Construction collaboration technology
Encyclopedia
Construction collaboration technology refers to software applications used to enable effective sharing of project-related information between geographically dispersed members of a construction
project team, often through use of a web-based Software as a service
platform.
-based vendors joined together to form the Network for Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (NCCTP), to promote the benefits and use of collaborative technologies in the architecture
, engineering
, construction (AEC) and related industries.
The phrase was taken on in the UK as it was preferred to the then commonly used term 'project extranet
' which was felt might exclude use of the platforms for multi-project programmes of work, or for post-construction collaboration - e.g.: for facilities management. It also supported progressive moves within the UK construction industry to promote more collaborative or integrated approaches following the 1994 Latham
and 1998 Egan Report
s. For example, Sir John Egan's follow-up report, Accelerating Change in 2002, recommended:
Other descriptions such as 'construction project management
' or 'construction document management' were seen as confusing or misleading, being associated more with scheduling tools (e.g.: Microsoft Project
) or with generic electronic document management systems (e.g.: Documentum
) that could not easily handle AEC-oriented requirements for dispersed teams.
Construction collaboration technologies replace localised sets of data held by individual team members or companies. A centralised repository or data store is created that can be accessed by all authorised team members, usually using a lowest common denominator technology: a computer equipped with an internet browser and a telecommunications link to the internet. The platforms' functionality also reflects the industry's extensive use of graphical information - most notably design drawings - and the need to be able to access, view, mark-up and comment on designs.
The core characteristics of construction collaboration technologies can be summarised as:
Reflecting the need to encourage take-up and active use of their platforms, the leading UK construction collaboration technology vendors all adopted a similar charging structure. Rather than charging companies per-user or per-seat licenses, the applications were typically licensed per-project, with customers paying a single subscription (typically monthly or quarterly) for the duration of the planning, design and construction process, and allowing use by all companies in the project's supply chain.
, Asite, BIW Technologies
, BuildOnline (today Sword CTSpace
), Cadweb
, Causeway Technologies and Sarcophagus. Business Collaborator (today Unit4 Collaboration Software) and Aconex
joined shortly afterwards. The NCCTP was initially managed by CIRIA
before becoming a membership forum within Constructing Excellence
in August 2007.
Other vendors/products in this sector include (in alphabetical order): Autodesk
's Buzzsaw and Constructware platforms, Bentley Systems
' ProjectWise, Bricsnet, Conject, CoreCon, EADOC, ePin, Kalexo, Incite, iSite, Meridian Systems
' Prolog, Proliance and ProTalk platforms, and Woobius. There are also construction-oriented implementations of Microsoft
's SharePoint platform, e.g.: Cadac's Organice, ProgramNetInc's ProgramNet Portal and CMBoost.
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
project team, often through use of a web-based Software as a service
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
platform.
History
The terms "construction collaboration" and "construction collaboration software" were coined in Australia by Aconex in 2001. It was later adopted in 2003 in the UK when seven UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based vendors joined together to form the Network for Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (NCCTP), to promote the benefits and use of collaborative technologies in the architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, construction (AEC) and related industries.
The phrase was taken on in the UK as it was preferred to the then commonly used term 'project extranet
Extranet
An extranet is a computer network that allows controlled access from the outside, for specific business or educational purposes. An extranet can be viewed as an extension of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company, usually partners, vendors, and suppliers...
' which was felt might exclude use of the platforms for multi-project programmes of work, or for post-construction collaboration - e.g.: for facilities management. It also supported progressive moves within the UK construction industry to promote more collaborative or integrated approaches following the 1994 Latham
Latham Report
The Latham Report, titled Constructing the Team, was an influential report written by Sir Michael Latham, published in July 1994. Latham was commissioned by the United Kingdom government and industry organisations to review procurement and contractual arrangements in the UK construction industry,...
and 1998 Egan Report
Egan Report
The Egan Report, titled Rethinking Construction, was an influential report on the UK construction industry produced by an industry task force chaired by Sir John Egan, published in November 1998...
s. For example, Sir John Egan's follow-up report, Accelerating Change in 2002, recommended:
- 'Integrated teams, created at the optimal time in the process and using an integrated IT approach, that fully release the contribution each can make and equitably share risk and reward in a non-adversarial way.' (p.10, emphasis added)
Other descriptions such as 'construction project management
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
' or 'construction document management' were seen as confusing or misleading, being associated more with scheduling tools (e.g.: Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is a project management software program, developed and sold by Microsoft, which is designed to assist a project manager in developing a plan, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and analyzing workloads.The application creates critical path...
) or with generic electronic document management systems (e.g.: Documentum
Documentum
Documentum is an enterprise content management platform, now delivered by EMC Corporation, as well as the name of the software company that originally developed the technology. EMC acquired Documentum for $1.7 billion in December, 2003...
) that could not easily handle AEC-oriented requirements for dispersed teams.
Characteristics
Essentially, construction collaboration technologies are deployed to support the requirements of a multi-disciplinary construction project team. This is typically drawn from multiple companies, all based in different locations with their own IT systems, and is brought together – usually temporarily – to plan, design, construct and, in some cases, to operate and maintain the resulting built asset.Construction collaboration technologies replace localised sets of data held by individual team members or companies. A centralised repository or data store is created that can be accessed by all authorised team members, usually using a lowest common denominator technology: a computer equipped with an internet browser and a telecommunications link to the internet. The platforms' functionality also reflects the industry's extensive use of graphical information - most notably design drawings - and the need to be able to access, view, mark-up and comment on designs.
The core characteristics of construction collaboration technologies can be summarised as:
- Organisation features (i.e.: security settings, user administration, information administration)
- Communication features (i.e.: file publication, management, feedback)
- Management features (i.e.: management of specific workflows, teams, work packages, multiple projects, standards)
- Sharing, viewing and working with CADComputer-aided designComputer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
-based drawings (including use of viewing tools)
Reflecting the need to encourage take-up and active use of their platforms, the leading UK construction collaboration technology vendors all adopted a similar charging structure. Rather than charging companies per-user or per-seat licenses, the applications were typically licensed per-project, with customers paying a single subscription (typically monthly or quarterly) for the duration of the planning, design and construction process, and allowing use by all companies in the project's supply chain.
Vendors
The founder members of the NCCTP were (in alphabetical order): 4Projects4Projects
4Projects is a UK privately held Software as a service company based in Doxford International Business Park in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. It also has offices in the USA, Canada, and the Middle East...
, Asite, BIW Technologies
BIW Technologies
BIW Technologies is a privately held British company providing web-based electronic construction collaboration technologies , to customers in the construction and property sectors...
, BuildOnline (today Sword CTSpace
Sword CTSpace
Sword CTSpace is an engineering content management and project collaboration software vendor headquartered in Brentford, UK. Sword CTSpace’s products include both Software as a Service or cloud-based solutions and on-premise or self-hosted solutions...
), Cadweb
Cadweb
Cadweb is a provider of electronic project management, project extranet, or construction collaboration technologies. The company is based in London, England, it was founded in 1995 and is among the longest-established of businesses in its field....
, Causeway Technologies and Sarcophagus. Business Collaborator (today Unit4 Collaboration Software) and Aconex
Aconex
Aconex is a privately held Australian company providing web-based electronic construction collaboration technologies , on a Software as a service basis, to customers in the engineering, natural resources, construction and property sectors...
joined shortly afterwards. The NCCTP was initially managed by CIRIA
CIRIA
CIRIA is a member-based research and information organisation dedicated to improvement in all aspects of the construction industry. Members include representatives from all parts of the supply chains of the modern built environment, covering building and civil engineering as well as transport and...
before becoming a membership forum within Constructing Excellence
Constructing Excellence
Constructing Excellence is a UK-based construction industry membership organisation. In the UK, it is unique insofar as its member organisations are drawn from across the industry supply chain, ranging from clients, through contractors and consultants, to suppliers and manufacturers of building...
in August 2007.
Other vendors/products in this sector include (in alphabetical order): Autodesk
Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
's Buzzsaw and Constructware platforms, Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems, Incorporated is a software company that produces solutions for the design, construction and operation of infrastructure. The company’s software serves the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction and operations...
' ProjectWise, Bricsnet, Conject, CoreCon, EADOC, ePin, Kalexo, Incite, iSite, Meridian Systems
Meridian Systems
Meridian Systems, a Trimble Inc Company, is a Plan-Build-Operate technology solutions provider for project-based organizations. Building owners, construction and engineering firms, and public agencies use Meridian software to manage capital building programs and facility assets...
' Prolog, Proliance and ProTalk platforms, and Woobius. There are also construction-oriented implementations of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's SharePoint platform, e.g.: Cadac's Organice, ProgramNetInc's ProgramNet Portal and CMBoost.