Introduction of the Information and Communication Technologies in the Construction Sector
	http://www.klick-net.de/intec

Final Report : executive summary html version - Pdf version

A. Participants in Project

The INTEC project will be co-ordinated by the Euro Info Centre Trier, the EU Information Office for the state ("Land") of Rhineland-Palatinate, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Craft in the region of Trier. The EIC is partner in the Innovation Relay Centre Luxembourg-Trier-Saarbrücken and additionally co-ordinates, besides other national and European projects, the centre of excellence "KLICK", based on an initiative of the national Ministry of Economics and Technology to raise awareness for, and introduce e-commerce in SMEs. Key tasks of the EIC is to inform and counsel SMEs on matters of European relevance, including transnational partnerships, European legislation, research and development, EU programmes etc. The EIC Trier has got access to a wide range of European and national networks and databases to exchange information on SME related issues.

• The Chamber of Commerce Trier (IHK Trier) as a partner in the project, represents SMEs from the industry in matters dealing with administration, national legislation and education. The IHK Trier is a non-governmental organisation, carrying through tasks in the field of vocational training and foreign trade. Approximately 300 SMEs from the construction sector are member of the chamber of commerce and receive advice in environmental protection, quality management (Eco-Audit), seed capital and other fields of interest for the construction enterprises.
• The Chamber of Craft (HwK Trier) as a non governmental organisation is counselling approximately 6000 SMEs on specific craft-sector related matters. One fifth of the enterprises counselled are construction related SMEs. The HwK Trier received as first chamber in Germany the DIN EN ISO 9001 certification and offers a wide range of activities in favour of SMEs, including vocational training and workshops in the field of information and communication technologies.
• The Baugewerbeverband Rheinhessen Pfalz (BGV) is a transregional association of the construction sector in the region of Rheinhessen-Pfalz. Besides informational services in favour of SMEs from the construction sector the BGV offers particular support in legal matters, free of charge representation of members in legal affairs, business management support, training seminars and other social matters. The BGV is integrated in the federal network of construction associations and has got access to other national and international construction networks and databases.
• The Institut für Telematik (TI) is a research organisation in Trier, administrated by the Fraunhofer-Management-Gesellschaft. The TI is a non profit organisation acting as a solution oriented interface for emerging problems in the field of telecommunication and computer science. Besides basic research in telecommunication and computer sciences the TI is developing software and hardware solutions applied in the industry, businesses, for the medical sector and for administrations. Moreover, the TI conducts training courses in new media, security in the internet and other computer science related topics.
• The Lehrstuhl für Fertigungstechnik und Betriebsorganisation der Universität Kaiserslautern (FBK) is a department of the University of Kaiserslautern operating in the field of production-systems, quality management, computer based logistic systems and computer aided systems for improved teamwork (CSCW and Groupware). Particularly the use of information and communication technologies to support and design the production process and -development is a key element of the FBK activities.

B. Rationale - identified needs and project objectives:

Entering a new millennium, information and communication technologies and electronic commerce (EC) have become very important applications to rationalise and improve work-flow management in enterprises. The use of ICT bares new markets for enterprises and allows a much faster and more flexible response to the needs of customers. Electronic Commerce creates new products and services and allows new structures in sales as well as in purchase.

The construction sector represents, with 10-12% of the European GDP an important corner stone of the European economy. In Europe, about 9 million people are employed in the construction sector. Primarily, activities in the construction sector take place on local level, although a diminutive increase in transnational operations can be observed. Especially SMEs play an important role in the construction sector: about 99% of all European construction businesses employ 71% of the employees, about 92% of all enterprises are micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees. These numbers stress the importance of SMEs for this sector.

High costs for personnel, the internationalisation and globalisation of markets increase the pressure on enterprises from the construction sector to raise vocational standards and the use of technical innovations. Europe-wide, modern management methods (using ICT related management systems, optimising the work- and information-flow in and between enterprises) are successfully being applied. Although, modern ICT technologies for the construction sector already exist, they are still not used to their full extent to rationalise and improve the work-flow of SMEs from the construction sector. Exchange of information between parties involved in construction related activities (between companies involved in a construction process, between company and construction site etc.) are mainly based on the use of hardcopies and personal contacts. These interactions are time consuming, expensive and therefore inefficient.

Improved flow of information by applying an internal (I) and external (II) electronic data system

Basically two independent electronic data systems can be applied in companies within the field of information and communication technologies, the Internet and the Intranet. The Extranet is a platform within the Internet and can be used as a restricted area within the world wide net, accessible only by a restricted number of users. The goal of INTEC is to raise and improve the awareness for the optimised use of the different electronic data systems combined. The web-site and the services within the INTEC-scheme foresee the provision of information, giving assistance, developing appropriate services and offering a networking approach in the construction sector.

With the project INTEC an adequate and effective methodology will be elaborated to support construction related companies in the use of modern ICT. It is the goal of this project to raise in a specific and economically important sector awareness for the use of ICT and promote the information society. The overall aim of INTEC is to help construction related companies Europe-wide to achieve sustainable economic development and strengthen their competitivity by the effective use of ICT. SMEs have to be provided with a tool to improve their access to the globalised markets. Therefore it is necessary to provide all the available information on ICT and applications for the best use of electronic commerce to construction related SMEs to assure an improved flow of information in business to business and business to customer (public/private) communication (see graph).

C. Project content and services

The aim of the project, to raise in construction related companies awareness for the use of ICT and promote the information society, will basically be reached by the following threefold approach:

• Design of a two level training module-

• training modules developed for decision makers from construction related SMEs (direct approach, applied use of ICT in SMEs)
• training modules for intermediaries from non-governmental and SME related organisations (indirect approach, "train the trainer")

• Developing a ICT Guide (including ICT Road Map and Best Practice Map) for further training use and as a guideline/ tool for intermediaries to help SMEs from the construction sector Europe-wide, to introduce ICT (benchmark for efficient use of ICT "BenchBau")
• Construction-related web-site/ Interactive Construction Forum as a discussion platform for SMEs with information about construction issues and links to other relevant web-sites

Theses key elements and products from the project are tools to efficiently apply ICT and facilitate the access of construction related enterprises to the internet. Moreover, a number of "by-products" will result from the INTEC project:

• Market Analysis on the use of ICT in the construction sector
• Methodology for the selection of participants in the training modules
• Ongoing awareness activities about the use of ICT in the construction sector
• Certification of participants in training modules

 

D. European dimension

The European dimension of the INTEC project will be reached by complementing the basic idea of the PROMISE programme to raise awareness for the use of ICT and promote the information society in a specific and economically important sector. The European dimension will be reached through the evolving Epsilon network, adding value to the Promise programme. Furthermore, the dissemination of the project results/ products via existing networks of the project partners (EIC/IRC-, Chamber of Commerce/ Craft, construction association and other networks) will allow other intermediaries to use the developed tools and services. The locally implemented project hereby reaches on European level other construction related SMEs, insufficiently provided with sources of information about the efficient use of ICT and electronic commerce. Moreover, the web-site will contain background information on the project results as well as the products available for down-loading.

E. Linkages to other projects and programmes

Besides the complementary character of INTEC with the miscellaneous Promise projects, other activities of the INTEC partners are supporting the use of ICT in SMEs. The EIC Trier co-ordinates a centre of excellence, informing SMEs from different sectors about ICT solutions and electronic commerce. Activities include the organisation of events on the use of ICT and electronic commerce, visits to companies, direct mailings, press releases and the dissemination of a newsletter to support and promote the use of ICT. The geographical location of Trier and its proximity to Luxembourg, France and Belgium has led to a close collaboration of the chambers of commerce/ craft in Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland with the transnational chambers. Elements of collaboration are various projects to intensify the transnational technology transfer, elaboration of transnational marketing concepts and the set-up of a "virtual centre of excellence for export Saar-Lor-Lux" (VEKTOR). Additionally the EIC Trier is partner in the Innovation Relay Centre Luxembourg-Trier-Saarbrücken, ensuring the transfer of national and transnational research results via the IRC network.

E. Value of INTEC project on local and European level

The threefold approach of the INTEC project, to raise awareness in construction related SMEs directly and indirectly via 1. ICT training for enterprises, 2. for intermediaries and 3. the development of an interactive construction forum, ensures ICT awareness raising on local, regional, national and European level. Locally the construction related companies profit directly from the participation in training seminars. Decision makers from local SMEs are trained on the specific use of ICT in their sector; other SMEs from the construction sector will be reached via informal exchange of information about the use of ICT amid the participating SMEs and other, not participating SMEs from the construction sector ("snow-ball-effect" on local level). The European level will be reached by the dissemination of effective tools to introduce ICT in SMEs via international networks and the interactive construction forum. Since the ICT guide will be published in English a wide European availability will be ensured.

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