THE ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT AND USAGE OF ICT BY CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
The construction industry in Nigeria has grown rapidly as a result of technological advancements, both globally and locally. The construction industry has long been used to gauge economic activity in any economy. According to Ozumba and Shakantu (2008), the contribution of construction to Gross National Product (GNP) in various countries at various stages of development reflects significant growth (2008).
This can be attributed to the growing global population and the need for more infrastructure to meet the rising demand. A recent survey of large engineering contractors’ investment in information technology reveals an increasing
trend in the construction industry’s use of data management, web applications, and virtual reality (Songer et al. 2001). In light of the growing interest in ICT adoption to help organizations prepare for the future, information and communication technology has continued to advance rapidly in many areas of the construction industry.
Ozumba and Shakantu (2008) conducted a recent study in which ICT was extensively used in the pre-construction stage, product design, production planning, and scheduling. This demonstrates the importance of ICT in the construction industry.
Nigeria began implementing its ICT policy in April 2001, following approval by the Federal Executive Council of the policy by establishing the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the implementing body.
Agyeman (2007) The policy authorizes NITDA to form strategic alliances and joint ventures, as well as collaborate with the private sector, in order to realize the country’s vision of making Nigeria an IT-compatible country in Africa. This vision also includes making Nigeria a key player in the information society by 2005 through the use of information technology for sustainable development and global competitiveness. Other goals of Nigeria’s ICT policy include:
• To ensure that ICT resources are easily accessible in order to promote effective national development.
• Ensuring that the country benefits the most and contributes the most by
providing global solutions to the Information Age’s challenges
• To enable Nigerians to participate in the development of software and ICT.
• To promote competitive local production and manufacturing of ICT components.
• To establish and develop ICT infrastructure, as well as to maximize its use across the country.
• Equipping youth with ICT skills and preparing them for global competition
• Incorporating ICT into the core of education and training.
In light of the country’s ICT policy, all sectors of the economy should effectively leverage ICT potentials to promote effective national development and global competitiveness. Given the importance of ICT in the construction industry, it may be appropriate to conduct research to assess the use of ICT by construction industry consultants in Lagos state.
1.2PROBLEM STATEMENT
The construction industry has not fully utilized the potentials of collaborative systems that information sharing and coordination have provided to project parties; similarly, the industry has not fully utilized ICT solutions for digital information exchange and document sharing, as well as e-tendering, which are benefits accruing from the use of ICT in the industry.
Given the industry’s underutilization of ICT concepts, it may be worthwhile to assess the use of ICT by construction industry consultants in order to improve project communication and performance.
The following are the research questions for this study:
1. What are the ICT tools used by Nigerian construction industry consultants?
2. What is the level of use of ICT tools by consultants in the construction industry?
3. What effect do ICT tools have on the operational efficiencies of construction industry consultants?
4. What are the limitations to the use of ICT tools by construction industry consultants?
1.3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study is to assess the use of ICT by construction industry consultants in Nigeria, and it aims to accomplish the following goals.
1. To identify and evaluate the factors that influence the ICT tools used by construction industry consultants in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which ICT has influenced consultants’ work.
3. To assess the impact of ICT tools on the operational efficiencies of construction industry consultants.
4. To identify the barriers to the use of ICT tools by construction industry consultants.
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the study, the following hypotheses are proposed:
1. Most construction professionals are unfamiliar with and have not used GSM/cell phones, fax machines, voicemail, electronic data management, video conferencing, intercom, internet, project management software, auto cad, word processing, spread sheet, master bill, and snap vector in construction projects.
2. Most professionals’ use of GSM/cell phones, fax machines, voicemail, electronic data management, video conferencing, intercom, internet, project management software, auto cad, word processing, spread sheet, master bill, and snape vector has no impact on ICT in the Nigerian construction industry.
3. The benefits of using ICT in construction do not include issues such as making professional jobs easier, facilitating decision making, saving operational costs, improving user public image, providing a competitive advantage, enhancing productivity, saving time, and improving project presentation.
4. Constraints to ICT use in construction do not include insufficient power supply, insufficient job size and fees for ICT, high cost of hardware and software, fear of virus attack, high rate of obsolescence of hardware and software, insufficient ICT content in construction education, scarcity of professional software, high cost of engaging computer staff, lack of management desire and appreciation of ICT, low return on ICT investments, and fear of ICT making consultants.
1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
Although the initial excitement about the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in improving enterprise competitiveness and productivity has faded, these technologies remain critical to growth and competitiveness. Mr. Zwick (2003).
The use of ICT can greatly benefit the construction industry. ICT use also opens up possibilities for resolving coordination issues associated with construction fragmentation (Latham 1994). Construction projects necessitate a high level of information generation and communication Brewer, Gajendran, McCann, and Chen (2003).
For example, architects can begin by developing intelligent 3D CAD models that can be viewed and shared with the rest of the design team members. Working from the same base model, the engineers can quickly develop their respective engineering and detail designs, allowing quantity surveyors to quickly quantify preliminary project cost estimates.
This allows construction consultants to be more productive and perform better. When these CAD capabilities are fully utilized, owners will discover that significant cost and time savings associated with construction fragmentation can be realized (Latham 1994).
1.6 TERM DEFINITION
ICT is an abbreviation for information and communication technology.
The construction industry includes all stakeholders, including clients, involved in the construction of buildings and civil/heavy engineering works.
THE DESIGN CONSULTANTS: Professionals who are registered and authorized by professional bodies to provide construction services to clients such as designing architectural, mechanical, and electrical plans, sections, and elevations of a building, as well as costing for same. Quantity surveyors, civil/structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and architects are among these professionals.
INTRANET: is defined as an internet network utilizing internet and web protocols located within an organization’s information technology (IT) security domain and intended primarily for use by organization’s members; in particular for organization applications such as: electronic mail (e-mail), file transfer protocol (FTP), telnet, and the World Wide Web (Slyke and Belanger, 2003).
EXTRANET: An extranet is a network that uses internet protocols and the public telecommunications system to communicate with the contractor’s clients and business partners in a private and selective manner. Extranets can be used to exchange large amounts of data, such as product catalogues and design specifications and details.
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE: Electronic commerce is the use of information technology to improve business transactions. It entails incorporating e-mail and other similar technologies into a comprehensive electronic-based system of business functions. It is based on electronic data processing and transmission, including text, sound, and video.
INFOBASES: InfoBase are commercial databases that cater to specific interest groups’ information resource needs. The main advantage is the easy availability of up-to-date information.
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