Development of a Negotiation Support Model for Value Management in Construction

Decision making for value-based design in Value Management (VM) is very
complicated due to the involvement of many parties. In such situation where the
designer, project manager, facility manager and others are involved in choosing a
single alternative from a set of solutions, a negotiation support is required to evaluate
and rank the solution before engaging into negotiation. This research presents a
conceptual model of negotiation support for VM. It consists of developing the
appropriate research approach, methodology of negotiation and agent-based
negotiation in VM.
The research objectives are to find a theoretical basis and research approach for
negotiation support methodology on VM, to develop a decision model for technical
solution options in a satisfying function/cost preferences, to investigate negotiation
style and outcome and analyze the correlation between them for the basis of scenarios
on the agent system, to develop a model for agreement options and coalition
algorithms on value-based decision, to validate the coalition algorithms and introduce
an initial model of Negotiation Support for Value Management (NSVM). A
triangulation methodology has been used to fulfill the objectives. It combines
simultaneous triangulation by using case studies and survey methods and sequential
triangulation in which results of one method are essential in planning the next method
(theoretical mapping, survey research, focus group, case study and conceptual
modeling).
The methodology is based on a theoretical approach which consists of value-based
decision nature in construction VM, multicriteria group decision making, game
theory, negotiation theory, and agent-based development. This methodology
combines value analysis method using Function Analysis System Technique (FAST);
Life Cycle Cost analysis, group decision analysis method based on Analytical
Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Game theory-based agent system to develop a
negotiation support. The negotiation support bridges theoretical gap between automated design in
construction domain and automated negotiation in information technology domain by
providing a structured methodology which can lead to systematic support system and
automated negotiation for VM process. It will contribute to the Value Management
body of knowledge as an advanced method for creativity and analysis phase, since the
practice of this knowledge is teamwork based.