Malaysia’s high-rise condominium projects continue to grapple with construction defects, as many homebuyers report unresolved issues that adversely affect their satisfaction and trust. In response, Defect Management Apps (DMAs) have emerged as digital tools designed to streamline defect reporting and resolution processes. This study evaluates the effectiveness of DMAs in enhancing homebuyer satisfaction within Klang Valley’s high-rise housing market. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from 191 survey respondents with qualitative insights from 20 semi-structured interviews. The results reveal several key patterns. First, the adoption of DMAs does not necessarily correlate with satisfaction; while users appreciate the convenience, they express frustration when underlying service delivery issues persist. Second, satisfaction decreases as defect counts rise, underscoring the number of defects increases, highlighting the critical role of effective back-end coordination in managing substantial volumes of complaints. Third, generational and experiential differences play a significant role. Additionally, DMA effectiveness is shaped by factors such as usability, responsiveness, communication transparency, and real-time tracking capabilities. This study concludes that technology alone cannot guarantee satisfaction; it hinges on how effectively digital platforms integrate with supportive service processes.
Downloads
References
Abdul Basit, N., Nizam, I., Goh, R., Sethumadhavan, S., Hanif, N. R., Hassan, Z., & Mohd Aini, A. (2023). Residents’ satisfaction of property management mobile applications: A study in the context of strata property in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Property Management, 41(5), 766–782. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-08-2022-0058
Abubakar, A. S., Haron, N. A., Alias, fA. H., & Hua, L. T. (2023). Exploring quality dimensions from a construction perspective: A literature review. Jurnal Teknologi, 85(4), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.11113/jurnalteknologi.v85.19319
Agapiou, A., Adair, K., Meyer, D., Skene, E., Smith, M., & Valkov, N. (2022). The development of a smart mobile app for building façade defects inspections. Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 16(3), 150-171. https://doi.org/10.17265/1934-7359/2022.03.004
Aydınoğlu, A. Ç., & Bovkır, R. (2020). Developing a mobile application for smart real estate information. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLIV-4/W3-2020, 89–94. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLIV-4-W3-2020-89-2020
Azian, F. U. M., Khair, N., Yoong, T. C., Ismail, S., & Tambi, N. (2023). The relationship between service quality and occupants’ satisfaction: A mixed-use building. Real Estate Management and Valuation, 31(1), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.2478/remav-2023-0008
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
Chen, X., Chang-Richards, A. Y., Pelosi, A., Jia, Y., Shen, X., Siddiqui, M. K., & Yang, N. (2021). Implementation of technologies in the construction industry: A systematic review. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(8), 3181-3209. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-02-2021-0172
Chohan, A. H. (2021). Development of smart application for house condition survey. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2021.10.023
Faqih, F., & Zayed, T. (2021). Defect-based building condition assessment. Building and Environment, 191(3), 107575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107575
Gurmu, A., Galluzzo, A., & Kite, J. (2021). Modelling customers' perception of the quality of services provided by builders: A case of Victoria, Australia. Construction Economics and Building, 21(1), 100-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v21i1.7501
Hashim, H., Che-Ani, A. I., Ismail, K., & Johar, S. (2023). Development of mobile application prototype for inspection work. Jurnal Kejuruteraan, 6(1), 279-288. https://doi.org/10.17576/jkukm-2023-si6(1)-24
Hashim Lim, N. H., Hasnan, L., Zainal Abidin, N., Chowdhury, M. S., Abdul Jalil, N. A. S., & Hassan, L. S. (2023). Exploring The Relationship Between the Perceived Importance of Healthy City Indicators and Satisfaction Levels Towards The Local Government in Shaping A Healthy City. Planning Malaysia, 21(29). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i29.1380
Kam, K. J., Lim, X. J., Lim, T. S., & Soon, L. T. (2023). A study on building inspection and building defect rectification from the contractors' and house buyers' sentiments. In Handbook of Research on Inclusive and Innovative Architecture and the Built Environment. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8253-7.ch013
Martínez-Navalón, J. G., Gelashvili, V., Rodríguez, M., & Nitzl, C. (2020). Evaluation of user satisfaction and trust of review platforms: Analysis of the impact of privacy and E-WOM in the case of TripAdvisor. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638541
Mohd Saufi, L., Mohamed Yusof, L., & Rahman, R. A. (2023). Complaints and rectifications during defect liability period: Homebuyer perspective. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 13(3), 21–29.
Olsen, W. (2004). Triangulation in Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods Can Really Be Mixed. In M. Holborn (Ed.), Developments in Sociology (Vol. 20). Macmillan.
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469. https://doi.org/10.2307/3150499
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceived service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.
Rahimin, N., Isa, H. M., Mohd, T., & Ahmad, N. A. (2024). Tracking architectural defects in residential projects in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment, 11(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.24191/myse.v11i1.997
Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (REHDA) Malaysia. (2023). Housing Industry Survey Report 2023. REHDA Institute.
Saleh, A. F., Mohd Aini, A., Ab Majid, R., Mustafa, M. H., & Jamaludin, A. F. (2024). Modelling housing mismatch for affordable housing demand and supply in Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 22(32). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v22i32.1511
Sundaram, S., & Zeid, A. (2023). Artificial intelligence-based smart quality inspection for manufacturing. Micromachines, 14(3), 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14030570
Talebi, H., & Bardsiri, A. K. (2023). The impact of information technology on service quality, satisfaction, and customer relationship management (Case Study: IT Organization Individuals). Journal of Management Science & Engineering Research, 6(2), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.30564/jmser.v6i2.5823
Valencia, M. M. A. (2022). Principles, scope, and limitations of the methodological triangulation. Investigación y Educación en Enfermería, 40(2), e03. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iee.v40n2e03
Zhu, L., Shan, M., & Xu, Z. (2021). Critical review of building handover-related research in construction and facility management journals. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 28(1), 154-173. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-10-2018-0442
Zygiaris, S., Hameed, Z., Alsubaie, M. A., & Rehman, S. U. (2022). Service quality and customer satisfaction in the post-pandemic world: A study of Saudi auto care industry. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 842141. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842141
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
