A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF BIG DATA ANALYTICS IN CONSTRUCTION ORGANISATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Purpose: The study presents the findings of the preliminary investigation of Big Data Analytics (BDA) in the South African construction industry. This was done to promote the use of emerging technologies to deliver projects more efficiently in the country. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a quantitative research design, the study collected data from construction professionals in Gauteng, South Africa, via a structured questionnaire. Data analysis used mean score, standard deviation, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and Cronbach's alpha test. Research Limitation: Despite these contributions, the findings cannot be generalised to the entire country of South Africa, as the data were gathered from only one province. Further studies can be conducted in other provinces where such studies have not yet been carried out to compare results. Findings: The study found that although the use of BDA offers a significant impact on construction projects, it is constrained by some challenges. Among the potential impacts are effective data management, increased productivity and client satisfaction, improved firm agility, and better project delivery to cost. However, these cannot be achieved unless measures are implemented to address financial resource constraints, skills shortages, a poor organisational digital culture, a lack of innovative regulations, and organisational readiness. Practical Implication: The study's findings offers actionable insight for organisations seeking to improve their projects through emerging technologies. Social Implication: Regulatory bodies can also help by designing policies that promote members' use of these technologies. Originality/ Value: The study contributes to the existing discourse on BDA application from the South African construction perspective, an aspect that has received little attention in the existing construction digitalisation discourse.