Smart project management for delay mitigation in Indian construction: a PESTEL-based fuzzy framework

Purpose Delays in the construction industry continue to be a challenge in India, which has been mainly caused by a lack of proper planning, ill-defined decision-making and inability to adapt to technological advancements. The proposed research work aims to analyze the impact of the use of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) project management techniques, in partnership with Internet of Things (IoT), to improve delay management in the Indian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The approach was qualitative and expert-driven. Sixteen dimensions of delay, identified from the literature using a political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) analysis, were verified by eight senior experts from industry, government, technology supply and academia. Total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) was performed to generate the relationship between identified variables. Fuzzy Matrixy Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis was performed to classify variables based on their driving power and dependence into independent, dependent, linkage and autonomous categories. Findings Issues of disputes, negotiations, lack of communication, planning, lack of clear contract procedures and scope creep were identified as the most probable delay causes. The adoption of smart philosophy in monitoring allows better coordination, decision-making and provides a clear avenue for eliminating process inefficiencies. Originality/value This study integrates SMART project management, IoT and a PESTEL–TISM–Fuzzy MICMAC framework to analyze construction delays in India. It advances prior research by modeling interdependencies and prioritizing delay drivers based on systemic influence, linking macro-environmental factors with organizational practices to inform managerial and policy-level interventions for improved project performance.