METHODS AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT ON-SITE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

A method describes the way of doing something with a definite plan,while a tool can support the method by using information technologies (IT). Knowledge management provides thousands of methods and tools to assist the process of creating, sharing, using,and managing knowledge. Thisapproach is well-known in Austria’s industrial sector andonly applied in major construction companies –especially not during the execution phase.Even thoughthe building industry is characterized by routine processes, renovation projectscauseunpredictable conditions leading toknowledge-intensive processes, which indicates thepotential ofknowledge management. A case study was conducted to identify the requirements for knowledge management toolsor methodssuitable for infrastructure projects focusing onhighway construction sites. It points out that the needs of the interviewees working on-site are not very complex but very fundamental.The investigation showsthat the most important needs include connecting, transparency,and team building. After this first step,research of methods and tools commonly used for knowledge management was completed. Those fulfillingat least one of the identified requirements were considered, evaluated,and examined for their applicability. This paper presentsa selection of methods and tools to meetthe identified needson highwayconstruction sites in Austria