COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS MOVE CLOSER

Collaborative construction processes and the Internet have allowed firms to swap design and project management information at modem-accessible sites for years. However, a new crop of software and services offers impressive productivity gains and is ripe for widespread use. A recent survey of architectural principals found that 94% of respondents rated collaboration throughout the building process as their primary automation goal over the next 5 years. Nearly 82% reported that project owners want to integrate engineering data into their own databases. Most agree that a World Wide Web interface improves project information access and speeds delivery, but there is little agreement on the type of system to use behind that interface. Several versions of online Web services are either on a roll or just rolling out, and early reports from users indicate that they are a hit. Some firms report that any type of online service is not secure or flexible enough, and vendors are steering them to a handful of off-the-shelf collaboration systems that are installed on an inhouse server. Rather than throwing the entire project onto a website, other design and construction firms are using combinations of technology to speed up project delivery through software tools that convert letters, spreadsheets, database reports, and computer-aided design drawings to be Internet-compatible. Even without cutting edge networks, major projects can still set up links with just electronic mail attachments.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08919526
• Corporate Authors:

  McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

  330 West 42nd Street
  New York, NY  United States  10036
• Authors:
  • Phair, M
• Publication Date: 1998-7-13

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 42-43
• Serial:
  • ENR
  • Volume: 241
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0891-9526

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computers; Construction industry; Construction projects; Cooperation; Data management; Databases; Design; Electronic mail; Information processing; Information, data, and knowledge; Internet; Project management; Software; Technological innovations; Websites (Information retrieval)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Information exchange
• Old TRIS Terms: On line computers; On line systems
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Construction; Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration; I50: Construction and Supervision of Construction;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00753169
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 5 1998 12:00AM