## 1 Introduction  
The advent of Industry 4.0 [1] has spurred a surge of interest in digital transformation across various manufacturing sectors and the advancement to Industry 5.0 is going beyond, also including in the technology deployment the impact on people in line with human-centric approach [2]. Industry 4.0, characterized by the integration of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing, is revolutionizing the manufacturing landscape [3, 4]. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry, often constrained by limited resources, are increasingly recognizing the potential of digital transformation to enhance their competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability [5]. The implementation of digital tools and processes has been demonstrated to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve quality, and enable data-driven decision-making [6, 7, 8]. Also, in the construction sector the interest in digital technologies is growing every year, but their penetration into the construction industry is currently slow and limited [9]. The reasons are multiple, including a lack of awareness and understanding of the technologies, high implementation costs, and concerns about data security. Furthermore, the industry's fragmented nature, traditional practices, and resistance to change often create barriers to digital transformation in the construction industry. However, in the last few years, the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI), has been demonstrated to offer significant opportunities for construction companies. These technologies can streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and enable data-driven decision-making, leading to improved efficiency, reduced waste, and safer working environments. While challenges exist, the potential benefits of embracing digitalization and adapting to a \"Construction 4.0\" mindset are immense, promising a more sustainable, efficient, and innovative future for the construction industry. This slow, but inexorable, introduction of Industry 4.0's technologies in the construction industry can be particularly relevant for companies focused on manufacturing building components, and for the manufacturing of customized prefabricated building products. These manufacturers challenge standard critical aspects [10], but also the complexity of engineer-to-order (ETO) processes, where customization and rapid response to market demands are paramount. In this context, manufacturing companies realizing customized prefabricated building products within the construction industry are challenging the adoption of these enabling technologies due to the specificity of their contribution to the market, focused on a by-design product delivery based on a specific building project design and specification. The main difference between the ETO model and others in warehouse activities is due to the absence of a pre-existing inventory. Indeed, traditional manufacturing companies have on-shell products manufactured based on selected materials: the Make-to-Stock (MTS) model is based on forecasts of customer demand and are stored in inventory until ordered; the Make-to-Order (MTO) model is based on product manufacturing after an order is received, but based on standard designs; and the Configure-to-Order (CTO) model is based on pre-defined options selectable by the customers, who can choose from a set of options to configure a product to their liking. In opposition, ETO manufacturing is characterized by highly customized products and complex production processes, presenting unique challenges for optimization and efficiency of the inventory due to the components and materials having a low replicability and high variability.