Technology management in construction : lessons for the practice of architecture : research article (original) (raw)
2011, Acta Structilia : Journal for the Physical and Development Sciences
The relevance of managing technology to architectural practices in South African construction cannot be overemphasised. As major stakeholders in the construction industry with particular significant contributions in the property sector, practising architects cannot afford not to exploit old technologies, and embrace new technologies with a view to improving their business and competitiveness. The thrust of the issue addressed in this article is the assessment of the status accorded to issues relating to technology in the form of a technology audit and/or management in architectural practices. In furtherance of this issue, a quantitative survey was conducted among Eastern Cape-based South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) registered architects. Selected findings include that respondents perceived that there are no barriers to communication in organisations as technology does not only form part of the organisational business strategy, but also benefits project partners during implementation. In addition, with the use of office technologies, management is able to forecast and plan future requirements for their practices, while marketing-related technologies allow the closing of identified performance gaps as well as the development of best practices by the firms. Therefore, periodical technology audits are recommended for practices intending to remain competitive in the market.
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Technology management in construction: Lessons for the practice of architecture
2011
The relevance of managing technology to architectural practices in South African construction cannot be overemphasised. As major stakeholders in the construction industry with particular significant contributions in the property sector, practising architects cannot afford not to exploit old technologies, and embrace new technologies with a view to improving their business and competitiveness. The thrust of the issue addressed in this article is the assessment of the status accorded to issues relating to technology in the form of a technology audit and/or management in architectural practices. In furtherance of this issue, a quantitative survey was conducted among Eastern Cape-based South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) registered architects. Selected findings include that respondents perceived that there are no barriers to communication in organisations as technology does not only form part of the organisational business strategy, but also benefits project partners during implementation. In addition, with the use of office technologies, management is able to forecast and plan future requirements for their practices, while marketing-related technologies allow the closing of identified performance gaps as well as the development of best practices by the firms. Therefore, periodical technology audits are recommended for practices intending to remain competitive in the market.
Architectural Practices and Their Use of IT in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 2001
The application of Information Technologies (IT) is moving forward with tremendous speed affecting all industries and professions; our building profession is no exception. To identify the extent of IT application in the building construction context of South Africa, a survey was conducted in the year 2000; it included IT as one of the many topics investigated. The Western Cape Province (WCP) was selected as the first subject of the ambitious national survey. The survey provides insight into the particular patterns in IT applications within the local architectural industry of the WCP and tracks its implications in terms of human resources and technical needs. This research paper presents a focused perspective of the findings of the survey on the local practices; their general profile, their computer technology profiles, their particular applications of technology and finally the effect of computer use on the profitability and cost reduction of their practices. The data presented in this paper highlights the high numbers of small-sized offices as a general characteristic of the local profile. Although a good percentage of these small offices seem to have a high need and use for IT applications, larger-sized offices are totally computerised and are all networked as well. The use of computers is clearly concentrated in three areas: administration, communication in addition to the core activity of construction drawings production. The survey reveals a major dependency on computer-aided-design (CAD) software where its use extends, in most cases, to clients' presentations. This dependency makes high demands on staff and principals' literacy and on the high competency levels needed for their use of technology. On the financial effect of IT use, many practices are not fully convinced that there is an actual reduction in their running costs. The exception occurs in the case of practices run by principals who use computers themselves; they have a positive perception of the financial benefits of technology. This research establishes a baseline from which to scale the progress in the use and application of IT in the architectural profession, being a key player in the construction industry. It serves as a measure for future surveys of the other provinces. It is hoped that it provides a foundation for many assumptions made by practitioners, technologists, consultants and educators of this field.
A comparative study: with insight into the use of IT in local architectural practices
2003
This paper reports on the use of Information Technologies (IT) in the South African building industry. It offers an insight into the architecture profession, a profession that plays a major role in the construction sector. The analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted in the Western Cape Province during the year 2000. In an attempt to uncover the similarities and differences between the local context and the international one, this paper outlines a few elements of IT for comparison. After a brief introduction to the IT map of South Africa, the analysis concentrates on the following four issues: Response and Respondents, General IT usage, Use of Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Use of Networks. Each of these issues is framed in both the local and the international contexts. Despite the shortcomings of using different questions with different emphasis when referring to other surveys, it is still believed that reporting on local practices is not extremely meaningful in isolation. It is hoped that this type of analysis will serve to unravel the particulars of the construction industry in South Africa providing its counterparts with a new perspective.
The positive impacts of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the professional services of the main actors in the construction industry cannot be over-emphasized. The future and development of a good architectural master piece depends on decisions made on several levels and by different professionals in the industry. The paper conducted a survey of the impacts of ICT on architectural practice in Nigeria. It also provides an insight into the current usage of ICT in some architectural firms. The data for the study was derived from both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The quantitative method utilized a structured questionnaire survey while the qualitative method was through interview. Findings however revealed that the core architectural function has been largely computerized while data and document management are gradually being computerized. It also shows that a higher percentage of the respondents are aware and do make use of the ICT gadgets available at their disposal. The paper concluded that effective communication with a good managerial skills and mastering ICT is needed for a contemporary architectural practice in Nigeria.
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: (2017),"The adoption of 4D BIM in the UK construction industry: an innovation diffusion approach", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 24 Iss 6 pp. 950-967 <a href="https:// If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
Is Technology a New Challenge for the Field of Construction MANAGEMENT?1
2015
The central theme in Construction Management (CM) and CM research is improving the performance of construction industry. Much effort and thought is given to improv-ing project performance. Within CM there is a natural inclination to focus on projects and project management (PM). Companies in the construction industry also see pro-ject management as their key competence. Both have little appreciation for technolo-gies other than those that support project management tasks. Technology – other than PM support – is often seen as an outside resource that is "contracted in". By taking such a neutral position regarding technology, CM and construction companies not only disregard the potential of these technologies, but also fail to notice the adverse effects when new technologies are "contracted in". This paper argues that CM as well as companies in construction can gain by reconsidering their stance towards technol-ogy. This argument is built on the case of road constr...
Strategies for Building Information Modelling Adoption in the South African Construction Industry
Conference Paper, 2019
The present state of the construction industry worldwide requires continual improvement. The quest for improvement is to the advantage of all concerned stakeholders. Innovation has been identified as this improvement measure. Building Information Model (BIM) is an example of such innovation in the construction industry. This work presents the strategies required for full adoption of BIM among construction professionals in South Africa. The study conducted a questionnaire survey among construction professionals in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data gathered were analyzed using percentage, mean item score and Kruskal-Wallis H-Test. The reliability of the questionnaire was also determined using Cronbach-alpha test. Embracing BIM requirements in construction supply chain, encouraging stakeholders collaboration, clear understanding of procurement process, and interpretation of accurate information are identified as key strategies for proper BIM adoption in for construction activities in South Africa.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
The role of technology in every facet of the economy cannot be handled with levity. The construction industry like other germane sectors of the economy thrives best with the adoption of technology in various parts of its subsets. It has been established that Material management can be handled effectively with the use of modern technologies. It is based on this that this research focuses on identifying the roles and effects of adopting modern technological tools for effective material management in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative approach where questionnaires were administered to professionals in the South African construction industry. Descriptive statistics tools were used to analyse the gathered data. Findings showed that the prevalent roles of adopting technological tools for effective material management in South African construction industry are majorly continuously Progress monitoring; Monitoring mechanisms with regard to stated outcomes are clearly explained from the beginning, and scope and use of materials are explained to all role players. On the other hand, the effects of technological tools are seen mainly as profit maximization; constant monitoring of materials on site and, Aids in planning and clarification of materials before projects begin. The implication of the roles and effects is that there is an opportunity of great productivity in construction industry with the use of technology as it makes things easier while improving principles of management.
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