THE ASSESSMENT OF READINESS FOR APPLYING THE AUTOMATION SYSTEM IN THAI CONTRACTORS

Abstract

Nowaday, the global construction industry is still facing problem performance problems, labor shortages and higher labor cost. The solution for these problems is applying automation system to the construction industry. Because automation can reduce dependence on labor, construction cost and the duration of the construction which is important to contractors. There are five degrees of industrialization. They are prefabrication, mechanization, automation, robotics and reproduction. At present, the construction industry in Thailand is still the first two degrees (Prefabrication and mechanization).  As the foreign construction industry began to move cross more degrees to use automation. Therefore, there is an assessment of readiness for applying the automation system in Thai contractors. This research, there is a process of collecting internal and external factors to develop a questionnaire using SWOT analysis to analyze the factors and the readiness of Thai contractors for applying automation system by using Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE Matrix) and External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE Matrix). And the assessment of readiness for applying the automation system in Thai contractors by Internal-External Matrix (IE Matrix). A potential benefit of this research are key internal and external factors and the readiness for applying the automation system in Thai contractors.