Construction Opportunities for Mobile IT (COMIT)
Started as a two-year research and development project (from August 03- December 05) partially funded by the DTI. The project brings together representatives from construction, technology, research and dissemination organisations to form the COMIT Community. In September 05, a self funded organisation was established.
Aim and Objectives
COMIT’s aim is to help its members to realise benefits from the use of mobile information and communicate technologies (ICT). More specifically COMIT aims to:
- Take proven technologies and apply them within the construction environment, providing the support required to achieve innovation and the commercial exploitation of new and emerging ideas.
- Build upon the prior success of COMIT to become the European centre of Excellence for the exploration, development and implementation of emerging ICT within the construction industry.
Mission Statement
“To become the European centre of Excellence for the exploration, development and implementation of emerging ICT within the construction industry”.
Key Activities (including outputs produced to date)
COMIT core business is projects. This includes:
- Demonstration projects: the implementation in a construction environment of an emerging technology solution. Four projects were selected by the COMIT Community from a list of 30. They looked at the key process areas of maintenance inspections, monitoring progress, site design and problem resolution as well as monitoring health and safety
- Dissemination activities: to promote COMIT to a wider audience than just the COMIT community, such as conference, exhibition or breakfast briefing.
- Briefing sheets: short document in COMIT format providing details of a topic of interest to the COMIT Community either private or public according to the steering group.
- Case studies: 10-page document detailing the emerging technology’s application in COMIT format. Eight case studies have been completed in the first two years. They looked at a number of technologies such as Tablet PC’s, Wireless LAN’s, PDA’s, Digital Pens and Paper and RFID tags.
- Project proposals: to be submitted to the COMIT secretariat for review by the steering group in a standard one page format downloadable from the COMIT extranet. It sets out the business case, the resources required and the deliverables and milestones. When accepted, it will be presented as a project to the COMIT community.
Programme of work for 07/08
- The COMIT Community in its new industry-owned form is looking to build upon the work done in the first two years and continue reporting on projects and case studies.
- Some new projects include RFID in Construction and Intelligent Tools, rapid site set-up, location and mapping of buried underground services, on-site accounting of personnel and continued projects involving quality inspections at Heathrow Terminal 5.
- Continue to share the experience and knowledge with the wider world through conferences, exhibitions, press events, university lectures and through its website. The website includes all of COMIT work including lessons learned area highlighting good practice in the implementation of mobile technology.
The Business Model
- The Business model including membership: members of COMIT represent the ‘COMIT Community’. The COMIT community meet three- four times a year. These meetings (called Community Days) act as platforms to raise awareness of new technologies, to share experiences and build a climate for knowledge exchange and an opportunity to network with like minded others. COMIT is managed by a steering group with representatives from all the stakeholders. Like the Community, the steering group meets at least three times per year. BSRIA acts as secretariat for the steering group.
- Funding Mechanisms: annual membership is paid by all COMIT members (which are 40). They are four types of stakeholders (Construction, Technology, R&D and Dissemination) plus partners.
Principal Contact(s)
Neill Pawsey
Programme Manager - Construction Opportunities for Mobile IT
Blue Pales, Cross End, Pebmarsh, Essex, CO9 2NU
Tel: +44 (0) 1787 269084
Email: neill.pawsey@comitproject.org.uk
