Information technology-enabled BPR in the construction industry

Abstract

The paper gives a comprehensive overview of the European ESPRIT Condor project. The project aims at bridging the gap between current information systems and future ones, and provides a migration path from document-based, to model-based approaches to information representation and structuring. After a brief overview of the project's aims and objectives, the paper gives the state of the art of electronic document management (EDM) systems in the construction industry, followed by a description of the three legacy EDM systems used within the Condor project. A strategy towards the integration of these systems is then given. The paper presents the overall Condor system architecture and discusses how distributed object technology (through the use of the architecture) can be used as a powerful instrument to potentially facilitate the re-engineering of business processes within the construction industry. The project is ongoing and supported by a user interest group, which involves representatives from a variety of non-construction industry companies all over Europe.Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Cornwallis Emmanuel Ltd.