The problem:
E-business is an increasingly important part of today’s economic world, with all sorts of businesses engaging in ever-more elaborate ways to capitalise on their digital potential. This is as true in the construction sector as it is elsewhere, but often, the best gains are made by larger construction companies who have the resources to invest in making the new systems work, while smaller or medium companies struggle to catch up. This puts them at a notable disadvantage in relation to their larger competitors and makes competing generally more difficult.
The solution:
PEACOC aims to address the issue of low uptake of e-commerce opportunities in the construction sector by creating a training course that will offer practical and actionable ways for smaller or medium sized construction enterprises in particular to get the most out of e-commerce. The training course will be delivered through the online Strategy Genie, a tool that will personalise the course for each user, based on their reported needs and situation. It will be supplemented by a Skills Retention Service, allowing users to verify what they have learned and gain recognition of their learning achievements.
Project objectives:
The project has the following objectives:
- To identify ways small and medium construction companies could use e-commerce to improve their business and overcome problems
- To develop a course that caters to these problems and offers action-based, practical options to solve them
- To develop an e-Business Strategy Genie that can effectively personalise the course, offering users specific actions based on their needs
- To create a community of practice for construction companies and other stakeholders through a virtual Academy that can be used to share knowledge, practices, and the project results themselves
