Strategic renewal of smart maintenance management: the role of the construction client

This study provides insights into the requirements for client-led strategic renewal of Smart Maintenance Management (SMM) in the construction industry by analyzing its institutional context. A single case study is conducted within a public-sector facility management (FM) organization that operates as a shared service center for two Dutch universities, managing over 60 buildings. All maintenance activities are outsourced to external contractors, making the organization a suitable setting for exploring institutional complexities in SMM implementation. Data were collected through 28 semi-structured interviews and analysis of contracts, internal documents, and secondary sources. The study identifies institutional complexities arising from fragmented supplier networks and conflicting internal corporate logics within the client organization. Three key requirements for successful client-led strategic renewal in SMM are identified: (1) developing client capabilities to manage boundaries between distinct supplier networks (institutional fields), (2) creating new internal practices and decision-making logics to better align with those external environments, and (3) exercising change leadership to reconcile conflicting interests and implement institutional change. These findings contribute to construction management literature by shifting attention toward the internal challenges faced by clients during digital transformation of maintenance. While the results are drawn from a single public-sector case, the institutional framework and identified requirements offer transferable insights for other construction clients navigating similar complexities.