Construct IT Spring 2008 Members' Meeting
 
Summary (1 of 3)
The Spring 2008 Members' meeting was held on the 21st & 22nd May, Hilton Hotel, Warwick.
 
The focus of the first day was on a facilitated workshop concerned with Construction ICT Revolution. This facilitated workshop explored and debated the UK construction industry's complacency with regard to the significant strategic importance of ICT and the associated approach to investment and R&D. Nigel Stevens (Bemerton Management Solutions Ltd.) began setting the scene by discussing the frustrations and challenges of the industry's nature towards ICT investment in delivering business benefit in contrast to other sectors. He began by demonstrating through the engagement of the delegates how construction professionals work (i.e. undertake projects, activities, etc.) differently. Through his own experience (as an engineer and not an IT person but having worked in a variety of sectors as an IT person) he then explored the nature of the industry in terms of what it really does and whether it effectively merges engineering, technological, information and systems requirements, along with what tools are required and are available in order for it to succeed and whether the industry is lacking in effectively utilising them? Nigel concluded by posing the question of whether change is a threat or opportunity in the construction industry before suggesting that the lack of change and moving forward could eventually kill the industry.
 
Steve Underwood (Kier Build) followed by continuing to explore the nature of the industry in relation to 'if the industry is progressing nicely', i.e. delivering projects and making a small percentage profit, then why does it need ICT. He then continued by discussing the concepts of industry ICT Directors in their belief that the fewer people that use ICT and the fewer applications used then this results in fewer complaints, e.g. IT people have PAs as opposed to PDAs. He then discussed the lack in understanding of the value of ICT on the business by business people and that ICT needs to be conveyed to the business in an 'industry' language, e.g. ICT gluing the organisation together and lubricating the business, and in a language understandable in a business sense, e.g. competitive advantage/disadvantage, value and benefit, etc.
 
Elvin Box (Kier Build) continued to engage delegates in the discussion by focusing on the current industry in 2008, the future for the industry 20 years post Egan in 2018, and a major contractor and the ideal value chain in 2018. Issues of discussion in relation to the current industry included the credit crunch, consolidation and managed services, housing problems and the 2012 Olympics, being under resourced and ambivalent with regard to ICT and innovation, opportunistic towards globalisation, and the industry not making money (or even losing money) during buoyant times, i.e. low profit margins and unpredictability. Elvin then moved discussions on 20 years post Egan to 2018. Issues with regard to the perceived future of the industry focused on more environmentally sensitive projects, a high-level of Chinese funding, shift towards off-site manufacturing and global off-site design, management and manufacturing, 'real' globalisation, lower speculative development, being better resourced and ICT enabled. Finally, Elvin focused discussions on the Major Contractor and the ideal value chain in 2018. He suggested that the industry needs to shift towards dealing with (managing) assets rather than simply buildings in order to realise competitive advantage. Furthermore, financial institutions are investing in construction companies and will not continue to invest in poor operation organisations but rather build their own in-house capabilities/activities. However, the industry could increase its current profit margins through the value chain by contactors moving into asset management in order to appropriate the funds and knowledge through the asset. Discussions continued to conclude the workshop focused on people and process issues. In terms of people this raised the need for a change in mindset/culture and that successful projects are very much dependent on leaders and innovators with ICT just being an enabler. From a process perspective this included limiting the risk of investment in ICT and conveying the value and benefits of ICT investment in a language that is understood by the business. ... more>