Assessment of Information Technology Adoption in Project Information Exchange in Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) has been applied by various industries with significant improvement in the practice and strategic standing of the industries. Its successful application is evident in manufacturing, petroleum, banking, aerospace and military industries. However, despite this evidential benefit as a result of IT adoption, delayed receipt of project information and/or loss of the project data/information are still prevalent in the Nigerian construction industry. To reduce these inefficiencies in the data management of the industry, this study investigates the medium of project information exchange and examine the order of IT adoption in the Nigerian Construction industry. A quantitative approach using questionnaire survey was employed. Structured questionnaires were distributed among quantity surveyors in contracting, consulting and public sector. The resultant data was analyzed using descriptive statistical tool. The results revealed the dominance of the paper-based medium over the use of IT tools in information acquisition and dissemination in the construction industry. About three-quarter of drawings, specifications and schedules were acquired through printed copy (paper based), and only about one-tenth of these information were acquired through email and disk/flash. While about four-fifth of the bills of quantities, claims and final account documents/information were being disseminated through the traditional paper-based printed copy, and less than one-tenth of these information are being disseminated through email and disk/flash. The order of IT adoption and use in information acquisition in the Nigerian Construction industry was found to be paper based medium, then followed by online medium, email and others (mobile) came third and fourth respectively, while disk/flash and came fifth and sixth in ranking. Furthermore, in contrast to the order of IT adoption and use in information acquisition in the Nigerian Construction industry, paper-based and disk/flash medium came first and second in order of information dissemination. Emails and online medium came 3rd and 4th in place, while fax and others (such as mobile phone), came 5th and 6th in adoption and use. Thus, for construction professionals in developing countries to reap the benefit of IT, it must go beyond the use of paper based medium to the use of IT tools for the acquisition and dissemination of information in the industry.