ICT Adoption in the Iranian Construction Industry: Barriers and Opportunities

In the competitive market of the construction industry, construction firms attempt to implement the projects with the least cost and time, and the highest quality. They try different ways to increase the efficiency of their projects. One of the most important factors which affects the efficiency of construction projects is Information and Communication Technology (ICT) utilization in construction. There are many software and hardware which have been developed to help planning, designing and executing of projects. Iranian construction firms also attempt to utilize ICT in their projects. However, ICT adoption in the construction industry is a complicated process and depends on many factors. The Iranian construction industry has advanced in applying ICT in projects, but there are still barriers and opportunities in this process. This paper clarifies the current problems and opportunities that the Iranian construction industry encounters in the process of ICT adoption. The research has a qualitative approach and focuses on meanings and opinions. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with highly-experienced construction practitioners and software developers associated with the Iranian construction industry. Responses were qualitatively analyzed and a narrative interpretation developed. The results identified that infrastructure, cultural matters, training, regulations, user friendliness, financial issues and the lack of a common standard for ICT adoption among firms are the most important factors which should be considered to transform problems to opportunities.