Exploration of the top ten skills for Digital Construction Management

Digital Construction Management (DCM) has the potential to revolutionise Nigeria's construction industry by boosting productivity, quality, and safety. It is important that construction professionals utilise DCM in their various projects. However, adoption has been slow due to a significant skills gap among professionals. To leverage DCM benefits, companies must ensure their employees possess these crucial skills. This study aims to identify and analyse the top ten essential skills for digital construction management across various professions and company sizes. Adopting a quantitative research design, the study adapts 18 skills from previous literature review and uses a questionnaire to achieve the aim. The skills were ranked using Mean Item Scores and Relative Importance Index and subjected to further analysis using non-parametric tests and regression. The most important skill identified was continuous learning. It was also discovered that there was no significant difference in the perception of the skills, both technical and soft skills, among various professional groups and company sizes. This supported the conclusion that the identified skills were universally relevant. Construction professionals should prioritise acquisition and promotion of these skills to improve project delivery with the aid of digital tools.