ICT Implementation for Materials Management in Construction Projects: Case Studies

Abstract

Construction materials usually constitute a major portion of the total cost in a building construction project. Materials management is made problematic by materials shortages, delays in supply, price fluctuations, damage and wastage, and lack of storage space. Despite the potential benefit of ICT, convincing construction organisations to embrace its use and implementation has proved a difficult task. This study seeks to identify the implementation of ICT for materials management processes in construction projects. The findings from the case studies reveal that the implementation of ICT in the materials management processes for construction projects in Malaysia is at early stage. Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet and handheld devices are found to be the common ICT tools adopted in the materials management processes. The main barrier is found to be the cost involvement at the initial stage or overall implementation of ICT in the materials management processes. Finally, this paper concludes the finding from interviews towards the ICT implementation of materials management in the construction projects.