Information technology decision support and business process change in the USA

Decision making and the nature of decisions themselves are changing with the introduction of new information technology (IT)-based systems in the construction industry. The use of IT systems relates to and can induce changes in business processes within firms as well as interorganizational project processes between firms. In the USA, some of the world's largest hardware and software producers are developing new generations of systems. The market for such systems is potentially large, and these vendors work in close proximity to powerful engineering and construction organizations as well as leading research establishments. It is likely that some of these systems will become de facto standards. For this and other reasons of industrial competitiveness, developments in US IT decision support systems are of interest to practitioners and researchers around the world. The present paper presents the findings of a UK Department of Trade and Industry Expert Mission to assess the development and use of IT systems in the US construction industry. The mission team included seven members, each with specialist knowledge of different aspects of IT development and implementation. The team visited 18 leading organizations where detailed interviews and seminars were conducted during a 2-week period. The present paper highlights questions for researchers and systems developers. The main findings indicate fundamental changes to the timing, sequence and hierarchy of decision making.