Construct IT For Business
Construct IT For Business is an industry-led non-profit making collaborative membership-based network, comprising leading edge organisations representative of the construction industry supply chain in addition to professional institutes and R&D/academic institutions.
Aim and Objectives
Aim is to improve industry performance through the innovative application of IT and act as a catalyst for academic and industrial collaborations.
Mission Statement
“To be an effective enabling and co-ordinating force (agent) in the application of IT within the construction process as a contribution to innovation and development of best practice”.
Key Activities (including outputs produced to date)
- Providing an innovation network: an integral part of Construct IT’s strategy is the networking element. Construct IT holds two Members’ meeting events per annum. These two-day residential events involve workshops, demonstrations and presentations by speakers from industry (including out-of-sector industries) and academia. These gatherings provide a platform for members to interact with their peers and exchange viewpoints. Furthermore, the meetings are used for the dissemination of information to members and to gain valuable feedback.
- Communication and dissemination: continually informing the industry of developments in leading-edge thinking and developments in IT.
- Promoting research: highlighting the need for research in areas currently not being covered and working with members to formulate bids for funding for research projects.
- Managed projects: the setting up of task forces made up of members, with assistance from the Construct IT management team on projects suggested by the membership to help promote change and develop better understanding.
- Positive support/help to members: the publication of a series of “How To…” guides, self help documents/tools similar to A Health Check of the Strategic Exploitation of IT, IT Self Assessment Tool, etc.
- Benchmarking best practice: a series of benchmarking studies into the use of IT in support of the construction process to establish best practice.
- Value and benefit study: a study of current IT development and the benefits that have accrued from their implementation.
- Collaboration and brokering: cooperation and partnerships between industry and academia.
- International links: setting up links and working with similar international organisations.
- Whole-life education: assisting in the whole-life education needs of the employees of the construction industry are met to enable skills to match technologies through the post-graduate MSc. IT Management in Construction programme run in association with the University of Salford.
Programme of work for 07/08
- DTI conference: a 3 day conference is to be organised in March 2008 in London. The conference proceedings will be published in a document management CD.
- Series of collective meetings, workshops and other events: these series of events will encompass as many organisations as possible in order to establish the proposed Construction IT Consortium, develop its structure, terms of reference and the way forward.
- Research Projects: includes ERDF, CoSpaces, Rethinking IT, manubuild projects.
The Business Model
- Business operational model: Construct IT For Business has a core group based at Salford University which reports to the board representatives quarterly. The organisation has a group of stakeholders including academia, professional institutes and other network bodies. Construct IT For Business communicates with these stakeholders through a variety of activities such as members’ meetings, special actions and various events.
- Funding mechanisms: membership consists of four distinct groups (Industrial Organisations, Academic and Research Institutes, Institutes and associations and Government Departments). Membership is on an annual basis as well as supplementary funding from the EU and the UK government bodies such as the DTI.
Principal Contact(s)
Director: Professor Farzad Khosrowshahi
Email: f.khosrowshahi@salford.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)161 295 6297
Manager: Dr. Jason Underwood
Email: j.underwood@salford.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)161 295 6290
Construct IT for Business
University of Salford
Maxwell Building
The Crescent
Salford
M5 4WT
