Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Automation in Construction
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon

Review

Survey of digital technologies in procurement of construction projects

Eziyi O. Ibem , Samuel Laryea
School of Construction Economics and Management University of the Witwatersrand, I Jan Smuts Avenue, P.O. Box 20, Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 18 November 2013
Received in revised form 3 June 2014
Accepted 10 July 2014
Available online 26 July 2014
Keywords:
Construction procurement
Digital technologies
Information and communication technology
ISO 10845
Literature survey

a b s t r a c t
Digital technologies are increasingly being used to support the execution of all aspects of the construction procurement process. However, there has been no systematic attempt to identify and catalogue the different digital
technologies and tools available for executing construction procurement activities so as to guide those involved
in procurement on the options available to support the six basic procurement activities identied in ISO 10845.
The method used to identify 36 different digital technologies and tools used in construction procurement was a
literature survey involving systematic identication and review of 78 articles published in 52 different sources
between 1993 and 2014. The 36 digital technologies and tools identied include ten generic tools used across
the procurement process. This is followed by four applications for establishing what is to be procured; four for
soliciting tender offers; one for establishment of procurement strategy; two for tender evaluation, two for
award of contract and thirteen for contract administration. The research shows that the majority of existing digital technologies are web-based applications that facilitate real-time communication and collaboration across
construction supply chains. The effort made to map digital technologies with the ISO 10845 framework presents
a useful contribution to current discourse on digital technology use in construction procurement. It seems interesting that despite the progress made in the evolution and use of digital technologies in construction, there is still
no single digital technology which integrates all six construction procurement activities into a system that
procurers can adopt to manage the entire construction procurement lifecycle. This should be addressed.
2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Research design and methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Construction procurement activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What are digital technologies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intersection of digital technologies and construction procurement . . . . . . .
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.1.
Digital technologies available for construction procurement activities . .
6.2.
Evolution of digital technologies for construction procurement activities
7.
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.
Conclusion and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Introduction
The use of digital technologies (DTs) as electronic tools for conducting
business transactions, including production and marketing of products as
well as procurement of goods and services, has grown signicantly in different industrial sectors in the past ve decades (see e.g. [13].) Despite
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: Eziyi.Ibem@wits.ac.za (E.O. Ibem), Samuel.Laryea@wits.ac.za
(S. Laryea).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2014.07.003
0926-5805/ 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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11
12
13
14
14
15
15
17
17
20
20
20

the common notion that the construction sector tends to be relatively

slow in adopting DTs, when compared with other industries such as
manufacturing; nance; and transportation, evidence in the literature
shows an increasing use of DTs in the procurement of construction projects internationally. The following empirical studies amplify this point:
Analysis of the use of e-Procurement in the public and private sectors
of the UK construction industry Eadie et al. [4]
Building Information Modeling (BIM) application in Malaysian
construction industry Latif et al. [5]

12

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

A survey of 120 construction rms on e-Procurement value for

construction companies in Malaysia by Hashim et al. [6]
Use of information and communication technologies by 227 small and
medium-sized enterprises in building construction in Turkey by Acar
et al. [7] and
Adoption patterns of advanced information technologies in 152 U.S.
and 13 Korean construction rms by Williams et al. [8].
Digital technologies (DTs) generally refer to information and communication technologies (ICTs) that enable the production, storage
and handling of information, and facilitate different forms of communication between human beings and electronic systems and among
electronic systems in digital, binary computer language as dened by
Hamelink [9] in a study on new ICTs, social development and cultural
change. For the purpose of this study, DTs encompass stand-alone, integrated and web-based technologies and tools used in capturing, storing,
processing, displaying and communicating data and information in the
course of executing the different stages and functions of construction
procurement activities.
The benets of using DTs in construction are generally considered to
be enormous. In fact, Hashim et al. [6] identied the benets of using
electronic tools in the procurement of construction projects to include
among others increase in process quality, cost savings, user satisfaction,
increased responsiveness and productivity, market expansion and effectiveness in project delivery. These may explain why the use of DTs and
tools in the execution of construction procurement activities is increasing internationally as shown in empirical studies including the surveys
of 127 respondents on the current state of e-commerce technologies'
applications in the construction supply chain in Sydney Australia by
Zou and Seo [10]; 70 executives in 25 construction rms on the impact
of using an e-marketplace in construction supply process in Chile by
Alarcon et al. [11]; 368 respondents on the impact of electronic procurement technologies on procurement practice in the U.S. by Quesada et al.
[12]; and a survey of 66 architects, contractors, engineers and quantity
surveyors on the state of e-Tendering in Nigeria by Oyediran and
Akintola [13].
The published literature reveals that since the introduction of
electronic data interchange (EDI) technology in the late 1960s for
procurement related activities and subsequent adoption of computers
in business transactions in the 80s; there has been phenomenal growth
in the use of different kinds of DTs in the business of construction. The
studies reviewed also show that DTs are produced and supplied by
different vendors for different markets; and their descriptions combine
technical and application domain specic terms that users may not be
very familiar with. Consequently, intending users nd it difcult to understand the differences and similarities between the various packages
and their specic applications in the procurement of construction
projects. This obviously suggests that the existing literature on DTs
available for procurement activities is highly fragmented and that
there has yet been no attempt to identify, classify and systematically
document the available systems, packages, tools and/or applications in
the market.
In the face of an increasing number of DTs and tools in construction,
there is a need for a comprehensive overview of digital technologies and
tools used in the procurement of construction projects for academic and
practical purposes. This will provide a useful point of reference to assist
practitioners in selecting the most suitable package(s) to support the
execution of procurement activities. A better understanding is needed
of the different DTs and tools reported in the literature and their specic
applications in the procurement of construction projects. Therefore, the
research aim was to systematically identify, classify and catalogue the
different DTs and tools available to support the construction procurement process. The International Standard on Construction Procurement
ISO 10845 [14] was adopted as the framework for breaking down construction procurement into six basic activities. The DTs identied were
then mapped and cross-referenced to ISO 10845 to create a logical

approach for establishing an intersection between procurement and

digital technologies.
The achievement of the research aim was guided by the following
research questions:
What are the different digital technologies and tools available to
support the execution of activities involved in the construction
procurement process?
How do digital technologies and tools published in the literature
relate to the six basic procurement activities outlined in ISO 10845?
How has digital technology used in construction procurement evolved
over the years?
A comprehensive approach was needed to address these questions.
In the rst instance, this comprised of a detailed literature survey
conducted with the help of Scopus, followed by a systematic mapping
exercise of the ndings to the ISO 10845 framework. The remaining
part of this paper has been structured to provide understanding on
the research design and methods; current knowledge of construction
procurement; DTs and their uses in construction procurement activities; intersection of DTs and construction procurement; and how DTs
used in construction have evolved over the years. The paper ends with
a discussion of study ndings and some concluding remarks.
2. Research design and methods
This paper is part of a broader study designed to investigate the use
of electronic procurement in the South African construction industry.
The choice of research approach was informed by the need to address
the research questions from evidence-based literature. This was important because in their paper on integrative review, Whittemore and Gray
[15] made it clear that the need for research reviews to combine the
advantage of evidence from multiple studies regarding a specic issue
to inform practice. It is perhaps the unique advantage of using research
reviews to bring together evidenced-based knowledge and practice on
specic subject that led several authors, including [1619] to adopt a
similar approach in their studies.
The data presented in this paper is substantially secondary data obtained through a survey of the existing evidence-based literature on the
research subject. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed articles and
conference papers were conducted between July 2013 and March 2014
using Scopus online database as the main source of literature. The
choice of Scopus was based on its advantages in covering a wider
range of journals, and special features in keyword searching and citation
analysis as explained by Falagas et al. [20] in a comparative study of the
strengths and weaknesses of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and
Google Scholar. Our search algorithms combined text words such as:
construction procurement, digital technologies in construction projects;
e-commerce technologies in construction; e-procurement technologies;
and information technologies in construction procurement, published all
year to present. Similar approach was adopted by Vaha et al. [21] in
their paper on extending automation of building construction-survey
on potential sensor technologies and robotic applications; and Ibrahim
[19] in a review of evidence in the use of digital collaboration technologies in a major building and infrastructure projects.
Both journal articles and conference papers were included in the
searches as academics and practitioners depend on journals and conference proceedings in the dissemination of research ndings and acquiring information on recent and emerging developments in their
different areas of interest. Also, the choice of the search criteria was
informed by the need to capture relevant and current international
research literature on the subject.
The searches returned a total of 999 items comprising 555 journal
articles, 428 conference papers and 16 lecture notes. As would be
expected, a number of items appeared in the search results of digital
technologies in construction projects and e-procurement technologies.
In selecting the articles that were reviewed, three criteria were adopted.

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

The initial selection was based on the titles of the articles and conference
papers. This was done to eliminate articles that are not directly related to
the subject matter under focus. The selection criterion was based on the
review of abstracts of the articles. This was to ensure that only the most
relevant articles were reviewed. The third was based on the citations of
the articles as priority was given to articles that have been previously
cited in other articles. However, to ensure that majority of the articles
and conference papers reviewed were not dated; recently published articles were also selected. In addition, the references of selected articles were
also reviewed to identify other relevant peer-reviewed articles that may
not have been captured in Scopus database. A total of 78 published
works were reviewed as shown in the references section.
A majority of articles reviewed are case studies and surveys and the
basic unit of data analysis was the individual articles. Since the data are
mainly qualitative in nature, content analysis was the primary method
of data analysis. This involved identifying the individual technologies
and tools and their specic applications in construction activities as
captured in the articles. The technologies and tools identied were
classied according to their applications in supporting the execution
of construction project activities.
3. Construction procurement activities
In view of the vast amount of literature on DTs used in construction
project activities, it was important to identify the aspects of construction
activities our survey is focused on. The ISO 10845 framework was
adopted because this is the only international standard on construction
procurement which fortunately outlines six specic construction procurement activities. There was also a need to establish an operational
denition and generic roadmap of construction procurement. This was
done by examining some of the seminal works published by researchers
and practitioners.
Although there are different denitions of construction procurement, most are closely related in terms of meaning. For instance, in a
paper on knowledge-based design of project-procurement, Moshini
[22] described construction procurement as a process involving a sequence of decisions and/or actions that a client engages in as soon as
the need to acquire a new facility arises. In a survey of 22 professionals
on the methodology to evaluate and improve procurement process in
construction projects in Chile, Alarcon et al. [23] dened construction
procurement as the process used to supply equipment, materials and
other resources required to carry out a project. From the architectural
perspective, Charvat [24] in the Architect's Handbook of Professional
Practice noted that construction procurement is the process through
which the client brings together the team and resources needed to
translate project plans into physical reality. The International Standard
Organization's document on construction procurement [14] also dened construction procurement as a process which creates, manages
and fulls contracts relating to the provision of goods, services and
engineering and construction works or disposal, or any combination
thereof. Construction procurement has also been described in the
Scottish Government Construction Procurement Manual [25] as the
purchase of construction-related services with the ultimate aim of creating a new building or structure, including all associated site works;
and or alteration, refurbishment, maintenance, extension or demolition
of an existing building or structure.
From these denitions, there appears to be a consensus among researchers and practitioners that construction procurement is a process
involving a series of activities and steps through which clients acquire
specied goods and services related to engineering and construction
works within a given period of time, cost and agreed terms. On what
constitutes construction procurement activities, this may be described
as the strategic activities performed by those engaged in the construction procurement process from start to nish. A number of authors
have put forward a generic roadmap to construction procurement by
identifying the activities and tasks that are typically carried out in the

13

process. The studies summarized in Table 1 present seven perspectives

on activities constituting the construction procurement process.
Despite the similarity in the list of procurement activities presented
by different authors, a conceptual paper on a generic approach to
procurement processes, methods and procedure, by Watermeyer [29]
made it clear that not all the steps will necessarily be required in a particular procurement assignment. He further explained that a typical
process of procuring construction project starts once the need for procurement is identied and ends when the need has been met. Table 1
also indicates that the different procurement activities can be regrouped into six main construction procurement activities as presented
in Watermeyer [29], Vitkauskaite and Gatautis [14,30]. This six-activity
procurement roadmap rstly, helps to explain that construction
procurement process begins with the establishment of what is to be
procured and ends with administrating contracts to ensure that they
comply with requirements. Secondly, it shows that construction
procurement basically involves securing professional and nonprofessional services, construction materials and equipment as Grilo
and Jardim-Goncalves [31] also explained in a conceptual paper on
BIM-based perspective to electronic procurement in the architectural,
engineering and construction industry. Simply put, construction procurement activities encompass all the stages and functions involved in
creating, managing and delivering construction projects.
Regardless of the steps or activities involved in the procurement of
construction projects, there are basic principles that should underpin
the process. These include fairness, equity, transparency, competitiveness, and cost effectiveness as explained in ISO 10845 [14]. These principles are essential in ensuring that construction procurement delivers
Table 1
Elements of construction procurement activities as identied in the literature.
Authors

Elements of construction procurement

Moshini [22]

Client's decision about the acquisition

strategy for a facility e.g. building
Determination of the most appropriate way
to organize the procurement process
Organization of the project team
Construction production process
Appointment of a project manager
Design development process
Selection of multi-disciplinary project team
Developing the design
Construction production process
Design
Preparation of construction documents
Construction contract administration
Establishment of client's objectives
Selection and appointment of designer
Preparation of outline design and cost
estimates
Selection of constructor
Start construction
Need identication
Specication of requirement
Tender process and award of contract
Management of contract
Termination of contract
Establishment of what is to be procured
Deciding on procurement strategies
Soliciting for tender offers
Evaluating tender offers
Awarding of contracts; and
Administrating contracts to ensure that they
comply with requirements
Setting up of the project
Dening the project
Assemblage of team
Design of project
Tendering
Construction;
Post project evaluation and post occupancy
evaluation

Love, Gunasekaran and Li [26]

Charvat [24]

Brown, Ashleigh, Riley and Shaw

[27]

European Union directive on

procurement [28]

Watermeyer [29]
Vitkauskaite and Gatautis [30]
ISO 10845 [14]

Scottish Government
Construction Procurement
Manual [25]

14

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

value for money as explained in a conceptual paper by Watermeyer [32]

on procurement strategy.
4. What are digital technologies?
Having established an operational denition of construction
procurement and its component activities in the preceding section; it
was also important that we delineate what we refer to as DTs in this
study. In doing this, attempt was made at reviewing the evolution of
DTs, identifying their unique characteristics and the different classications currently available in the market.
From the account by Hamelink [9] we understand that there are four
phases in the evolution of DTs. The rst phase was the pre-1838 era
when the rst telegraphic transmission was invented by Samuel
Morse, and information transmission was done manually. This was
followed by the invention of electricity, electro-mechanical power,
which led to the development of communication gadgets like telegraph,
telephone, radio and television. The third phase was the integration of
telecommunication and computer technologies in the 1950s, which
were separately used and information was handled in analogue mode
before the 1950s. The last phase featured the replacement of the analogue mode of information transmission with the digital system. This
began in the 1960s with the development of digital switches and transmission facilities and rapidly grew in the 1980s when digital products
like compact discs (CDs) were introduced into the market.
It is evident from the foregoing that the incubation period of ICTs
was over 100 years, while their digitization, that is the process through
which sound, text, voice or image is converted into digital and binary
computer language [33] took another 20 years or so to accomplish. In
an editorial on emerging technologies for BIM 2.0, Underwood and
Isikdag [34] described the digitization of ICTs as information/digital revolution that has given rise to systems and applications such as the internet, mobile/smart/android devices, social networking, virtualisation,
cloud computing technologies, sensor networks and few others.
Notably, the digitization of ICTs enhances the capacity of communication channels, quality of information and data transmission and economic efciency in storage, retrieval and processing of information as
Hamelink [9] explained. This suggests that the capabilities of DTs to
bring together electronics, telecommunication and data-processing
technologies and handle different kinds of data (e.g. text, sound, or picture) simultaneously have contributed in providing users with information appliances, communication systems and networks that have
problem-solving capabilities. Therefore, the three basic features of digital technologies: convergence and multi-functionality; intelligence and
ubiquity are no doubt very important attributes responsible for making
DTs indispensable tools where good data management, efcient
integration of activities and functions, effective communication, collaboration and coordination of work process are required.
Broadly speaking, DTs and tools have different architecture and include such tangible things like computers and computer accessories,
communication gadgets; and intangible things such as software packages, communication networks and the internet. DTs are also designed
to support the execution of a wide range of business transactions and
human activities, including construction work. Hence, in terms of their
applications, DTs can be classied into six main groups. These include
those used in capturing, storing, processing, communicating and
displaying data and information as well as those used for integration,
collaboration and coordination of work process with capabilities to
support processing, communication and integration functions as
shown in Table 2.
5. Intersection of digital technologies and construction procurement
Despite the abundance of publications on digital technologies in
construction, the evolution and intersection of digital technology use
and procurement are not clearly articulated in the literature. In a

Table 2
Classication of digital technologies based on their functions.
Types of digital
technologies

Examples

Capturing technologies

Keyboards, mice, trackball, touch screens, voice

recognition systems, bar code readers, image scanners,
palm-size camcorders
Magnetic tapes, oppy discs, hard discs, RAM discs,
optical discs (CD-ROMs), erasable discs, smart cards
Software applications e.g. Microsoft Word, CAD
systems
Digital broad casting, integrated services digital
networks, digital cellular networks, local area
networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs e.g
Internet), electronic bulletin boards, modems,
transmission media (e.g bre optics), cellular phones,
fax machines, digital transmission technologies for
mobile space communications (e.g. Wi-Fi)
Screens for computers and digital television sets,
set-up boxes for video-on-demand, printers, digital
video disc, voice synthesizers, virtual reality helmets
Web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP);
Web-enabled project management software applications, Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Storage technologies
Processing technologies
Communication
technologies

Display technologies

Integration and
collaborative
technologies

study on the impact of emerging information technology on project

management for construction, Froese [35] identied three phases in
the uptake of DTs in the construction procurement activities. Froese
[35] also explained that the rst phase of uptake of DTs in construction
was the use of stand-alone tools such as CAD system to support tasks
like architectural design, structural analysis and cost estimating. This
began in the 1970s as Vaid [36] explained in a survey of computer
aided design software users in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Next was the adoption of computer supported communication technologies and tools such
as e-mail, the web and document management system which began in
the 1990s. The last phase began in 2000 with the development and
adoption of integration and collaboration technologies, including BIM,
cloud computing and web-enabled project management applications.
The above suggests that there has been a paradigm shift in the use of
DTs, from enabling model-based information to integrated data management system. For instance, in a study on the introduction of extranet
into the public-private partnership project to construct a new motorway in Europe, Whyte and Lobo [37] found out that they were multiple
kinds of DTs used by the different stakeholders in engineering and
design works to promote interactions, knowledge sharing and coordination practices. Similarly, in a recent review of evidence in the use of
digital collaboration technologies in major building and infrastructure
construction projects, Ibrahim [19] revealed that there is a gamut of integrative DTs currently used in supporting the procurement of construction projects. As he puts it; these technologies are known to assist in
knowledge creation and understanding in different scientic, professional, organisational and social contexts (pp. 44). This suggest that in
addition to the availability of labour, materials, equipment and nance,
DTs are essential non-human resource engaged in conceiving, managing
and delivering construction projects in contemporary times.
The reasons for the increasing uptake of DTs in construction procurement are not farfetched. First, Love et al. [26] describe construction
project delivery process as being naturally fragmented and projectbased. Second, in their study on on-site construction management
using mobile computing technology, Kim et al. [38] noted that participants in construction process are faced with difculties in collecting
and sharing vital project information and data real-time due to locational differences and sources of materials, labour and equipment. Third,
construction project delivery process has also been described as involving several activities ranging from design, construction, production, material supply, management to organization, and characterised by
intensive generation and exchange of different kinds of information
among diversied groups of participants as explained by Nawari [39]

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

in a study of BIM standard in off-site construction. Indeed, there is a

consensus in the literature that these features contribute to delays in
project delivery and low productivity in the construction sector as
explained in the following studies:
Evaluation and improvement of the procurement process in construction projects by Alarcon et al. [23]
Construction craft workers' perceptions of the factors affecting their
productivity [40]
Electronic procurement benchmarking exercise in the AEC industry
by Chen et al. [41]
Construction project procurement routes: an in-depth critique by
Oyegoke et al. [42]
Against this background, Becerik [43] in a review of past, present and
future of web-based project management and collaboration tools and
their adoption by the US AEC industry made it clear that successful
delivery of construction projects requires constant and unimpeded
communication, collaboration and exchange of accurate project data
and information among the different multidisciplinary stakeholders.
These ingredients are unfortunately lacking in the paper-based construction procurement methods. This is probably because the technologies and tools used in executing paper-based procurement activities
lack adequate capabilities in capturing, storing, processing and transmitting the large volume of heterogeneous project data and information
generated in modern day construction procurement activities. In
another development, O' Brein et al. [44] noted that nowadays, clients
are getting clever in requesting for value for money, higher quality
products and services, shorter construction cycle time and access to
up-to-date information at every stage of the construction procurement
lifecycle. Therefore, in a bid to address the challenges associated with
paper-based method of executing construction procurement by
improving integration, collaboration, knowledge management, site
management and work process, several studies reviewed here including
[38,45] have shown that there is increasing use of DTs in construction
projects delivery process.
It can be inferred from the foregoing that the adoption of DTs in
construction projects is basically to enhance the levels of interactions,
collaborations and information exchange among project participants
leading to standard coordination of activities and functions, which are
essential for improving productivity and efciency in construction
procurement process and ensuring value for money. Therefore, despite
the challenges associated with the use of DTs in the procurement of construction projects as reported in several studies; the emerging consensus among authors, including Kim et al. [38] and Quesada et al. [12]
suggests that the use of DTs in the procurement of construction projects
is indeed a step in the right direction in the quest to meet the
expectations of clients in the 21st century and beyond.
6. Results
Here we present ndings of the survey of DTs available for construction procurement activities; and how the technologies and tools have
evolved over the years.
6.1. Digital technologies available for construction procurement activities
The focus here is on different DTs and tools available to support execution of the six basic construction procurement activities in ISO 10845 [14].
Table 3 shows a list of the different DTs and tools available for supporting
the execution of each of the six basic construction procurement activities,
their descriptions and numbers as identied in the survey.
From the second column of Table 3, it is evident that in addition to
following generic technologies and tools:
E-mail, and word processing software applications (e.g. Microsoft
Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint); computers (desktop, lap-tops,

15

tablets); servers, storage devices, telephone, fax and online payment

platforms for goods and services used in routine ofce activities
Web-enabled project management software application packages
(e.g. Primavera systems, Meridian project systems; Microsoft Project
collaboration etc.); and
Network technologies, including Local Area Network (LAN), Wide
Area Network (WAN), Intranet and Extranet,
which according to Wong [46], in case studies of intranets and
extranets in UK construction enterprises are important in the exchange
of project information and data among the different participants; 26
other DTs and tools were identied to be available to support the execution of the different construction procurement activities. This shows
that in all, there are 36 different DTs and tools currently available for executing the six basic construction procurement activities identied in
ISO 10845 [14].
Of the six basic construction procurement activities investigated, the
survey reveals that the administration of contracts to ensure that they
comply with requirements of contracts has the largest number of technologies with 13 different technologies. This is followed by soliciting for
tender offers and establishment of what is to be procured with four
technologies each (see Table 3). This indicates that there are more technologies and tools for construction procurement activities involving a
wide range of tasks or functions than those involving very few tasks/
functions. Therefore, it can be inferred that there is a relationship between the number of technologies and tools published in the
literature and the tasks involved in each of the six basic construction
procurement activities identied in ISO 10845 [14].
Table 4 shows four different classications of digital technologies
and tools based on their uses in the execution of six construction
procurement activities. This classication is based on the framework
already established in Table 2.
From Table 4 it can be seen that the rst category represents technologies for data acquisition. These include technologies and tools
such as multimedia and project cameras, sensor networks and others;
and are primarily used to capture project data and information mostly
at contract administration stage as El-Omari and Moselhi [47] explained
in their study on integrating automated data acquisition technologies
for progress reporting of construction projects. Such data help in various
ways, namely in site record, inventory management, monitoring the
progress and performance of construction projects. The second are technologies and tools used in data processing and storage. Examples are
tools and devices like computer hardware (desktop computers, laptops,
tablets) and accessories (e.g. word processing software and CAD system). They are used in processing different kinds of construction
project information acquired using data acquisition technologies and
tools and also storing the same for further use.
Communication technologies are the next group of DTs identied
in the survey. As the name implies, they are used to exchange project
data and information among the participants in construction procurement activities. Communication technologies are known to
facilitate sharing of knowledge, information and ideas among those
involved in construction procurement activities at improved speed
without data loss. Most of these technologies involve the use of networking and internet technologies and make communication easier,
faster and cost effective. Examples are the internet, e-mail, wireless
technology and others.
The fourth and last category is the intelligent systems. These are intelligent systems, software packages and applications that help procurers
solve construction procurement problems. They are knowledge-based
or articial intelligent systems used in strategic planning of construction
projects, estimating, and tendering and project management functions.
All intelligent systems depend on the internet to function and have capabilities of serving as communication tools and at the same time enabling
collaborations, integration and coordination of work processes at the
different stages of construction procurement activities [19]. Hence, they

16

Table 3
Digital technologies available for construction procurement.
Construction procurement activities

Digital technologies

Brief description

Establishment of what is to be
procured

Software applications
Computer Aided Design (CAD) based software
applications for architects, engineers and
construction materials quantity takeoff for cost
consultants
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
technology

Web-based applications for the selection and appointment of professional consultants by clients
Used in the production of construction drawings, quantities take-offs and optimize information ow and communication of
design intent. Format for transmission of drawings to contractors and sub-contractors via the Internet

Virtual reality technology

Establishment of procurement
strategy
Soliciting for tenders

Web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Web-based Project Portals
Web.2.0 technology
Cloud computing technology

Evaluation of tenders
Award of contract

Administration of contracts to ensure

that they comply with requirements

Videoconference
Cloud computing technology
Multi media technology
Wireless technology
3D scanner or LADAR (laser distance and
ranging) technology
Radio Frequency Identication (RFID)
technology
Project camera
Bar code technology
Multi media technology

BIM technology
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

e-Marketplaces

Wireless technology e.g. Wi-Fi networks,

WLAN; cameras, long-haul wireless; cellular
modems, satellites communications, page
systems
Internet-Based Geographic information System
(GIS)
Geographic Positioning System (GPS)
Tele, video and desktop conference
Sensor networks

Special information system, which maintains, manages, integrates and analyzes location-related (or spatial) information of
different types and scales. Used in construction material procurement e.g. location of suppliers and construction sites and
analysis of suppliers with best competitive price.
Outdoor satellite-based worldwide radio-navigation system formed by 24 satellites, ground station and user. It used in material
handling at construction site that is receiving and unloading; sorting, storing, recalling and agging, picking-up and loading tasks
Exchange of information between client and bidders before nal award is made.
These are wireless sensor network used in monitoring and collecting data on physical and environmental conditions of
construction sites and transmitting same to central computer network work system

1
4

2
2

13

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

Multi media technology

Advanced CAD technology for is for the production of construction documents; visualization; coordination, analysis and supply
chain integration (e.g. Autodesk Revit, Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Bentley Architecture)
Tekla Structures, Vico Constructor and Autodesk Naviswork
Interactive, real-time 3D computer application that can be used at the early stages of project for client brieng, bringing together
the different participants in different locations in the planning and design processes.
Used in managing construction supply chain. It also helps in Integrating all departmental and functional information ow in
organizations into a single computer system, and thus assists in planning and managing organization's resources
Provide information about organizations, their products and services. Also serve as on-line transactions and exchange of information; medium for the transmission of drawings among project participants among other uses.
Social networking platforms e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blog, YouTube used in exchanging information and communication
Provides access to computing resources and information technology services such as Custom made Internet-based software for
e-Tendering e.g. Software-as-Service (SaaS) on rental basis without any concern to the ownership, management and maintenance of the network's resources, applications and services
Combines multiple audio and visual media and text data with computer as the integrator used in recording of instruction to
bidders.
Used to conduct clarication meetings between client and bidders during tendering process before nal award is made.
Custom made Internet-based software for e-Tendering known as Software-as-Service (SaaS) (e.g. DecisionMax Software).
Combination of multiple audio and visual media (e.g digital cameras) with text data and computer as the integrator used to
capture contract award data.
Internet based applications for capturing and communicating data and information.
Works together with photogrammetry to facilitate rapid tracking of changes of quantities of work done in construction sites such
as excavation works.
Uses radio frequency waves to acquire data. It used in identify, monitoring and tracking contractual, design or project
management document and materials along the supply chain.
Web-based cameras used to capture and transfer live pictures of project sites directly to the computers of project team members
for effective remote monitoring of progress of work.
Automated data acquisition method used to track project cost and schedule information. Improves the speed and accuracy of data
entering into computer systems. Similar to RFID but works on light waves.
Use to track the performance of project progress in terms of time, cost, quality and safety as well as and performance and stored
in different formats e.g. audio, video, text, animation and graphics. Records and documents project history, site visits, provide
digital pictures of material samples and specications.
Used for the optimization of information ow among projects participants, including consultants, contractors, fabricators,
manufacturers, and material suppliers via the Internet
Automated linkage between buyers and suppliers to transmit orders, receipts and payments electronically. Developed mainly for
direct materials purchasing in industrial sectors. EDI involves computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in standard, machine process able format between and among inter-organisational trading partners. Help in exchange of information
and data between contractors and material suppliers of manufacturers
Online market for suppliers and purchasers; e-catalogues play key role by providing information on products and services. Also
provides search engines; On-line inquiry forms for quotations; electronic order f placement and transaction; send purchase
orders; receive e-quotation; notication of the receipt of the purchase order;
Internet-based applications for capturing, communicating and transmitting data from project eld ofces to the internet. Help in
the logistic aspect of construction supply chain management in request for information, material management, jobsite record
keeping and quality control using voice, video and batched data formats.

No. of Technologies

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

Table 4
Classication of digital technologies based on their applications in construction
procurement.
Type of technology

Component technologies/tools

Data acquisition
technologies

Multi media technology

3D scanner or LADAR (laser distance and
ranging) technology
Radio Frequency Identication (RFID)
technology
Bar code technology
Project camera
Internet-Based Geographic information
System (GIS)
Geographic Positioning System (GPS)
Sensor networks
Computers
Servers
Software application packages
Hard discs,
RAM discs
Optical discs
Smart cards
Flash drives
Compact disc
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)
Video conferencing technology
Tele conferencing technology
Wireless Technology (WT)
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
e-Mail
Network technologies
Web.2.0 technology
Telephone
Fax
Web-based project management
application packages
Web-based software for selection of
consultants
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Web-based Project Portals
Cloud computing technology (CCT)
e-Marketplaces
Web-based Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP)
Virtual Reality (VR) technology
Electronic payment platforms

Data processing and

storage
technologies

Communication
technologies

Intelligent systems

Total

Number of
technologies
identied
8

10

36

can be described as communication, collaboration, coordination and

integration (3CI) technologies.

6.2. Evolution of digital technologies for construction procurement activities

In examining the evolution of DTs identied in the survey, 1960 was
adopted as the reference year. This is because it falls within the era
when the digitization of ICTs began as previously highlighted. Table 5
presents a summary of the evolution of DTs and tools used in supporting
the execution of construction procurement activities as identied in the
survey.
From data in Table 5 it is evident that DTs for executing construction
procurement activities have generally evolved from stand-alone technologies and tools such as fax, mainframe computers, word processing software packages (WPSPs) and CAD systems for performing procurement
tasks in the 1960s and 70s to computer supported-communication networks such as LAN, EDI, e-mail and social media for communication and
exchange of data, to web-based technologies like project management
software packages (WPMSAPs), BIM and cloud computing (CC) technologies for the integration of activities, collaboration and coordination of
functions among the stakeholders in construction procurement process.

17

It can be inferred from the data in Table 5 that in the past 60 years or
so, three phases in the evolution of digital technologies used in the execution of construction procurement activities can be identied. The rst
phase was the evolution of information capturing, storage, processing
and retrieval technologies such as computers and computer accessories,
photo printers and CAD used in converting paper-based les storage
system to digitized information system. The second phase was the
development of communication systems for information and data exchange such as EDI, network systems, e-mails, the internet for inter
and intra organisational connections and exchange of project information and data. The last phase was the evolution integration
technologies that bring together data capturing, processing, storage and
communication technologies. These phases can be related to the major
developments observed in the evolution of different categories of computers from mainframe computer; BIM technology from 2D-CAD systems; wireless from wired communication networks; mobile from xed
communication technologies and the evolution of internet-based transaction platforms from value added network (VAN)-supported EDI as well as
the development of web-enabled project management software
application packages as shown in Table 5. This evolutionary trend of
DTs shown in Table 5 can also be linked to the account by Froese [35] as
previously discussed.
7. Discussion
Arising from ndings of the survey are three key issues for discussion. These relate to the research questions. The rst deals with the
number of the exiting digital technologies and tools for each of the six
basic construction procurement activities. The second is related to
how the DTs published in the literature relate to the six basic procurement activities outlined in ISO 10845. The third issue is the evolution
of the DTs used to support the execution of construction procurement
activities. The discussion of these issues is linked with the broader issues
of interoperability among the digital technologies adopted in a
construction project; and the security problem while information is
exchanged among different systems.
First, the research reveals ten generic data storage and processing
technologies and tools as well as computer supported information and
communication technologies similar to those identied by Usman and
Said [48] and Onyegiri et al. [49] in their respective studies on information and communication technologies in construction design and production, and twenty-six other digital technologies available to support
the execution of the six basic construction procurement activities. In
all, the survey result shows that 36 DTs and tools are available to support the execution of the six basic construction procurement activities.
In relation to the above result, it was found out that a majority of the
DTs and tools published in the literature and identied in the survey are
web-based integrated technologies such as the intelligent systems and
communication technologies, while very few are stand-alone tools for
the performance of specic tasks (see [8,50,36]). Examples of webbased digital technologies identied include cloud computing technology, which provides an options for e-Tendering application known as
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) currently used in tender prequalication
and selection as described by Fathi et al. [51] and other related applications also used in the selection and appointment of consultants as described by Leipold et al. [52] in a study of the World Bank's online
platform for the selection of consultants. There is also BIM technology
for visualization, coordination, analysis and supply chain integration
and project management software application packages. In fact, web/
internet-based DTs and tools generally play important role in each of
the six procurement activities as they help to integrate work processes,
ensure effective exchange of information and forge collaboration among
project participants as explained by Campbell-Kelly and Garcia-Swartz
[53] in their paper on the history of internet. Specically, in e-Tendering,
web-based technologies and tools have been found to be very useful in
facilitating the exchange of project information and data between

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E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

Table 5
Evolution of digital technologies used in construction procurement.
19601970

19711980

19811990

19912000

2001 and beyond

Elements of
construction
procurement

Technologies and tools

Technologies and tools

Technologies and tools

Technologies and tools

Technologies and tools

Establishment of
what is to be
procured

Main frame computers;

fax; land line phones;
CAD systems; photo
printing

Mini computers 2D-CAD;

xed cell phone wired LAN;
Excel spreadsheet for
quantity take-off

Personal computers
3D-CAD; CATO, Word
processing machines;
lap-tops

e-mail; marketplaces;
Internet;
3D-CAD

Establishment of
procurement
strategy
Soliciting for tender
offers

Mainframe computers;
ERP

Word Processing Software

Application Packages (WPSP)

Desktop publishing

Internet, WWW

Tablet computers;
BIM;
BIM QT;
Web 2.0 tools;
smartphone
WPMSAPs;
broadband mobile network,

Fax, landline phone

Online services

e-mail; Project Portals; wide

band mobile networks

Web 2.0; WEPMAP; cloud

computing (CC) technology

Evaluation of tenders

CD-ROM Computerbased fax machines;

digital compact disc;
multi-media
W PSAP

W PSAP

Computer-based fax
machines; digital cameras; scanners
Computer-based fax
machines; online shopping platforms

e-mail, Internet

WPMSAPs
Cloud Computing
Video Conferencing
Web.2.0 technology (e.g. social
media)

Award of contract

Administration of
contract to ensure
compliance with
requirements

Value added network

supported EDI, fax,
telephone

Fax narrow band mobile

network

client's team of professional consultants and bidders [54,13]. This nding indicates that there is yet no single system or application that can
be used in the execution of all the functions in the construction procurement lifecycle; and that the existing DTs tend to facilitate real-time
communication and collaboration across construction supply chains
rather than promote individual performance of construction procurement tasks.
In the use of DTs and tools to facilitate real-time communication, coordination, collaboration and exchange of project information and data
among the participants in construction procurement activities, several
studies, including [21,5558,13] report that procurers have expressed
concerns over the interoperability or incompatibility of the different
systems and software packages. Ibrahim [19] described this as a perennial challenge that has generated enormous debates and discussion in
the literature. From Table 4 it is evident that in the procurement of construction works, goods and services, a wide range of systems, software
packages and applications from different vendors are used. Sharing
data and information, real-time communication, coordination, cooperation and collaboration among project teams using these heterogeneous
systems and applications can be difcult due to the lack of interoperability of the systems as Shen et al. [59] explained.
Interoperability is a multi-dimensional concept which can be viewed
from four perspectives, i.e. technical (hardware/software components,
systems and applications), syntactic (data formats), semantic (denition
of content of data to be exchanged), and organisational (organisational
culture and human) aspects (see explained by Rezaei et al. [60] in a review on e-business interoperability frameworks). Grilo and JardimGoncalves [61] noted that technical interoperability is of great concern
in construction projects. According to Gu and London [57], this may be because the technical interoperability problem does not allow for effective
and successful exchange of project information and data among participants without compromising the integrity of such data. Rezaei et al. [60]
identied technical interoperability issues as relating to the incompatibility of hard/software components, systems, and platforms that enable
machine-to-machine communication as well as standards, communication protocols and the infrastructure required for the processing, exchange, storage, presentation and communication of data through
computers. Several studies, including [6265,61] have identied the lack
of common language and standards for the exchange of data and

Extranet, Internet supported EDI

WWW; e-marketplaces; online
payment; wide band mobile
networks

BIM; LADAR WEPMAP; Internetbased GIS FRID, GPS; BT, EFT, credit
cards; MT; Wi-Fi; VC; broadband
mobile network

information among the different software packages and information systems as the major cause of technical interoperability challenge. Consequently, in a case study of interoperability in collaborative networks,
Chituc et al. [63] observed that solutions to interoperability problem
have been approached from two angles: application integration (e.g. the
technology solution: message, process, transport and interface); and information integration (e.g. the linguistic, social and philosophical solution,
comprising data, context, ontology and interpreter).
Specically in the context of this research, the issue of interoperability in the use of digital technologies in the procurement of construction
projects can be addressed in at least four different ways as identied in
the literature (see summary in Table 6).
Firstly, from Table 6 it seems evident that one of the ways in which
technical interoperability can be addressed in the use of DTs in construction procurement is the use of web services to integrate technologies, systems or applications. Web services provide a primary means for
system component interaction and application integration within the
enterprise and with external project partners and suppliers [34]. For example, on the Service Oriented Architecture for BIM (SOA4BIM) framework, communication technologies/networks have been integrated
with BIM, web-supported project management software applications
and construction e-marketplaces [61,64]. Notably, through this framework, project participants can exchange construction drawings; tender
information and documents. It has also facilitated the buying and selling
of construction materials and services over the internet. In a study on
tendering process implementation for business-to-business integration
in a web environment, NG et al. [70] explained that web-based services
provide viable solution to interoperability challenge because they use
standardized extensible markup languages (XML) that are not restricted to any particular operating system or programming language and
can easily integrate different environment. Chan et al. [62] also revealed
in a case study on e-Tendering with web services in Hong Kong that the
use of common languages such as XML provides standard method that
facilitates easier exchange of business messages, communication of
data and conducting of trading activities over the internet by organisations using different systems and applications. Similarly, in a study on
the use of integrated e-Bidding framework for construction by Michigan
Department of Transportation, USA, Lenin [64] identied two types of
construction specic XML. These are bcXML developed by the Europe

E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

19

Table 6
Challenges associated with the use of digital technologies in construction procurement.
Challenges

Attempts made at resolving the challenges

References

Security and
condentiality of
project
information and data

[38,55,56,58,66,67]

Interoperability or
incompatibility
between software
packages and
systems

Use of digital certicates

Data and system encryption
Use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to protect data during transmission
Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) and cookies
The use of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to exchange data that are not encrypted
Password and Electronic signature
Firewalls, proxy servers, virtual private networking
Use of Web services with distributed object technologies e.g. the common object request broker architecture
(CORBA), COM/DCM, markup languages e.g. Extensible Markup Languages (XML); standard generalized markup language (SGML); service-oriented architecture for BIM (SOA4BIM);
Adoption of Foundation Class (IFC) standard (IFC 2x3) by architects to exchange conceptual and detail design
information with project team; CIMSteel standard (CIS/2) by structural engineers to exchange design, analysis
and detailing information about steel frames; STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) in
several aspects of engineering and construction, including the representation of 3D models; and Construction
Industry Trading Electronically (CITE) to facilitate e-Procurement in construction
Conjunction use of BIM and Web 2.0 Technologies
The use of Groupware system

eConstruct project and aecXML developed by the International Alliance

for Interoperability (IAI). That study indicates that the use of XML in the
description of construction projects data and information (e.g. bill of
quantities, tender forms, specications, conditions of contracts) and
the exchange of such information via the internet contribute in eliminating barriers associated with the use of DTs to conduct electronic
tendering.
Secondly, in addition to the use of XML documents, the adoption of
industry-specic interoperability standards such as IFC, STEP and
CIMSteel standard (CIS/2) in the exchange of project information and
data is another approach engaged in dealing with technical interoperability issue. According to Rezaei et al. [60], industry-specic standards
enable the electronic exchange of business documents (e.g. bids, orders,
invoices, shipment notes, quotations) between rms in a specic industry, their suppliers, customers, and business partners using different
systems and software applications. Lenin [64] specically noted that
IFC for example, provides interoperability among different systems
and software used by all construction project participants. This is
because it has the capabilities of keeping all necessary information
including, product details, schedule, costing, and tender documents;
and allows sharing of such information among different platforms
and systems over the internet. It was perhaps on this premise
that Porwal and Hewage [71], in a study on building information
modeling partnering framework for public construction projects in the
Canadian construction industry concluded that international standards
(e.g. Foundation Class (IFC2x3), buildingSMART; CIMSteel standard
(CIS/2)) have been developed to address the problem of technical interoperability in the use of DTs in the construction sector.
Thirdly, the adoption of BIM and Web 2.0 technology has also been
identied as another way of achieving interoperability among DTs
used to support the execution of construction procurement activities.
Web 2.0 technologies are collaborative Internet tools that deliver software as a service that is continually updated through new user content
[72,34]. Several studies have shown that BIM-GIS [73], BIM-Sensor networks [34], BIM-RFID [74], digital collaboration technologies integration
[19] and interoperability between services provided by clouds [61] can
be achieved through Web 2.0 technology. Consequently, the conjunction use of BIM and Web 2.0 technologies have been identied as a
foundation for real-time integration of digital technologies used in
construction procurement activities [19].
Lastly, there is also the use of Groupware system to integrate hardware/software applications. According to Wang and Dunston [75] Groupware is a computer-based augmented reality (AR) technology that
supports groups of people engaged in a common task and provides an
interface for sharing information. In fact, Groupware system assists a
team of individuals in communicating, collaborating, and in coordinating

[19,38,5557,61,62,6466,68,69]

their activities [75] and also allow groups of users to perform coordinated processes that lead to the solution of problems or execution of
tasks [76]. Acar et al. [7] in their study in Turkey found that the use
of Groupware helped in managing and tracking various stages of
project lifecycle; and allowed project participants collaborating on
specic tasks in the exchange of ideas, data and synchronization of
their works. Despite the advances so far made in addressing the
issue of technical interoperability as discussed in this review
(see also [77]), Grilo and Jardim-Goncalves [61] observed that
technical interoperability issues have persisted across cloud and
e-market environments as there are little or no interactions between
AEC agents (e.g. architects, clients, contractors, builders, material
merchants) in different cloud and e-market platforms. This is
because presently, most cloud and e-marketplace vendors are not
allowing interoperability between AEC agents in disparate clouds
and e-marketplaces.
In addition to the issues of interoperability is the security and condentially of project information and data exchange among the different
systems. This concern may have been heightened by the ndings of
studies [13,56,78], indicating that people have fear in the exchange of
information and data via web-based applications or that systems are
not safe and may result to loss of condentiality of data and information.
However, evidence in research literature (see Table 6) suggests that the
development of different security systems and features such as digital
certicate, data and system encryption technologies, digital signature
and others may have put an end to the concern over data protection
and condentiality.
Secondly, as regards how the DTs and tools published in the literature relate to the six basic procurement activities outlined in ISO
10845, data in Table 3 reveals that of the six construction procurement
activities, administration of contract to ensure compliance with requirements of contracts has the highest number of DTs and tools available to
conduct the tasks and functions associated with this stage of construction procurement process. This is followed by soliciting tender offers,
and establishing what is to be procured. Mapping the number of
technologies and tools with the different tasks in each of these activities
identied in ISO 10845 [14], it is evident that the administration of
contract to ensure compliance with requirements of contracts, which
involves tasks and functions related to monitoring, enforcement, coordination, integration, purchase and handling of materials, equipment,
labour and several others has thirteen different DTs and tools to
support the execution of these activities. Similarly, tendering, which
also involves several other activities and functions is next to contract administration in terms of the number of DTs and tools required at this
stage of construction procurement process. Based on evidence from
this study, it can be inferred that there is a relationship between the

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E.O. Ibem, S. Laryea / Automation in Construction 46 (2014) 1121

number of DTs and tools published in the literature and identied in the
survey and the diversity of tasks/functions in each of the six construction procurement activities.
Lastly, examination of the result on the evolution of DTs and tools
used in the procurement of construction projects in the past six decades
as presented in Table 5, shows that the existing technologies have
evolved from stand-alone creative tools such as CAD and computer supported communication technologies (e.g.-mail) to web-based integrated technologies and tools (e.g. cloud computing; project management
applications). This really shows a progression from technologies and
tools that enhance individual performance of construction procurement
tasks to those that facilitate real time communication, collaboration and
integration of construction procurement activities. On the one hand,
this can be seen as a response to digital revolution that has permeated
all aspect of human life. On the other hand, it can also be explained in
the context of lack of effective communication and collaboration; and
the need to forge closer integration of functions and activities among
the multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed participants in
construction procurement.
8. Conclusion and recommendations
This paper examines and analyzes the different kinds of DTs and
tools available to support the execution of the six basic construction
procurement activities based on a survey of evidence-based literature.
Three main conclusions are presented in relation to the research
questions. Firstly, the result shows that a total of 36 different DTs and
tools were identied most of which are web-based applications that
procurers combine in the process of carrying out construction procurement activities; and that the interoperability of systems remains a challenge in using these technologies in the procurement of construction
projects. Based on this nding, it can be concluded that despite the
progress made in developing and using BIM technology in construction
procurement, there is yet no single system or application that can support the execution of all the functions in the construction procurement
lifecycle; and that the issue of interoperability of systems, particularly in
cloud environments and e-market platforms remains a challenge in the
use of DTs to execute construction procurement activities.
Secondly, the DTs and tools identied in the survey were mapped
with the six basic construction procurement activities identied in ISO
10845 [14] and the result shows that the highest number of technologies and tools are available to support the administration of contracts
to ensure that they comply with requirements, while the establishment
of procurement strategy has the least number of technologies.
Therefore, it can also be concluded that there is a relationship between
the number of technologies identied in the survey and the tasks or
functions in each of the six basic construction procurement activities.
Lastly, it was also found out that the existing DTs and tools evolved
from stand-alone tools and computer-supported communication
technologies to web-based integrative and collaborative technologies.
The conclusion that can be made from this is that the majority of
existing DTs used in the execution of construction procurement
activities tend to promote collaborative and integrative activities rather
than enabling individual performance of construction procurement
tasks.
Based on ndings of the survey, the following suggestions are made.
The rst is that the developers of digital technologies should give more
attention to new applications that have capabilities to support the execution of all the six basic construction procurement activities without
procurers having to combine several technologies and tools or switch
from one application to another. The second is that, much still need to
be done in dealing with the problems of interoperability of systems,
particularly between different cloud environments and construction emarket platforms. This relates to the development of platforms and
standards for the exchange of data or migration of applications from
one e-marketplace and cloud environment to another. Therefore, new

generation DTs should provide platforms for construction project

participants to exchange information and data across e-marketplaces
and cloud environments provided by different vendors. These could
be in the form of cloud-marketplace systems that would enable interoperability within each e-marketplace and cloud computing environment;
as well as across different e-marketplaces and cloud environments.
Acknowledgements
This work is based on the research supported in part by the National
Research Foundation of South Africa. The grantholder acknowledges
that opinions, ndings and conclusions or recommendations expressed
in any publication generated by the NRF supported research are that of
the author(s) and that the NRF accepts no liability whatsoever in this
regard.
The comments from anonymous reviewers have helped in improving this paper substantially so we would like to acknowledge the role
of the reviewers in the development of this paper.
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