Criado-Perez, C; Shinkle, G A; Höllerer, M A; Sharma, A; Collins, C; Gardner, N; Hank Haeusler, M and Pan, S (2022) Digital transformation in the Australian AEC industry: Prevailing issues and prospective leadership thinking. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(1): 05021012, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry globally has a long history of prudently adopting novel technologies to improve products and services. Yet the rapid development of digital technology currently taking place is threatening to produce a more disruptive inflection, or substantial jolt. This paper explores the state of readiness of the AEC industry for such anticipated transformation. We illustrate our conceptual arguments with evidence from an explorative study across a sample of AEC organizations in Australia. At the core of this paper, we offer six provocations that highlight what we consider major challenges for the AEC industry-across multiple levels of analysis-related to the increasing role of digital technology. We then turn to lessons learned from other industries in order to propose a framework consisting of four leadership thinking schemas to enable digital transformation readiness: future thinking, strategic thinking, capability thinking, and experimental thinking. For these four schemas, we present practices and initiatives that may help AEC firms to better adapt-or to proactively create and shape a sustainable future.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architecture, engineering, and construction industry; Australia; business models; digital transformation; future; strategy |
| Index terms: | construction industry, business model, transformation, Australia, lessons learned, history, digital technology, evidence, strategy |
| Subjects: | management, professional development, Geography, industry analysis, business, evaluation and assessment methods, computing systems, architectural and construction history |
| Topics: | Information Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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