They envision a time when their Web sites will be a home away from home for managers overseeing projects located hundreds of miles away from the home office. But just a few are planning to use the Web for anything more than a promotional device. Officials admit their industry has been slow to incorporate the Internet into their operations. According to Engineering News-Record, a trade magazine, the construction industry is ranked 87th in adapting to new technology. It's a statistic of which industry officials are well aware.
Day says the biggest barrier to general contractors and the Internet is their size.
As more contractors adapt the Internet into their daily operations, competition will demand those smaller firms use the Internet as part of their business strategy, Day adds. And the Internet offers contractors lots of opportunities. One potential the Internet offers contractors is remote project management. More contractors are putting up Web sites specific to a construction project, officials say. It's something that's already part of the plan for two local contractors.