The modern way of communicating – A study of organising the use of an ICT tool on construction sites

Abstract: Digitalisation is on the rise throughout society, this applies for the construction industry as well. The use of ICT tools, such as applications for tablets and smartphones, are in continuous development for the construction industry. A review of the literature shows that, despite this, the construction industry has not had the development that other industries have had regarding digitalisation. Many construction companies have been motivated to invest in and implement new technology because of the expected benefits, such as a more efficient construction process. A company's ability to take advantage of the knowledge and information available within the company is also closely associated with the use of ICT tools. The aim of this thesis has been to study how an actor in the construction industry could organise the work around ICT tools and how to motivate employees to use them. The thesis also aimed to study how the use of these tools can contribute to an organisation's learning process. To find out how the use of ICT tools could be organised, an analysis of the current situation must first be made. Mapping the user’s experience of ICT tools have been made to gain understanding of the current situation. A case study has been done, where data from interviews have been gathered. Interviews have been conducted with supervisors and subcontractors working in the production phase. The interviews show that the majority are in favour of working with this type of tool in the production phase. The largest identified driving force among supervisors are the time that can be saved on administrative work. Subcontractors considered that the greatest opportunity of this approach is to get access to statistics, which can create a learning process in their organisation. A recommendation for how a residential developer can organise and work with ICT tools have also been developed. It is based on the respondents' opinions and the studied literature. The recommendations include that users need to be well informed about the purpose of the tool. Users also need to be well trained in how the tool should be used, in order for the purpose to be fulfilled. Finally, drivers need to be identified and communicated in order to motivate users.