Industrial revolution 4.0: Hindrance factors in digitalisation among construction contractors
List of Authors
  • Adnin Syaza Jaafar, Asmalia Che Ahmad, Farah Afrina Noorza Mohd Haikal, Noraidawati Jaffar, Norakmarwati Ishak, Nur’Ain Ismail

Keyword
  • IR 4.0, Digitalisation, Hindrance Factors, Construction Contractors

Abstract
  • The construction industry holds significant importance within the economies of most nations due to its substantial impact on driving the economic growth. As this sector plays a pivotal role in a nation's development, it becomes imperative to integrate the latest advancements in digital technology and innovation within construction practices. The Malaysian government has unveiled the Industry4WRD; National Policy on Industry 4.0 as an initiative to start digitising the Malaysia's industrial sector. However, these initiatives did not receive positive feedback from the construction sector. According to the Department of Statistic Malaysia, the Malaysian construction industry had low labor productivity levels during the launch of the National 4IR Policy in 2021. Therefore, adopting digitalisation is crucial as it has the potential to significantly empower the workforce and improve production. However, the lack of adoption of digitalisation by many construction players in the industry has become a challenge for the government’s transition towards the digital era. Therefore, this research aims to identify the hindrance factors in embracing IR 4.0 among the construction contractors. This research adopting the quantitative method where questionnaires were distributed to a total of 278 respondents from G7 contractors located in Kuala Lumpur. The results show that most of these contractors were using the common IR 4.0 tools such a IoT and BIM in their building and infrastructure projects. The main hindrance is the difficulties in integrating the existing systems with the IR 4.0 technologies. In addition, the complex decision-making process within the contractor’s organisation can slow down the technology adoption.

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