Information technology planning framework for Japanese general contractors

Abstract

New information technology (IT) developments continue to have a significant impact on the Architectural/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) industry. However, the issue of whether A/E/C organizations are receiving adequate returns from their IT investments remains an important managerial concern. Recently, Pefia-Mora, Vadhavkar, Perkins, and Weber introduced a strategic IT planning framework for construction companies, which is composed of four steps: environmental scan, internal scrutiny, IT diffusion analysis, and IT investment modeling. It analyzes the external and internal IT conditions of a firm, defines the diffusion stage of IT in a firm and finally, evaluates the effects of investments on IT projects. This thesis examines the validity of applying the above-mentioned framework to the Japanese construction industry and in greater detail to Japanese general contractors, using the Kajima Corporation, one of the largest general contractors in Japan, as a case study. The Kajima Corporation is currently developing an IT project called Linkage of Information for a New Construction System (henceforth LINCS). This synthetic information network system connects design with construction work. By using the strategic IT planning framework, I evaluate LINCS in terms of its strategy and the effects of Kajima's investment on this system.