Modelling the implementation of technological innovations in construction

Effective implementation of technological innovation in construction requires an understanding of the complexity underpinning the process. Most innovative projects do not fulfil their time and cost objectives and it is essential for construction organisations to plan and control the implementation of any innovative concept. Decision support techniques and tools developed to assess new technologies mainly focus on evaluating alternative technologies, with very little attention being paid to the implementation phase. Effective innovation management should aim to ensure the smooth running of innovative projects within controlled budgets and time scales. Models that simulate the implementation of innovations need to consider the effect of experimentation, iteration and refinement of activities that are reliant on volatile information. This paper introduces a conceptual model that deals with the effectiveness of 'Implementing inNOVations In Construction Engineering Technologies' (INOVICET). It includes the model's hypothesis, techniques and application in a case study. The model identifies iterations within the innovation process and schedules activities taking into account stochastic analyses of the information affect on the implementation. The model incorporates a fuzzy logic approach to evaluate the performance indicators used to assess this implementation.