A Survey Of The Use Of Computer Support For Negotiation

Abstract

A survey was taken of negotiation practices in business and industry. Of particular interest was the extent to which computer technology is being used to enhance and support negotiation. The most widely used types of computer support were costing of anticipated demands, mathematical models and contract analysis. Pre-negotiation and post-negotiation activities had been more widely supported by computers than had actual negotiation sessions. A large number of organizations expressed a willingness to use computer support for future negotiations, and the consensus was that pre-negotiation activities could most benefit from such support. Those who had not yet used computer support for negotiations felt that costing and contract analysis could cost benefit from such support. The survey identified areas in need of improvement in the negotiation process and provided the basis for identifying solutions to these problems which could be provided by the used of innovative computerized negotiation support.