WestCon Tribune

July 2000

JULY MEETING

How The Internet Is Changing The Construction Industry
Presented by Colin Gilboy, PE

A recent article in The New York Times focused on the construction industry and how it is heading into the Internet age. The article discussed how builders are cutting down on delays and increasing efficiency by moving their projects online.

One example in the article reported that on a $50 million, 12-story office tower in Southern California, a total of $50,000 had been saved by communicating over the Internet rather than with faxes and calls. The article added that the total saved could have exceeded $200,000 if all of the subcontractors and suppliers had been online. Referring to online communication, the contracting company president was quoted saying " Right now, it's a good tool for us. Next year, it'll be more necessary for people to have on our projects. In two years, it'll be absolutely mandatory".

The article also cites where a subcontractor got a job because he was the low bidder, however he was not online. The calculations showed that although others may have bidded higher, they would have been cheaper in the long run than the low bidder because they were a part of an online team, saving more than the difference of the original bid.

An important point made in the article, especially for WESTCON experts, is that the project Websites create a virtual paper trail that includes who has viewed what information and when, so that if legal disputes arise there is a concise record of who was informed of, and accountable for, what parts of the job.

Our July meeting will help us understand the growing need for the use of the internet in our industry when Colin Gilboy gives his presentation. Mr. Gilboy is a Professional Engineer, a Certified Construction Product Rep, on the Board of Directors with CSRF - SpecText master specifications, and recently developed 4specs.com, an Internet directory.

Mr. Gilboy will provide an overview of the following areas:
1. Collaborative Software - how architects and contractors will better manage construction product paperwork. This is a hot new area, having exploded with ten new suppliers in the past six months. What is it about? Where is it heading?
2. Manufacturers Websites - how will Websites provide better data for designers and specifiers to incorporate into their projects. WebFormat is a suggested website format for manufacturers to use.
3. eSpecified Commerce - how will "specified" construction products be bought and sold on the web by auction or bid? Or is there more going on than is apparent to the experts?
4. Search Engines - how to be more successful when searching, with an overview of construction - related searches.

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