Cultural change is one of the main reasons the UK construction industry is hesitant about embracing new technologies, a new report has revealed.

The report from independent technology service provider, Zen Internet surveyed over 100 IT decision makers across the construction industry.

51% of those who took part recognised cultural change as one of the biggest challenges to implementing a digital transformation project, while 62% cited the importance of communicating the value of digital transformation to key stakeholders and investors. The majority of companies (89%) also claimed to have already completed a digital transformation project note that cultural changes are needed from within to make it a success.

According to Tech Nation's 2018 report, technology is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, and yet the construction industry has been slow to implement digitalisation strategies that could bring increased efficiency and collaboration as well as reduced costs.

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Despite this, Zen found over half (55%) of large construction firms, and almost a third (28%) of smaller organisations are already using artificial intelligence (AI). The industry is looking at what technologies could help them in the future, with virtual reality (28%), cloud computing (24%), software defined networking (20%), blockchain (19%) and Internet of Things (17%) all seen as key to future development by those in larger organisations.

James Albiges, General Manager – Network and Communications, Zen, commented: "Initiatives such as training and upskilling will help tackle cultural change from within a business. This coupled with clear objectives and a formulated strategy will go a long way in making your digital transformation project a success."

He continued: "It's fair to say that the construction sector has traditionally been slow to adopt change, but things have clearly moved forward in recent years, with digital transformation now a key consideration for the sector.

"But it is important to note that a digital transformation is not just a means to an end. It's an ever-evolving process to deliver profound change, fundamentally altering much of the world around us. It is important for construction organisations of all shapes and sizes to understand what digital transformation is, and how a business can benefit from it. There's no one size fits all approach and there are different solutions for different business needs. With the amount of technologies and number of vendors to choose from, knowing where to start can be a real challenge. That's why it can help to find a provider that will put your organisation's success top of the agenda and one that has the right expertise and experience in delivering successful digital transformation projects within the construction industry."

(CM/MH)