Towards a multi-agent system for construction claims negotiation

Although many research projects have been undertaken on construction claims, little research has been conducted on the improvement of claims negotiation. On the other hand, industry practice shows that claims negotiation is one of the most time and energy consuming activities in claims management. The major problems of claims negotiation are inefficiency, late client intervention and complex human factors. The development of a multi-agent system (MAS) provides an opportunity to improve these problem areas. The important characteristics of MAS: autonomy, knowledge sharing, goal orientation and learning make it possible to build a system in which agents, on behalf of their owners, can settle most of the quantifiable claim negotiation items in an effective and efficient way. To build such a system, many important aspects, such as the reasoning model, negotiation mechanism, and empowerment of agents need to be addressed. This paper reviews developments in construction claims management, analyses the nature of construction claims negotiations, and explores the potential of a multi-agent system for claim negotiations. The benefits of the proposed approach are presented and the area for further work outlined.