Trends in the utilisation of automated quantities by the Australian quantity surveying profession: 1995 - 2005

This paper examines trends in the utilisation of Automated Quantities by the Australian Quantity Surveying profession since 1995. The paper is based on research by a team from the University of Technology Sydney involving a series of six national surveys of the profession spanning 1995 to 2005. The surveys have examined trends in general practice and the utilization of information technology. This is complemented by interviews conducted in 2005/06 by the author with a range of Quantity Surveying practices. The survey results since 1995 show that the uptake of automated quantities systems by firms has been surprisingly slow but that this has accelerated in the past two years. The paper will examine the current systems being used by firms and will highlight case examples of two firms who have developed their automated quantities systems over many years to the point where they are achieving significant competitive advantage and have achieved dramatic improvements in productivity, efficiency and providing value to their clients. These case examples will demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved from the effective utilisation of automated quantities technology and the strategies that have been used for effective implementation.