On-site Deployment of Mobile Computing Devices

Abstract

Collaboration within project participants can be supported electronically by using web-based project collaboration. Several large contractors in Australia have been implementing web-based project collaboration to improve their construction communication performance. With this implementation, project communication amongst all participants can be improved significantly. However, this paper argues that better project collaboration and communication amongst all participants can be achieved more effectively by equipping construction site personnel with mobile and wireless technologies which enable them to gain access to correct, accurate and up-to-date project information. Accurate information at the right time and at the right place is crucial for a successful completion of the construction project. The objective of this ongoing research is to ex-amine significant benefits of implementing mobile computing devices on-site and the barriers and opportuni-ties that might arise during the construction process. It is envisaged that the outcomes of focus group work-shop and case study will allow the development of a model of team collaboration that relies on enhanced information rich and real-time communication. A systematic and extensive literature search of existing tech-nology in relation to the adoption of mobile computing has been undertaken and the expected findings are provided in the paper.