Title: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR SMART MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT: AI AND IOT ADOPTION FOR CONSTRUCTION COST AND RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION IN SARAWAK
Author:
Ehmeralda Chew Hui Cian
Abstract:
The construction industry is undergoing a digital transformation as technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) change project planning, monitoring, and management. In Malaysia, particularly in Sarawak, adoption of these technologies remains uncommonly used due to organizational and infrastructural constraints. This paper develops a conceptual framework that integrates the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework to explain AI and IoT adoption for construction cost and resource optimization. The framework includes five adoption factors perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, technological compatibility, organizational readiness, and external pressure with government support serves as a mediating variable. Most prior studies that examine digital construction technologies in general, while this study focuses specifically on the combined role of AI and IoT (AIoT) in addressing cost and resource inefficiencies among contractors in Sarawak. By placing adoption drivers and facilitators in a growing regional context, the framework makes two contributions where it helps us understand innovation adoption better in theory and gives policymakers and industry stakeholders’ useful information. As a conceptual paper, it develops a theoretical framework rather than testing it empirically, thereby offering a foundation for future research and policy development.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), AIoT, Construction 4.0, Cost Optimization, Resource Utilization, Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE), Sarawak Construction Industry.
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