A decision support model for best value IT procurement for construction organizations

![CDATA[IT knowledge has become increasingly essential to the success of today’s construction and will become more so in the future. Ineffective IT exploitation and poor procurement practices in construction organizations often create obstacles in reaping the full potential of IT investments. This paper presents a Decision Support Model for procurement of IT for construction organizations, which uses a value-based framework drawn from value engineering. It enables the identification of best value IT procurement options for various IT solutions and requirements. The model is developed using object oriented modeling techniques providing greater flexibility in future modification and expansion. The model is implemented as a decision support system and tested using real life cases from the construction industry. An expert evaluation carried out positively verified the concept and the usability of the system. The decision support model creates a knowledge repository for IT procurement and opens the opportunity to further enhance of aspects of IT procurement. The research was carried out in Sri Lanka using the construction industry as the forum for development of the system.]]