A User-Centered Mobile Cloud Computing Platform for Improving Knowledge Management in Small-to-Medium Enterprises in the Chilean Construction Industry

Daniela Núñez, Ximena Ferrada, Andrés Neyem, Alfredo Serpell, Marcos Sepúlveda
2018 Applied Sciences  
Knowledge management (KM) is a key element for the development of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry. This is particularly relevant in Chile, where this industry is composed almost entirely of SMEs. Although various KM system proposals can be found in the literature, they are not suitable for SMEs, due to usability problems, budget constraints, and time and connectivity issues. Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) systems offer several advantages to construction SMEs, but
more » ... ey have not yet been exploited to address KM needs. Therefore, this research is aimed at the development of a MCC-based KM platform to manage lessons learned in different construction projects of SMEs, through an iterative and user-centered methodology. Usability and quality evaluations of the proposed platform show that MCC is a feasible and attractive option to address the KM issues in SMEs of the Chilean construction industry, since it is possible to consider both technical and usability requirements.
doi:10.3390/app8040516 fatcat:2qyifxxcnbggli2kcakgwt5xne