Silverio Fernández, M A (2019) Implementation of smart devices in the construction industry. PhD thesis, University of Wolverhampton, UK.
Abstract
The construction industry has a fragmented nature, which accounts for the highest degree of decentralisation of information and the highest mobile content access. The exchange of information made possible by smart devices. This creates an opportunity to enhance productivity and communication among stakeholders of the construction industry. Firstly, this thesis explored the concept of smart devices. Secondly, the drivers, challenges and Critical Success Factors for implementing smart devices were investigated. This study adopted a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. A total of 39 interviewees which includes professionals from the construction sector of the Dominican Republic (DR) and the UK were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The drivers for the adoption of smart devices were grouped into internal and external drivers. The challenges found in the interviews were grouped into three categories, namely, economic, cultural and technological. The critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing smart devices in the construction industry are leadership, training and development, organisational culture, technology awareness, cost, company size and usability. These findings were used to develop a strategic framework which has two sub-frameworks. This study concluded that a specific culture must be adopted on behalf of the government and construction companies to successfully adopt smart devices. Furthermore, this investigation found various similarities and differences regarding the drivers, challenges and CSFs for implementing smart devices in the UK and the DR. This study recommends integrating smart devices in data collection techniques in academia. Also, for construction companies to embrace technological innovation it is recommended to be willing to start new ventures, to be open to the participation of all members of the company, and be creative and client-oriented.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Renukappa, S |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; information exchange; internet of things; interview; productivity; smart devices |
| Index terms: | interview, information exchange, construction company, usability, thematic analysis, Dominican Republic, organizational culture, smart device, construction sector, critical success factor, decentralization, productivity, qualitative approach, technological innovation, investigation, academia, construction industry, internet, implementation |
| Subjects: | organization, innovation and technology management, contractual arrangements, Geography, research methods, computing systems, control systems, data collection methods, user-centered design, data science, methods and analysis, management, industry analysis, political science, educational institutions, sociology |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Business Strategy, Governance, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Organizational Design, Project Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Procurement, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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