The biggest contractors in the U.S. have started to use e-commerce sites to help them communicate with partners and subcontractors, buy materials, and bid for jobs. The majority of smaller companies, however, still rely on traditional communication through fares, voice mail, and overnight packages. As a result, billions of dollars in potential savings are being lost. Others note that computers are impractical at job sites or say that the benefits have not been made sufficiently clear. Those companies that have already gone online say the benefits are numerous, however.
Web collaboration makes it easier to coordinate the efforts of separate teams.
Blueprints can be updated and posted to a Web site, work schedules can be easily accessed online, and a virtual paper trail is created in case a dispute arises. And, larger companies are working to convince subcontractors to go online. A major mistake, says Weatherall, is the failure to recognize the number of managers who are engineers. This may give the impression that engineers are subordinates, rather than leaders. Additionally, in trying to convey to the public that engineers are an invaluable resource, many people inadvertently talk about engineers as if they are commodities rather than individuals, Weatherall states.