Communication Dynamics and ICT Integration in Engineer-Procure-Construct Projects

• Main Author: Tenku, Noumbissi
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet 2008
• Subjects: Communication; Integration; Visualisation; Engineering; Procurement; Construction; and Collaboration.; Business studies; Företagsekonomi
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-1527

ABSTRACT In the past decade, the construction industry has been identified to be among the industries that are lagging in the application of modern information and communication technology as tools to enhance project performance. Where this technology has been applied, little has been done to meet up with the pace of advancements in information and communication technology. This research looks at the extent to which information and communication technology (ICT) tools have being integrated for project enhancement in a major railway construction project. Most precisely, it looks at how ICT tools have affected communication and collaborative processes in the context of the soft skills processes and the hard skills processes. Enormous literature in this field of study was reviewed to set the base upon which to make the investigation. Findings show that ICT tools have been integrated just to a limited extent on the project which still used traditional management and project communication methods.; and there was room for integration of better tools as project participants were aware of some of these ICT tools that can enhance the performance of the project. Finally, an ICT infrastructure that encompasses all aspects of the project environment and the entire project lifecycle is proposed. This infrastructure enhances project performance by integrating all project stakeholders in the process of knowledge sharing and use in the project. The research also determines that most project organisations would refrain from integrating certain kinds of project enhancement tools because of he cost obtaining them as well as the cost to train employees on their usage.