A leading government researcher and the head of WS Atkins research division are calling for the government to sponsor research on the impact of ecommerce on construction before too much money and effort is wasted.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council construction programme manager Sebastian Macmillan is attempting to get funding for a research project into IT in the construction industry. He said the research should focus on the areas of internet use, e-procurement, document management and project collaboration in construction.

Speaking at the annual Construction Industry Computing Association conference, he said there is a growing need for research into e-business in construction. "The time is right for this kind of research, with the growth in e-commerce. Construction usually comes in at the tail end of these develop-ments and is renowned for not putting money into research. This programme will give the industry the knowledge it needs without having to pay for it." Tim Broyd, research and innovation director with engineer WS Atkins, is also involved in setting up the programme. "There is no research programme specific to IT in construction at the moment. There needs to be a better understanding of how IT can help procurement of construction products and maintain international competitiveness for the UK construction industry." Broyd also cited the example of Finland, where public money is used to fund research for industry.

The findings of the research will be available through the Construction Best Practice Programme's website.

The Office for Government Commerce is also keen to push forward growth in e-construction. It has called on construction companies to offer demonstration projects for e-procurement.

Source

Construction Manager