Abstract
Design extranets have been widely studied. However, not much effort has been devoted to analysing how their use has evolved in AEC companies. This paper examines extranets from a new perspective. This study focuses on an extranet developed in partnerships between universities and building companies, and its use was analysed in dozens of projects, over an eight-year period. The research method involved multiple case studies. The features of the extranet were developed progressively, and its use was analysed by means of direct observation of work routines, access to the documents of dozens of projects, design workflow analysis and interviews with project coordinators. The main results highlight that: a) the prolonged use of the tool allowed companies to consolidate the management routines of the design process, improving document management and communication mechanisms; b) this usage did not involve, in most cases, the creation of new mechanisms of collaboration between stakeholders, with very few exceptions; c) the maturity in the use of extranets allowed the expansion of their use, extending to other sectors of business and phases of the projects. The paper points out how extranets, through their consolidated use in companies can be effective collaboration tools in the design stage.
Keywords:
Design extranets; Collaboration at AEC; Design management
