A vision for construction IT 2005-2010: two case studies

Abstract

Construction companies face dramatic changes in today's competitive market conditions. IT is increasingly becoming a competitive tool in this market place. The industry is taking a fresh view of how to use IT in order to improve productivity of the sector. In order to assist in this process, Sarshar et al. (2000) undertook a major review of academic research and industrial best practice and formulated a vision for managing construction project information in the next 5–10 years. This paper compares two case studies of the actual use of IT against this vision. The paper highlights some common gaps in current IT applications in construction companies. Based on these gaps some recommendations are made on the areas, which the industry might focus upon.