A Framework To Assess The Collaborative Decision Making Process In Interactive Workspaces

An interactive collaboration laboratory (ICL) has been established at the University of New Brunswick for the purpose of studying the use of interactive collaborative technologies to improve information management among project team members of the AEC industry and enhance the collaborative decision making process. This paper proposes a preliminary framework that aims to assess the collaborative decision making process by addressing the complexities of group decisions within the AEC industry. The framework consists of identifying the process steps, classifying the process mode and task types, defining assessment parameters, and identifying opportunities for interactive workspace technology support. The framework sets the foundation for an accurate comprehensive analysis of a group decision making process in interactive workspaces. It was designed to compare the decision making process between users of traditional environments, and those of interactive environments, and hence identify the value added to the decision making process for users of interactive workspaces.