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There has historically been a certain amount of resistance to computer technology within the construction sector. While astute construction managers who have the best interests of their construction businesses at heart tend to be bullish about adopting computer technology, the rank-and-file are not so enthusiastic.

Perhaps the biggest reason is because many people who work in construction, (those who came up through the ranks to manage the day-to-day operations and those who actually drive the nails), are most inspired by concrete, real world things. Computers on the other hand appear to them as mysterious and irrelevant. They would much rather pick up a brand new battery/gas-driven nail gun than a laptop. What the nail gun does, and how it benefits them, is easily and quickly understood. But what a computer does, and what benefits it offers to the process of building things, are much more obscure.

Another roadblock to the adoption of computer technology in the construction sector has to do with the nature of construction. The processes of building things most often occur outdoors, in all kinds of weather, and in a mobile fashion. Equipment, materials and workers are on the move, all day long. The environments are dusty, noisy, and they have a wide range of temperatures and humidity. Those are not exactly the best environments for sensitive electronics. So computer technology in construction has largely been relegated to offices, doing the kinds of tasks that any other type of business has them doing. Because of that, construction hasn't been able to enjoy the kinds of productivity increases that computer technology offers to all those activities that take place in the field.

The third road block to the adoption of computer technology in construction is one that exists in any business. It is the tendency for people to resist change, especially if it means they will loose control of some aspect of their jobs, or if it exposes them to things they're unfamiliar with.

The worker who consistently starts work ten minutes late, and takes longer lunch breaks will not like having to punch in and out on his cell phone. That technology is available today and construction companies are implementing it.

The manager that makes an extra $200 a month selling "extras" from materials orders will not be happy about computer technology that uses scanners to record and track material movement against invoices. This computer technology is also available today.

The lead carpenter who travels job to job on a daily basis may be apprehensive about making a mistake while she is keying in job codes to the central accounting system from her pickup truck 50 miles away from the office. People often feel intimated by technology.

Recent data from the Census Bureau showed construction as one industry that hasn't kept up with others when it comes to productivity increases over the past 25 years. All of that is about to change. The economic climate is no longer one that will tolerate waste and inefficiency. Computer technology, that includes hardware, software, and the peripherals that interact with computer technology like cell phones, scanners, PDAs, and other wireless input devices, is finding increasing acceptance in the construction field. The challenge now is for managers and IT professionals to select the computer technology that works for their businesses, and not fall prey to buying technology for technology's sake.

Learn more about this author, Duane Craig.
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