A Survey on Information Flow Tools in Alberta’s Construction Industry

Abstract

Construction is a major industry in Alberta due to its significant contribution to GDP and employment. Poor communication and inadequate information flow can lead to poor performance on construction projects, in terms of cost, schedule, and quality. Construction 4.0 promotes the implementation of modern information technologies to encourage the digitization of the construction industry and its supply chain. Efficient information flow in the construction supply chain is key for enabling Construction 4.0 and improving the performance of construction projects. This study presents the results of a survey on tools currently used in Alberta’s construction industry to exchange information. Results show that Alberta’s construction industry mainly depends on emails, meetings, and phone calls to exchange information among stakeholders. These tools are shown to be inefficient means of communication because of delays they arise in providing information, and because of their limitations in storing and disseminating information, which hinders knowledge creation and innovation.