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Adoption challenges of sensing technologies in construction project management in sub-Saharan African countries

Kabir Ibrahim, Christopher Amoah, Fredrick Simpeh, Justice William

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 9 December 2024

27

Abstract

Purpose

The use of technology has increased in the industrial sector over the years. This has propelled the construction industry to follow suit by enhancing construction technology to experience the associated benefits. However, technology adoption in the construction environment has not been smoothly implemented. This article aimed to determine the obstacles to adopting sensing technology in managing construction projects in three major sub-Saharan African nations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a quantitative approach using structured questionnaires. The questionnaire link was sent to construction professionals in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, of which 120 were responded. Data received were analysed using the Statistical Package for Special Science (SPSS) to generate mean scores and the Kruskal–Wallis test and component analysis.

Findings

The results show that construction professionals face herculean tasks when adopting sensing technology in construction project management. Some prominent challenges are initial cost, lack of proper information technology (IT) infrastructure, power supply, lack of well-trained staff, maintenance cost, operating cost, cost of training, technology immaturity and resistance to change. The results also revealed that adoption challenges differ in these three countries, which may be attributable to the economic development level.

Practical implications

Despite the importance of sensing devices in construction industries, the study has revealed that Sub-Saharan African countries face enormous challenges in adopting them in project management and execution. This situation may hinder the industry’s ability to benefit from this technology in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and safety management, which may ultimately affect their cash flows.

Originality/value

The study provides a valuable understanding of the challenges encountered in implementing sensing technology in the construction sector in major countries within sub-Saharan Africa. These findings will enable the countries examined and other African countries to become cognizant of the challenges and implement strategies to overcome them, thereby enhancing performance in the construction industry.

Keywords

Citation

Ibrahim, K., Amoah, C., Simpeh, F. and William, J. (2024), "Adoption challenges of sensing technologies in construction project management in sub-Saharan African countries", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2024-0600

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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