Impact of Big Data Usage in the Construction Industry

Big data is acknowledged in many industries for its ability to be analyzed computationally, contrasting manual data. With the construction industry successfully improving its technology adoption level, big data utilization has been observed in recent numerous construction projects. The main aim of this study was to assess the impact of big data usage in the South African. The study was conducted using the quantitative approach. A well-structured questionnaire was used to conduct the survey on 190 construction professionals in the South African construction industry in three provinces, Gauteng Province, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape province. The study participants were construction professionals which include quantity surveyors, construction managers, construction project managers, architects and engineers. The results obtained were analysed using descriptive analysis such as mean item score and standard deviation. The findings also revealed that big data usage improve the efficiency of cost management significantly. From this study, it may be concluded that the utilization of big data in the construction industry predict projects performance and improve management of costs significantly. The study recommended that construction professionals must be fully aware of these challenges to mitigate against the failure of the industry to grow through this innovative technology. This study furnished construction professionals with knowledge on the impact of big data usage in the South African construction industry.