Digital library of construction informatics and information technology in civil engineering and construction
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Paper: w78-1998-23
| Paper title: | Information-management-systems used by the Hong Kong construction industry |
| Authors: | Futcher K G, Rowlinson S |
| Summary: | This paper presents the results of current research into the extent that construction IT is used to support the large and dynamic construction industry of Hong Kong. The 1990’s have seen a continued growth in construction with the Government’s airport-core-programme of projects taking centre stage against a backdrop of a growth in construction of infrastructure and other public-sector and private-sector building works. Through economic necessity, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) plans to promote significantly more construction within the territory of the Hong Kong S.A.R., over the next two decades This is essential to meet the growth demands that are forecast to occur over the medium-term planning horizon of fifteen years. Concurrently, economic expansion in the neighbouring regions of southern China requires considerably greater amounts of new infrastructure. The Hong Kong construction industry will, inevitably, want to be heavily involved in these business opportunities. It is presumed that these demands for construction will attract participation from the global construction industry. The relative exploitation of construction IT for competitive advantage, by competing construction companies from different parts of the world, has therefore become important to the industry in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong construction industry has an enviable reputation and it is to be expected that this high-performance is supported by the use of construction IT technologies. However, Futcher and Rowlinson have previously presented subjective arguments that ‘Hong Kong’s reputation for high-speed, on-time and within-budget, construction belies the rudimentary nature of the industry’s exploitation of IT’, that ‘Hong Kong [is] strong in hardware, telecommunications and the marketing of technology. Opposed to weakness in systems support; programming; IT services, such as implementation and operational administration; documentation; and user-training’. They have stated that ‘the industry is likely to adopt IT only if it is seen as an accepted good practice. It does not actively seek IT solutions to achieve competitive advantage; as a means of offence and defence; to reduce costs; to innovate; or to impress.’ The research provides a factual basis for these statements by way of a comparative assessment on the use of construction information technologies in the Hong Kong industry. Knowledge which is of value to all the participants pursuing new business in this dynamic market. It is indicative of the sino-asian construction industry’s perceptions of the value and utility of construction IT. The paper provides argument for industry-lead development of construction IT. |
| Type: | |
| Year of publication: | 1998 |
| Series: | w78:1998 |
| ISSN: | 2706-6568 |
| Download paper: | /pdfs/w78-1998-23.content.pdf |
| Citation: | Futcher K G, Rowlinson S (1998). Information-management-systems used by the Hong Kong construction industry. Bjork B C, Jagbecj A (ed.); The life-cycle of construction IT innovations. - Technology transfer from research to practice. [ Conference Proceedings / ISBN 91-7171-281-4] Stockholm (Sweden) 3-5 June 1998 (ISSN: 2706-6568), http://itc.scix.net/paper/w78-1998-23 |
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