Title: The current state of ICT usage by UK construction companies

Authors: Stephen Barthorpe, Hung-Ju Chien, Jack K.C. Shih

Addresses: School of Technology, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK. ' School of Technology, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK. ' Department of Civil Engineering, Ming Hsin Institute of Technology, Taiwan

Abstract: Applications of information and communication technology (ICT) have, in general, influenced business strategies, organisational structures, and management processes in the UK construction industry. The aim of this paper is to explore the current use of state-of-the-art ICT applications by UK construction companies. This paper reports on the findings obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted between November 2001 and January 2002, with contributions received from 43 organisations representing UK construction companies. The results indicate that a reasonable ICT investment is considered to be one that is greater than 1% of the construction company|s annual turnover. It was also revealed that the three most significant non-financial barriers to the effective implementation of ICT in the UK construction industry are: a lack of established IT standards, traditional business practice and the fragmented nature of this industry.

Keywords: Information and Communication Technology; ICT; barriers to implementation; e-procurement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEB.2003.004109

International Journal of Electronic Business, 2003 Vol.1 No.4, pp.358 - 371

Published online: 10 May 2004 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article