Whilst vehicle manufacture and other sectors of industry make good use of IT, the construction industry seems to lag behind. This may be because of poor IT strategies. Strategies for the use of IT in construction are readily available, however it seems that they are often ignored. We had the impression that this was because managers in construction found it difficult to relate these strategies to their particular business. To find out what strategies were adopted we interviewed 6 managers in quantity surveying practices. The indication from this research is that a vicious circle exists, where poorly perceived potential benefits from IT lead to ad hoc or minimal strategies, to which few resources were allocated and from which little benefit is gained. However there are signs that this situation is improving, particularly when compared to previous research. We discuss our findings in relation to the special factors affecting the use of IT in Construction, and consider how the vicious circle could be changed into a virtuous one.

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