The Dawn Group, one of Scotland's largest privately owned companies, has signed a £1 million deal with e-business software company Edinburgh Computer Consultants.

The Edinburgh-based software company will create one of the construction industry's first knowledge portals – an online system that will integrate staff, customers, suppliers and sub-contractors.

The Dawn Group plans to have the new system in operation by the middle of 2002, allowing the company to mobilise its corporate intelligence between offices in Glasgow and Prestwick.

The Dawn project is all about bringing the company into the 21st century by enabling online customer service efficiency. This is primarily generated by the introduction of a highly functional knowledge portal, integrating customers.

According to Jim Thomson, Finance Director of the Dawn Group, the portal would offer the business access to locked-up knowledge and eventually provide crucial decision support ability at the touch of a button. 'The construction industry runs on a very tight project-management basis where customers, suppliers, contractors and staff at all levels require information in a timely manner to get projects completed efficiently.

'Communication between these individuals can be difficult and time consuming. The portal will allow team members to share documents securely, and to communicate and collaborate wherever they have access to the web.'

ECC was formed in 1989, and is now focused in knowledge management and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. The company has grown rapidly over the past two years and employs 31 staff.

The Dawn Group reported a £57 million turnover in 1999 and operates in the construction, property development and contract joinery sectors.