Contractor quantity surveyor using ERP system in cost reporting

Quantity surveying is the key profession in cost management for construction business. However,construction industry is notorious in using information technology that makes reporting inefficient. Aconstruction company in Hong Kong has been using an enterprise resource planning system as theinformation communication technology in management and cost reporting backbone since 2003. Thispaper investigates if such system represents an efficient tool for quantity surveyors and anyintervening actions are required to enhance its efficiency. In doing so, a team of surveyors interviewedand then the soft system methodology was used as the research approach to depict the situation. Thisleads to the improvement needs and list of actions. Participants have prioritized working closely withtop/senior management to design a proper report format; avoiding unnecessary adjustments and undueinfluence to reporting, and ensuring accurate data as the top three critical actions crucial for reliablecost reporting.