February 6, 2006—Many large design firms are likely to switch soon to the Construction Specification Institute’s latest system for classifying construction information, known as MasterFormat 2004. But smaller firms will likely take a “wait-and-see” approach that could prolong the industry’s transition to the new standard, according to a recent study by two Brigham Young University educators.
In a report written by professors Kevin R. Miller and D. Mark Hutchings, 76% of firms responding to a survey conducted last year said they plan to switch to the latest edition, mostly by the year-end. Researchers pulled a random sampling of 200 firms from ENR’s Top 500 list (ENR 4/18 p. 42). Of them, 114 agreed to participate.
The study also draws a link between the size of a firm and its eagerness to change. As revenue decreases, the percentage of non-adopters increases. “They don’t want to take all the time and money to switch their specs if it is going to flop like the metric thing did,” Miller speculates.
For more information, see the Web site of the Construction Specifications Institute, which advances non-residential building design and construction and develops the careers of its members and others in the industry.
