The influence of the leading firms on the exploitation of IT in the Irish construction industry

The problem of how construction industries around the world can exploit the potential of Information Technology (IT) for the benefit of participants has been the focus of attention for various individuals, enterprises, institutions and governments in recent years. Consideration of how the Irish construction industry should approach this problem has been limited to date. Although it is recognised that there are a number of existing and potential influences, this paper considers the role that the current leading firms in the Irish construction industry can and should play in order that the industry as a whole exploits IT over the next five years. It is proposed that if the Irish construction industry is to progress quickly in relation to exploiting IT, these leading firms need to develop their own appropriate IT strategies. They should subsequently use their considerable influence on the many firms that they do business with to develop complementary IT strategies. The rate at which the current leading firms can exploit IT and persuade others to do so is considered. Reference is also made to the results of a 1998 survey of the leading architectural, consulting engineering, quantity surveying and contracting firms in the Irish construction industry.