Strategic e-business framework: a holistic approach for organisations in the construction industry

Strategic consideration and actions are crucial for organisations in the construction industry to implement e-business successfully and have continuous improvement. However, only focusing on one concept is not sufficient for construction companies to formulate their e-business strategy because of the fragmented needs and requirements within the organisations. To address the industry’s specific needs and requirements, an e- business strategy should include multiple elements rather than one element, and collaboration of partners should lie at the heart of the e-business strategy. Also, the strategic approaches currently available for e- business implementation are mainly ‘reactive’ and lack a long-term consideration or vision. To improve e- business implementation, it is important for organisations in the industry to create a positive organisational culture and consider both the emergent and long-term needs across organisation boundaries. This paper presents a Strategic e-Business Framework for organisations in the construction industry. The Framework provides a holistic approach for e-business strategy formulation and implementation. Organisations in the industry can work out a comprehension business solution for their e-business implementation using the Framework. The recommendations are also presented to illustrate how the Framework can benefit organisations in the construction industry potentially.