Is it boom time?

Ten years ago, Microsoft’s Bill Gates identified an opportunity: “The internet has a huge potential as it relates to construction. This is an industry that continually moves information back and forth between offices and remote job sites. Pulling together even a simple straightforward project now requires the interaction of hundreds of people and thousands of documents. Today’s communication challenges are incredible” – The Road Ahead (Viking).

Back in the get rich quick days of the dot com “boom and bust”, a swarm of mainly new companies with varying business plans and propositions to revolutionise the entire construction industry appeared. The placing of an ‘e’ in-front of any industry term became common and generally this all-encompassing approach to revolutionising the industry failed. “The main dangers in this life are people who want to change everything... or nothing!” (Nancy Astor, 1945).

However, some of these dot com companies specifically or belatedly focused their business plans on the provision of internet-based software to deliver collaboration, communication and information management services. Collaboration, despite initial natural scepticism and resistance, has grown steadily over the last five years, and today there are an estimated 175,000 users of the main systems and many major clients have adopted or are adopting extranet technology for project and programme delivery.

Wilkinson’s book focuses on how and why this has emerged and, despite working for one of the providers, gives an independent, informative analysis of key areas. It will also help improve market awareness – one of the objectives of the Network of Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (NCCTP), who recently endorsed the book.

Being the first book in this sector to address such issues it is unfair to be overly critical of Wilkinson. As anybody who has used collaboration technology before will know, if the related people and process issues are not specifically addressed, the system will deliver little value for anybody, and merely act as a glorified file transfer protocol site. Wilkinson describes well the management aspects associated with introducing the technology, but there are issues of technology adoption relating to embedding industry processes that could have been expanded.

The placing of an ‘e’ in-front of any industry term became common and generally this all-encompassing approach to revolutionising the industry failed

One example is the use of web tendering, a subject of recent debate following the RICS guidance note and letters in QS News. The NCCTP also has a role to assist in this area; integration between systems will ensure greater take-up and understanding of the benefits, and - despite the recognised growth - this area could be the first step down the collaboration path for a large proportion of the industry.

However, the internet and collaborative technologies are undoubtedly transforming the way we work. But if construction collaboration technologies are to become more widely adopted and their true potential and value realised, then clients, consultants, contractors and end users must build an increased understanding.

This book is an invaluable guide for everyone from trade contractor to client, and an essential read for users of these technologies and those considering their use.

Peter Dampier is head of Gleeds Information Management Services