Bibliographic details and abstracts are available to all. Downloads of full-text dissertations are restricted to University of Portsmouth members who must login. MPhils may be accessed by all.

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to address whether a more comprehensive variety of technology systems should be implemented in the UK construction sector and whether they would have mitigated the output downfall during the pandemic. Next, this report will address what barriers are stopping the implementation of technology systems and what are the solutions to overcome the barriers. This is an important topic with the UK construction sector ranked 22nd out of 22 industries for digitalisation and technology and struggles during unforeseen events, with an example being the pandemic where construction output decreased by 44% during the first three months of the pandemic, therefore changes are needed to mitigate output downfalls during unexpected circumstances.
The methodology used is interviews and questionnaires. The interview was carried out with a director of a construction firm. The purpose of the interview was to discover why certain company strategies are chosen and the direction companies are heading in. By contrast, the questionnaire was collected from construction professionals and focuses on personal experiences and future desires around the topic.
The findings from the research show that the implementation of high amounts of technology systems is common among the leading firms and companies that were successful through the pandemic, specifically in the medium and long term. This report attempted to find a core solution and synthesis to the barriers in the industry. Although none was found within a company there is a trend for technology implementation to fluctuate dependent on public sector support, specifically subsidising systems and their skills learnt at university. The barriers to technology systems are not helped by the structure of the industry, working often on a short-term project by project. The main barriers reported are implementation costs and skilled labour. The most significant of the two seems to vary depending on the circumstances of the sector. During change, like the pandemic skilled labour appears to be the largest barrier, but otherwise it is implementation costs. Overall the findings in this report are most useful to professional construction companies unsure about their long-term plans and companies uncertain whether to invest in technology systems.

Course: Quantity Surveying - MSc - C2170

Date Deposited: 2025-01-17

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14676.html