Critical Barriers to the Adoption of Cloud-Native Platforms for Real-Time Construction Monitoring Evidence from Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

The construction industry is shifting to the use of data-driven models of delivery where real-time monitoring can assist timely decisions, increase transparency, and better project results in line with the human-centered and sustainable transformation agendas. The implementation of the real-time control of construction allows monitoring specifics by means of the IoT sensing and constant data capture, which allows transferring construction control into the sphere of the active regulation instead of reactive reporting, although the implementation opportunities in the context of the developing-city conditions remain limited by the gaps in multi-layer readiness. Cloud-native systems, created based on layers of scalable, modular, and resilient architectural principles, provide a promising base of real-time monitoring, as they have the capacity to provide distributed stakeholder access, fast report cycles, and link with digital construction life cycles. Although there are these advantages, not many people adopt the technology in Islamabad because of the technical, organizational, and ability factors that are intertwined together, and the lack of local-grounded implementation channels. This paper examines the issues of adoption and opportunities of using cloud-native platforms to real-time monitor the construction in Islamabad through a quantitative research design built on literature synthesis and query questionnaire survey of the construction professionals. One hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed, a total of eighty five responded to and then eighty one of these were deemed as valid to conduct statistical analysis. Assessment of reliability and data appropriateness was done using proved survey analysis and non-parametric tests were used in cases where the assumption of distribution was not realized. The Relative Importance Index was used to prioritize adoption factors to identify the most impactful drivers and barriers in the adoption of the most effective fares and the group comparison testing was used to test the perception difference between the stakeholder categories. The results are that the perceived opportunities are high, specifically, the increased transparency between stakeholders, better documentation and reporting practices, faster execution, and the increased sustainability monitoring, though the adoption is mostly limited by the constraints of governance and capabilities, in particular, the absence of organizational policies, the lack of trained personnel, the underdeveloped training programs, the unavailability of the IoT/sensing infrastructure, and the absence of standardized digital monitoring guidelines. According to the prioritized outcomes, the study will suggest a situational implementation framework, translating the topmost factors into a sequentially progressive action steps incorporating governance standardization, workforce capability creation, generating infrastructure, and scaled-deployment. The research provides both an empirical insight into cloud-native monitoring adoption in the construction environment in Pakistan and also provides an achievable route towards enhancing efficiency, accountability, and sustainability in construction projects monitoring.