IT-Barometer 2000 - The Use of IT in the Nordic Construction Industry

SUMMARY: The IT Barometer 2000 was carried out in the autumn 2000 in Sweden, and in the spring 2001 in Denmark and Finland, as a follow up to the first survey, the IT Barometer 1998. This paper presents the most significant results from the Swedish survey and a few selected results from the comparison between the three countries. The Swedish survey was sent out to a statistically chosen selection from the whole country, divided into architects, engineers, contractors, property owners and manufacturer/trade. The survey produced knowledge about the use of computers, hard- and software, communications, and plans and strategies for the use of IT. 88 % of all employees work at workplaces with computers. The most common types of software are word processors, administration and e-mail. 54 % of employees have their own computer at the workplace. The use of CAD in general has increased and the use of model based CAD software has increased among architects. Property owners are those who use computers most widely in their core business, while contractors do this the least. The documents that are most often sent digitally are minutes of meetings and construction drawings. 83 % of all employees work at workplaces with access to the Internet and 45 % have access to the Internet from their own computer. The use of project webs and electronic trade in the industry has started but it is not widespread. Many companies are still increasing their investments in IT but the speed of increase is slowing down. The industry experiences that IT has increased productivity, mostly in general administration. Consultants experience a higher productivity rise than contractors. The greatest advantages with IT are stated as better financial control and faster access to information, while the greatest obstacles are costs, which are too high for investment and upgrading of systems. The motives and plans for IT investments are concentrated on well-tried techniques in the companies’ support business. The comparison between Sweden, Denmark and Finland shows that Finland and Denmark have a greater use of model based CAD and that more employers have their own computer at the workplace. Companies in Sweden think they get better financial control with IT and also prioritise costing/cost control and accounting systems to a greater extent.