Digitalization and Industrialization: Exploration of the Current and Future Challenges in the Swedish Built Environment Sector
2019 (English)In: Proceedings 35th Annual ARCOM Conference / [ed] C. Gorse; C. J. Neilson, Association of Researchers in Construction Management , 2019, p. 386-395Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Digitalization and industrialization are central topics in the Swedish government agenda and digitalization and industrialization of the built environment sector, as the largest single sector in Sweden, are with reason seen as crucial goals. In the Swedish strategic innovation programme Smart Built Environment (SBE), digitalization and industrialization are addressed and explored as a means to reduce environmental impact, planning and construction time, total construction costs, and to enable for new business logic in the built environment sector. One of the projects within SBE aims to measure effects and consequences of digitalization and industrialization to support the long-term assessment of the progress towards the programme goals. In this paper is presented the main findings from the first measurement, addressing a sample of SBE partners and their focus on digitalization and industrialization and what they perceive as the main challenges to reach the expected effects of changes and investments made in these areas during the period January 2016 - December 2017. Data presented in this paper was collected through dialogues, interviews and a questionnaire addressing SBE partners from companies, public organizations and agencies. Findings propose that much focus has been on digitalizing the information flow within and between organizations, yet many respondents state they now struggle with getting the organization and working methods “in place” to also benefit from the (mainly technical) investments made. Many respondents also express having implemented or at least initiated the implementation of applications in digitalization that are new to the Swedish built environment sector. Yet, there seem to be significant differences between what levels of digitalization different actors currently find themselves at, as well as what they are aiming for, which has implications for the efficiency of the information flow. Moreover, what is understood to contribute to further digitalization and a more unbroken information flow is described differently within as well as between organizations.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association of Researchers in Construction Management , 2019. p. 386-395
Keywords [en]
digitalization, industrialization, information flow, BIM, change
National Category
Building Technologies Business Administration
Research subject
Construction Management and Building Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-86154Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85077121702OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-86154DiVA, id: diva2:1575537
Conference
35th Annual ARCOM Conference, Leeds, UK, September 2-4, 2019
Note
ISBN för värdpublikation: 9780995546349;
Finansiär: Smart Built Environment
2021-06-302021-06-302021-06-30Bibliographically approved