Bademosi, F and Issa, R R A (2021) Factors influencing adoption and integration of construction robotics and automation technology in the US. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 147(8): 04021075, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Robotics and automation technology (RAT) has emerged as one of the most important drivers of the Industry 4.0 digital transformation of industrial operations. Although RAT has been explored in construction over the last several decades, its applications in the field have been limited, despite its potential and rise in application opportunities. Prior studies have focused on the resistance factors that impact the adoption of RAT. However, there is limited work that simultaneously identifies the positive and negative factors that influence the decision of construction companies to adopt RAT. This study aims to identify, through semistructured interviews with prominent experts in the US, the positive and negative factors of adopting RAT and then use these adoption factors in a survey to allow these same experts to pairwise compare their importance. The survey results were prioritized based on their perceived impact on construction companies' decision-making using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results indicated that the intention to use RAT is primarily positively affected by long-term cost savings and adversely affected mainly by the initial investment costs. Because construction professionals are inclined to make decisions on the adoption of RAT based mainly on costs, the understanding gained in this study of the other factors impacting RAT adoption decisions allows companies to improve how they manage their RAT adoption efforts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | decision-making, robotics, advanced construction robotics, interview, automation, survey, integration, industry 4.0, construction company, transformation, construction professional, cost saving |
| Subjects: | organization, technology adoption, decision analysis, data collection methods, business, economics, automation and robotics, professional development, building construction, organizational analysis |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Digital Applications, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Information Management, Cost Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here