This paper aims to research how the use of an interactive tool can facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and enhance the understanding of customer needs in conceptual phase at a global shipbuilding company. An effective conceptual phase depends on collaboration and mutual understanding of customer needs to capture customer requirements and transform them into a base of design‐document. Lack of early common understanding can result in increased project cost or in worst‐case loss of contract. We used action research as an approach for our study and developed and implemented an interactive tool in a case at the company. In‐depth interviews and root‐cause analysis were used to determine the pain‐points of the as‐is situation. A feedback survey was used to evaluate the performance and result of the interactive tool. The results indicate that the interactive tool contributes to a better overview of ongoing projects, increased knowledge sharing, and enhanced common understanding.