Digital technologies for preventing, mitigating, and resolving contractual disagreements in the AEC industry: A systematic literature review

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry invests significant resources in executing construction projects. However, contractual construction disagreements (CCDs), such as conflicts, claims, and disputes, frequently arise between contractual parties, leading to additional costs, prolongation costs, liquidated damages, or extension of time, to name a few examples. Although prior studies offer some insights, there still needs to be a more comprehensive and systematic identification of different digital technologies useful to prevent, mitigate, or resolve CCDs. This study fills this gap by exploring two primary research questions: (1) What digital technologies have been identified to manage contractual disagreements in the AEC industry? (2) How might artificial intelligence (AI) facilitate the digitalization of contractual disagreement management in the AEC industry? This study followed a rigorous systematic review protocol and used the Transparent Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework to identify 82 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2023. The findings demonstrated that AI, distributed ledger technologies, and building information modeling are the most dominant digital technologies in managing CCDs in the AEC industry. The study presents a conceptual framework that maps the benefits of AI and other digital solutions in facilitating conflict prevention, claim mitigation, and dispute resolution. The findings have valuable benefits for industry practitioners seeking to enhance CCD management. Moreover, the identified research avenues pave the way for future exploration and advancement of digital solutions in managing CCDs.