Software - IT help is at hand

IT help is at hand

IT Construction Forum (ITCF)

Davis Langdon Management Consulting set up The IT Construction Forum over five years ago. Its role was to help the Department of Trade and Industry raise awareness of how construction businesses could improve their performance by using IT more effectively. Since then, the programme has a wide range of services and a membership of over 5,000 firms.

It has now taken the next step and from 1st June 2005 The IT Construction Forum became fully integrated with Constructing Excellence in the built environment. The use of new technologies can now be set in the context of an overall business strategy and its implementation on a day-to-day basis.

www.itconstructionforum.org.uk

Constructing Excellence

Constructing Excellence brings together the Rethinking Construction agenda & the Construction Best Practice Programme under one banner to deliver construction industry reform. It is a first point of contact for information & activities on construction improvement techniques. Its remit is to continue implementing the Rethinking Construction initiative through a well-developed network of best practice clubs & demonstration projects across England & Wales.

Constructing Excellence will focus upon and establish new thresholds of performance based on cross industry networking and collaboration combined with a strong regional engagement strategy. It achieves its mission by influencing Government in the formulation of policy, by working with key stakeholder groups and by being the catalyst for the implementation of innovative processes, strategic business improvement, advanced systems and state of the art technologies.

www.constructingexcellence.org.uk

The Construction Industry Computing Association (CICA)

The Construction Industry Computing Association is dedicated to promoting the effective use of information technology in the construction industry. Founded in 1973 by the Government, CICA is now an independent organisation, owned by its members and run for their benefit.

CICA's strength is the combined expertise of its diverse membership, which includes both users and vendors of IT and is supported by a team of consultants recognised as the leading IT analysts for the construction industry. The Construction Industry Computing Council (CICC) has been formed under the auspices of CICA to provide a voice on IT matters in Construction.

Its role is to provide a focus for the consideration of IT matters and future trends; to provide informed impartial comment and opinion for the benefit of the Construction Industry, its clients, government, researchers, and IT suppliers; to provide a forum at which knowledgeable and informed individuals can exchange information and to act as a catalyst for constructive development and change.

In 2004, CICA became part of the National Computing Centre.

www.cica.org.uk

The National Computing Centre (NCC)

The National Computing Centre is the UK's leading IT membership organisation serving cross-sector corporate, vendor and government communities. Established in 1966 and owned and run for the benefit of its members, it champions the effective use of IT to maximise the competitiveness of their its members' businesses.

Focus is on the effective management and use of IT rather than its design, engineering or manufacture. They provide products and services to purchaser and supplier organisations of all sizes, spanning both the private and public sectors. Over time, CICA and NCC will develop new products and services tailored to meet the needs of IT decision makers in the construction sector.

www.ncc.co.uk

Construction Industry Trading Electronically (CITE)

CITE is a collaborative electronic business initiative for the UK construction industry. It was launched in 1995 and formally marked the start of a major collaborative undertaking with active participants from the professions, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers.

The overriding objective of CITE is to extend the operational use of electronic business across the construction industry in the widest context and by so doing, create an open trading environment for all. Where existing services or standards apply CITE seeks to adapt these and build on best practice. CITE provides its members with document exchange formats alongside practical working support. This makes it easier for businesses of all sizes to get involved, allowing our industry to move forward together. By doing all of this through CITE, the industry is creating a collaborative framework of standards that fully support common solutions.

www.cite.org.uk

CIRIA

CIRIA, standing for the Construction Industry Research and Information Association, was founded in 1960. In recent times the organisation's name was shortened to CIRIA and today it is now known solely by its abbreviated name. CIRIA's mission is to improve the performance of those in the construction and related industries.

CIRIA works with the construction industry, government and academia to provide performance improvement products and services in the construction and related industries and currently engages with around 700 subscribing organisations. Activities include collaborative projects, networking, publishing, workshops, seminars and conferences. Each year CIRIA runs about 40 projects, holds over 90 events and publish 25 best practice guides.

www.ciria.org.uk

Network for Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (NCCTP)

This year 20% of all UK construction projects and up to 40% of those over £10m are predicted to use project collaboration tools. In response to this in 2003, the UK construction industry's leading technology providers have formed the NCCTP.

This new network helps to promote the effective use of online technology to support collaborative working on projects and capital developments in UK construction. It aims to increase interoperability between systems - engendering easy transfer of data through definition and adoption of standards. The Network will promote the benefits of using collaborative technology and demonstrate the value of collaborative working. Importantly, it provides a single independent body with whom clients can communicate regarding the future development of collaboration technology.

The founder members of the NCCTP are 4Projects, BIW Technologies, BuildOnline, Cadweb, Causeway Technologies and Sarcophagus. They were joined by Asite in 2005.

www.ncctp.net

BSRIA

BSRIA is a consultancy, test and research organisation working with construction and building services companies and their clients. They have 50 years of building services research and consulting experience, a turnover of £6.5 million and employ 128 people, operating the UK's leading information database for building services.

Their areas of expertise are site productivity and performance measurement, enabling technologies, prefabrication and both standard and innovative construction systems. BSRIA are available for consultancy and single or multi-client research to help construction projects achieve optimum performance of pre-construction and construction processes.