The National Federation of Builders is to offer advice to its members on software investment.
Bill Rabbetts, chairman of the NFB, said that small and medium-sized contractors were particularly resistant to investment in IT and needed guidance on what systems to buy.

"To invest too early and too heavily in IT can be dangerous for SMEs," he said. "There is a history of initiatives in IT that have got under way and not been successful. Smaller companies have a tendency to hold back and want some kind of track record before they invest, which makes good business sense for them."

Rabbetts cited the experience of Baxall Construction and contractor John Jarvis, as covered in the January/February issue of Construction Computing, as evidence of the need for smaller companies to have access to more advice on IT. Baxall and Jarvis both tried to implement a Ramesys accounts system and encountered severe problems and delays in getting it off the ground.

"If we can use members' experience and carry out some research of our own, it saves other members having to go over the same ground, when they have limited time to commit to it," Rabbetts added.

The NFB is also linking up with the Construction Industry Training Board to provide IT training to its members. Rabbetts said a pilot study by the NFB found knowledge of IT to be a weakness among its members, especially the smaller contractors.