Justifying investments in and navigating barriers to using novel technology: case drone utilization in construction industry

This teaching case discusses the benefits, barriers and options for implementing novel drone technology in the construction industry. It supports readers in evaluating and justifying investments in innovative technologies and navigating the barriers to their implementation, anchoring the discussion in concrete examples of drone implementation in the construction industry. The case is based on a literature review and in-depth interviews of nine construction professionals in Finland, focusing the case geographically in Europe due to the common regulatory environment for drones in the area. The case demonstrates how drones have already been proven to achieve significant time and cost savings in various construction tasks but require technology managers to counter various organizational, regulatory and technological barriers to realize benefits from the investments. Specific guidance is given in the case for estimating costs and benefits for the drone implementation and thus justifying investments in novel drone technology.