A case for change for digital transformation in heritage building conservation process: Assessing the issues by Malaysian stakeholders experience

Malaysia possesses a rich tangible cultural heritage, and efforts are underway to preserve and manage it. Institutional policies and professional ethical guidelines emphasise the fundamental responsibility of the modern conservation professional to establish heritage data information systems. When properly completed, it can inform future conservators of previous work, enabling them to track the efficacy of treatments over time and gain thorough knowledge, particularly in the context of decision-making in conservation activities. Nevertheless, the necessary information and data may be unavailable because of budget, time, accessibility, and other constraints (Antonopoulou & Bryan, 2017). This preliminary study looks into the problems and shortcomings of current practice / Case for Change towards Digital Transformation in Heritage Building Conservation that heritage conservation stakeholders in Malaysia face during the current conservation process, as well as the factors that make it difficult or important. In this paper, we solely focused on discussing the issues and deficiencies. The preliminary study, which involved a focus group discussion with twenty (20) registered conservators, consultants, conservation contractors, government agencies (National Heritage Department), and academicians, revealed a lack of data reliability and information-driven decision-making, duplication of work among heritage conservation stakeholders, absence of a comprehensive data management repository for heritage assets, poor performance and condition in the heritage conservation project, and a lack of information and technology (ICT) adoption. These issues and deficiencies are linked to the need for a shift towards digital transformation, with the pillars of new technology adoption being people, process, technology, and policy (Megahed, 2015). Therefore, the Malaysian government can reference this study when implementing Digital Transformation initiatives, specifically focusing on heritage conservation projects in Malaysia.