On the Edge of Human Computation: Interactive Parametric Estimating Paradigm

Conceptual estimating in the proposal development is nontrivial and continues to be challenged by quality and efficiency related issues. As a remedy, parametric estimating is widely used. Despite the merits obtained, human involvement is always missing from the decision-making process. Information can hardly flow between different sources of opinions. This paper introduces an innovative paradigm that combines the intelligence of human beings and computational ability of computers. It smoothing the information flow in the mixture of human-network and computer-network, solicits and conserves knowledge and experience of estimators in the proposal development. A tool based on the proposed paradigm is developed named iPET (Interactive Parametric Estimating Tool). iPET was tested in the proposal development of a power plant project. Result shows that the proposed paradigm enables fast and intelligent collaborative solution seeking between estimators and computers while highlighting the role of estimators. This work offers a unique perspective to the estimators to envision and refine their work.

[1]  Sung Hoon An,et al.  Comparison of construction cost estimating models based on regression analysis, neural networks, and case-based reasoning , 2004 .

[2]  M. Polanyi.  Personal Knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy , 1959 .

[3]  Derek S. Drew,et al.  Competitiveness of Inexperienced and Experienced Contractors in Bidding , 2003 .

[4]  A. Liu,et al.  Human dimensions in modelling prices of building projects , 2000 .

[5]  Chrysanthos Dellarocas,et al.  Harnessing Crowds: Mapping the Genome of Collective Intelligence , 2009 .

[6]  Hojjat Adeli,et al.  Neural Networks in Civil Engineering: 1989–2000 , 2001 .

[7]  Young Hoon Kwak,et al.  Conceptual estimating tool for technology-driven projects: exploring parametric estimating technique , 2005 .

[8]  Marti A. Hearst,et al.  Cha-Cha: A System for Organizing Intranet Search Results , 1999, USENIX Symposium on Internet Technologies and Systems.

[9]  Jing Du,et al.  Feasibility Analytical Mapping (FAM) for the Bidding Decision: A Graphic Bidding Decision Making Model Based on Multidimensional Scaling and Discriminant Analysis , 2011 .

[10]  A. Strauss,et al.  The Discovery of Grounded Theory , 1967 .

[11]  Robert I. Carr.  Cost-Estimating Principles , 1989 .

[12]  Vasily Kouskoulas,et al.  Predesign Cost-Estimation Function for Buildings , 1974 .

[13]  Benjamin B. Bederson,et al.  Human computation: a survey and taxonomy of a growing field , 2011, CHI.

[14]  A. Tauber.  Science and the quest for reality , 1997 .

[15]  Jeff Howe,et al.  Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business , 2008, Human Resource Management International Digest.

[16]  Michael S. Bernstein,et al.  Soylent: a word processor with a crowd inside , 2010, UIST.

[17]  Jing Du,et al.  Virtual Organizational Imitation for Construction Enterprises: Agent-Based Simulation Framework for Exploring Human and Organizational Implications in Construction Management , 2012, J. Comput. Civ. Eng..

[18]  Jing Du,et al.  Improved Similarity Measure in Case-Based Reasoning with Global Sensitivity Analysis: An Example of Construction Quantity Estimating , 2014, J. Comput. Civ. Eng..