Exploring challenges to ICT utilisation in construction site management

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and occurrence, and peculiarities and dynamics, if any, of perceived challenges to the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) in construction site management; using South Africa as context for empirical study. Design/methodology/approach Literature on the constraints to technology transfer and ICT adoption in construction is used as basis for the study. A national survey of registered persons in South Africa was used to collect qualitative data. A robust multi-stepped analytical approach was used to derive results. Findings Findings suggest appreciable similarity between literature and primary data, in types of individual challenges and their categories. Lack of technology and management support, and knowledge and information related issues, are relatively more prevalent in site management. There is a fair level of commonality in perception of technical barriers among the various categories of respondents who are active in site management. However, project managers seem to be more sensitive to some inhibiting factors, more than other respondent groups. Research limitations/implications Inherent limitations of survey strategy were experienced, but highly qualitative data were collected at a national level. The study highlights the range of barriers to ICT in site management, and compounding effects of technology-, knowledge- and management-related constraints. Practical implications The possibility of knowledge-based factors remotely manifesting in other categories was highlighted. There is need to consider all challenges in planning for ICT in projects, and prioritise technology-, knowledge- and management-related challenges. A classification for exploring challenges to ICT in the site management process is also proposed. Social implications Appreciable paucity remains in research focused on ICT in the site management process, as opposed to the popular operations/application focus of IT/ICT studies. Furthermore, there is still scarcity of ICT research in Africa, with regard to the built environment and specifically site management. Originality/value This study contributes to research in ICT innovation adoption in the construction industry, by developing a better understanding of the dynamics of perceived challenges to ICT adoption in the site management process; according to types and classifications of challenges, and roles and age groups of stakeholders. The study further sets a baseline for future studies in this area by proposing a frame of categorisation that is focused on site management.

Process Need Areas and Technology Adoption in Construction Site Management

“…Relevant technologies may also serve as potential mitigation against management lapses, including (1) dependence on periodic information on site status from various nodes and the need for pre-emptive and predictive oversight of site activities and resources (Ozumba and Shakantu, 2008;Akhavian and Behzadan, 2016;, (2) poor supervisor awareness of h&S infringements and incidents which go unreported (Kelm et al, 2013;Arslan et al, 2014;Aryal et al, 2017;Fang et al, 2018), (3) poor identification of site participants in issuance of materials and equipment (Ozumba and Shakantu, 2008;Wang et al, 2014;han and golparvarfard, 2015), (4) poor security and tracking of materials movement and storage on site (Razavi et al, 2012;han and golparvar-fard, 2015) and (5) lack of real-time pervasive and comprehensive knowledge of site status (Ozumba and Shakantu, 2008;Wang et al, 2014;Omar and Nehdi, 2016). Such shortcomings seem regular on site, from the case study observations.…”

“…Such studies suggest the need for more uptake of technology. Similarly studies addressing technology infusion in CSM also suggest low occurrence (see Ozumba and Shakantu, 2012;2017;. however, just as extant literature presented in Table 1, these local studies do not provide the on-site perspective.…”

“…historically CSM is known to suffer from capacity strain, which drives the demand for process enhancement (gonzález et al, 2011). The complexities of construction and the nature of CSM, impose demands for process enhancement on construction SM (Ozumba and Shakantu, 2008;2009). According to green (1998), such demands were driven by the rhetoric of business process re-engineering (BPR), even though there were "doubts…regarding the originality and coherence of BPR" (p. 378).…”

“…gonzález et al (2011) suggest that construction industry's interest in process enhancement is driven by limited ability to protect its processes from negative effect of variability. With specific focus on CSM, the areas of constraints, or process weakness referred to, are categorised here as "process need areas"; drawing from (Ozumba, 2013) on "process needs areas", Ozumba and Shakantu (2008) on "process needs" and Ozumba and Shakantu (2009) on "need areas" respectively, in CSM. These are specific aspects of SM that have experienced shortcomings due to human limitations.…”

“…In order to understand process need areas, green (1998), Serpell andAlarcon (1998), gonzález et al (2011) and Ozumba and Shakantu (2008;2009; have been referenced elsewhere in the article and discussed. In order to understand technology infusion in the study, the following peculiarities of the study have been considered: CSM takes place in an organisational setting.…”