Evaluation of Information Management Systems applicable to Construction Operations in Nigeria

The construction industry in Nigeria is still lagging behind in using information management systems to carry out construction operations; especially with advanced information management systems known as construction 4.0 technologies. This lack of technological adoption increases cost and scheduling overruns, quality concerns, safety incidents, and generally inadequate stakeholder coordination and communication in construction operations. Hence this study evaluates the application of information management systems in construction operations in Nigeria with focus in South Eastern Nigeria. The study explored perception on the performance of construction projects in the region and the level of utilization of IMS in construction operations. Also the study in the literature unveil relevant construction 4.0 IMS such as cyber physical system (CPS), digital twin (DT) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems that can be applicable in construction operations.Using a quantitative survey methodology, the study collected data from 329 construction professionals from among 1,203 professionals in South Eastern Nigeria who are architects, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, mechanical and electrical engineers, construction managers, and project managers—by means of a questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software program, which also produced pertinent measures of dispersion and inferential statistical tests was conducted. The study results reveals that the most popular application of IMS in construction industry in Nigeria areproject management software (cost management software (Master Bills, WinQS, Excell Spreadsheet), design tools (AutoCAD and Build Soft), and planning tools (MS Projects and Primavera); Document management systems (MS Word, and MS PowerPoint etc); communication systems (emails etc);Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. It further shows thatthe application of IMS in Nigeria construction operations though growing is still at the nascent stage. The study recommends that the construction regulatory body in Nigeria must establish standardization and coordination policy on the use of IMS technologies in construction operations. This will solve software and technology interoperatibility challenges that professionals faced when handling projects.