ABSTRACT
Overview/Challenge: This chapter reflects on the progress made with collaborative platforms, IPD, and BIM (particularly to support financial transactions). It argues that much of this work is ‘theoretical’, where contributions mainly rest with conceptual frameworks or theoretical models. It therefore proffers the need for greater substantiation.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Literature evaluated previous contributions in this area. Experimental design was used for proposition framing (cf. the development of an automated financial system for IPD). This culminated in the development of a new prototype, which was tested and validated through an IPD project with IPD participants.
Findings: This work presented a novel working IPD-based hyperledger fabric prototype embracing blockchain technology. Findings demonstrated that this could address a number of issues, from profit transactions to improved accounting functionality, greater decentralisation, more focussed target appropriation/monitoring, and better support for transaction management and decision-making.
Originality/Future Vision: This is one of the first AEC prototypes to demonstrate tangible outcomes. As smart contracts are increasingly being used to promote and encourage transaction transparency, future fiduciary arrangements are likely to include wider integration across different (non-cognate) stakeholders, suppliers, and servitisation entities. These are fertile grounds for future exploration.
