IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES IN PROJECT WEB SITES: A PRACTIONER'S VIEWPOINT

The project Web site is a new software tool that allows the diverse participants in the design and construction process to collaborate over the Internet. These World Wide Web sites comprise a new and rapidly growing category of software tool in the design and construction industry. There are now dozens of firms selling these tools and hundreds if not thousands of project teams using them. As this product category matures, it is relevant to question what we have learned and look to make improvements in the design and implementation of project Web sites. As a practitioner, the author has closely observed the development and use of the first generation of project Web sites. This paper summarizes his observations about the key issues in implementing these sites on projects. The central thesis is that project Web sites need to be better integrated into the job activities of project team members and that the current "one-size fits all team members" model that most Web sites ascribe to does not maximize the value of this technology.