Comparative study of idea generation between traditional value management workshops and GDSS-supported workshops

Value management (VM) has been widely used to meet challenges arising from the construction industry. However, it has also encountered some problems such as passive participation in VM workshops and a lack of time and information to complete all tasks in the workshops. A group decision support system (GDSS), entitled interactive value management system (IVMS), has been developed by the writers to overcome these problems. This paper starts with an introduction to GDSS and a critical review of technologies used in the process of idea generation in VM workshops. This is followed by findings of a laboratory experiment designed to compare the productivity of traditional brainstorming and brainstorming with IVMS support in VM workshops. The results of the experiment showed that IVMS has a positive influence on idea generation in VM workshops. Finally, the implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.