Information Technology and the QS Practice

The paper examines how Quantity Surveying practices can improve their business performance, market share and profit levels by embracing and evolving with the latest technological developments in electronic business practices and data/information analysis and exchange in the construction industry. Firms in the new millenium will need towork smarterto gain competitive advantage and electronic commerce provides probably the greatest scope for this to be achieved. More importantly, current project procurement trends strongly indicate that firms not able to communicating electronically at all levels with project participants will find it increasingly difficult to secure work. The results of three nationwide surveys of the Australian Quantity Surveying profession spanning from 1995 to 1999 are used to identify current business practices and technology utilisation by Quantity Surveying firms and to analyse whether firms are positioning themselves to meet future industryrequirements. The paper concludes with a range of Information Technology strategies aimed at improving business opportunities and performance for Quantity Surveying firms.

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