Training and development strategies to enhance the use of modern software in quantity surveying practice in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Information technology (IT) has been developing day by day making a great impact on the construction industry including the Quantity Surveying (QS) profession. To perform the duties of the quantity surveyor in an innovative manner, software packages such as WinQS, Vector, Cost X, QSCAD, QSPlus, Masterbill, CATA, Planswift, Cubi cost, Revit, Excel and Autodesk Quantity take off, are introduced. The software is compatible with the task specialisation, speed up the performance and enhance the accuracy. Training programmes, seminars, workshops, software tutorials, higher education about software and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are identified as approaches to integrate IT usage among the QS practices. This research aimed explore the gap between the awareness and practice of modern software in QS practices in Sri Lanka to propose suitable training and development strategies to achieve technological advancement. A mixed method approach was adopted to carry out this research using a survey as the main research strategy. Questionnaires were collected from 65 practising quantity surveyors in Sri Lanka to explore the gap between the level of awareness and practice of modern software. Five expert interviews were conducted with senior Quantity Surveyors who have been extensively using modern software in their practice. Gap analysis and manual content analysis were used to analyse primary data collected through questionnaires and interviews respectively. Development of the national construction guideline, professional training programmes, government concessionaries, professional degree programmes addressing modern software knowledge, and implementation of a marketing approach were the strategies recommended to address the training needs to achieve technological advancement in the QS practice in Sri Lanka.