Emerging clients' needs for Large Scale Engineering projects

Abstract

In recent years the Large Scale Engineering (LSE) construction sector in Europe has seen profound change. This is mainly due to increasing competitive pressures from the United States and the Asian–Pacific countries which has led in turn to increased pressures to improve competitiveness, productivity and client satisfaction. Lack of understanding of client's requirements hinders achieving such goals especially with the increasing trends of executing LSE projects in a ‘virtual enterprise’ environment. Different parties within the construction process need to understand and fulfil client's business and information requirements. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) vendors and developers also need to understand clients requirements of systems and to align their products to them. This paper reports on findings from a study within the eLSEwise project to identify the emerging clients’ business and ICT needs within the LSE construction industry and to identify the changes in clients’ relationships with the supply chain and the gaps in ICT provision.

The eLSEwise initiative

“…Some of the findings from the various workshops and the results of the supplementary studies are reported in other publications ( Hassan et al 1999 ; Male and Mitrovic 1999; Melson and Kronstam 1999; Mitrovic et al . 1999 ; Zantke and Mangels 1999).…”

Measuring the costs and benefits of information technology in construction

“…Electronic exchange of information at the construction stage is rare, paper is undoubtedly the main medium (Building Centre Trust 1999). Similarly, the use of IT as a communication medium between clients and construction organizations remains low (Hassan et al . 1999).…”