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Information and communication technologies have to be an integral part of the planning and construction of any major energy project says Propel ICT president Richard Jones.

"The IT component of these projects is often overlooked until you get into the field and start having difficulties, and then it becomes a reaction," he says. "It's really too late once construction starts."

Jones, who is also the Maritime regional director of Bell Aliant's (TSX:BA.UN) ICT division xwave, will give a speech Wednesday on how ICT can improve industrial construction productivity at a Canadian Information Processing Society luncheon in Saint John.

The content of his speech will be derived from a research report on technology in energy projects with a capital cost of more than $1 billion commissioned by Business New Brunswick and carried out by the Construction Technology Centre Atlantic at the University of New Brunswick.

"What they found was that many of these large projects had significant challenges being delivered either on time, or on budget or with the required quality," Jones says. "Those are the three big elements you try to manage."

In fact the report indicated that 56 per cent of projects fail to meet all three of the essential goals.

But Jones says the report also outlined how technology could potentially help projects meet their time, money and quality objectives.

"They identified 10 technologies that they felt had a strong potential to improve the over all productivity of the project," Jones says. "I have to stress the word potential because few of these are being used."

The 10 potential technology aids are: projects specific websites, modeling and simulation, wireless networks for construction sites, mobile devices such as computers, web cameras, project management software, automated identification of materiel, technology training tools, knowledge management, and overall information and communications technologies integration.

"Each one of those technologies on a stand alone basis is pretty mature," Jones says but they simply aren't being used efficiently. "The key to all this is making several of these things work together in a fashion that's focused on improving the overall deliverable of the project."

Jones also sits on propel energy, a committee of propel ICT that, with the help of key stakeholders, aims to identify challenges specific to New Brunswick's proposed energy hub and how technology could be used to address them.

Jones says project management software is one of the elements that can have the biggest impact on improving construction site productivity, and it goes well beyond just scheduling.

"It's very important that (engineers') work packages are put together in a way that allows the construction contractor to be the most efficient," he says. "How do you break the project up into pieces that make sense for somebody to build it."

Mobile devices, most likely laptops, and the wireless networks that accompany them can help pass on new information with speed and precision.

"You can get updates of drawings and updated information in the field," Jones says. Virtual three-dimensional modeling can give a more accurate representation of the project than traditional two-dimensional models can and more effectively identify issues before construction begins.

Software developers can help when two different but related contract workers use incompatible systems.

"We would build a bridge in there that would allow them to communicate," Jones says. "You wouldn't do that with every system, but you'd pick some that are very, very important and look at the benefits of doing it."

Derrick Walsh president of the Saint John chapter of the Canadian Information Processing Society, Canada's only technology professionals association, said the group chose Jones as the speaker for the monthly event because his topic is timely. "We like to hit topics that are current and relevant and we feel this is a current and relevant topic," he says.

The luncheon is from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Union Club on Germain Street. The event, which includes lunch, is open the public and costs $30 for general admission. Interested parties can register for the event online at http://cips-loyalist.eventbrite.com