End‐user perspectives on use of project extranets in construction organisations

Purpose Web‐based technologies such as project extranets have introduced a new concept for communication and collaboration during construction projects. Project extranets have been used in the industry for some time now to manage information and document flows throughout the lifecycle of construction projects. Very few end‐user companies already using project extranets have documented and disseminated information about the implications of using this technology in terms of the impact on their businesses, benefits incurred and possible drawbacks. This paper aims to present findings from the UK. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is case studies conducted with end‐users of a leading project extranet application in the UK. Findings Findings suggest that some of the perceived drawbacks of using project extranets are in fact not viewed as drawbacks by end‐user companies. Also, the benefits incurred appear to outweigh some of the issues. The end‐user organisations believe that an increasing number of organisations will be encouraged to use project extranets when they see “visionaries” and “market leaders” such as themselves, benefiting from the technology and leading the way to its wider adoption. Originality/value Wider dissemination of this knowledge will encourage more construction companies to adopt the technology which has a proven record of success on projects for which it has been used. The paper highlights the drivers for the adoption of this technology and its impact on end‐user business processes. It also documents the end‐user viewpoint on the benefits and drawbacks of using project extranets.