| dc.description.abstract | In the construction industry engineers work most of the time outdoors. As a result there
is a gap between the construction site and the office in both time and space. This gap increases the possibilities of data errors and subsequent rework. For those construction companies that have implemented the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)system, neither the owners, administrators, nor the suppliers may take the first opportunity to make the right decision, because of the fact that incomplete data can not be entered in the ERP system in time. Therefore, it is necessary to build a mobile data platform. This will allow the engineers to exchange data between the construction site and the ERP system by using their Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) via the Internet. This means that the gap between the construction site and the office can be eliminated, both in time and in space. In addition, the owners, administrators, as well as the suppliers can obtain correct and updated data with an integrated ERP system.
This study is based on the integration of the PDA and the ERP systems which fulfills the
following functions for the construction industry: Quality Inspection System, Cost Control System, Schedule Control System and Administration Management System. After downloading the ERP system data, users can collect and query this data offline. Then, they can transmit the data via Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and personal computer synchronously to a metadata repository. After having been imported into the ERP system, the transmitted data can then generate related reports in ERP modules.
Through analysis and development of the mobile system and its implementation in a
construction company, this research concluded that the mobile system can decrease data processing inefficiencies caused by the reworking of data. With an integrated ERP system, the connection, real time and correctness of data will be greatly improved. With the improvement of technology, automation and mobility have become the current trends in construction management. Consequently the application of the PDA in construction management is bound to become popular. The concept of a mobile handheld computer into which one can enter data immediately will decrease data rework so that it can be shared and transmitted quick and easily. | en_US |