DATA & DIGITAL INNOVATION
Contech from First Principles: A 'Site Up' approach to meaningful construction data
As the industry has evolved and software is more broadly adopted, expectations are beginning to shift left - the spotlight is now firmly on the importance of collecting clean, reliable data
Kurt Robinson | Published on 30 November 23
Across the construction industry there is a common need to do more with less - be it with resources, materials, plant, or technology. Construction tech utilised on site or in the office is not exempt, especially as the industry has evolved and matured.
Contech systems now need to deliver comprehensive functionality, be collaborative, flexible and offer more customisation. And as machine learning and AI have come into prominence, the spotlight is now also squarely on data collection, reliability and utilisation - and how contech can empower teams to process and analyse gigabytes of data daily - without the need for a data scientist.
Whether a developer, contractor or subcontractor, successful project teams understand that data collection begins early and is only made possible with technology that subcontractors willingly use.
Your site teams construct your data sets
Everyone's forgotten the subbie!
AI will no doubt play a critical role in the future of construction but it will remain dependent on the collection of accurate and meaningful construction data. While real people still build apartments, schools and hospitals - your data collection will still begin at the site level - by your team, on your worksites and in your offices - everyday.
Project metrics and insights are only as reliable as the raw data they are compiled from, so ensuring your team is producing and utilising reliable data, is paramount.
Before introducing high-spec tech and AI to your project teams, take a step back and review your data collection from first principles - beginning with the subcontractor at the site level.
Why you should know how your project data is collected
How construction data is collected and stored at the site-level impacts the speed and effectiveness of day-to-day project management decisions. Incomplete, inaccurate or inconsistent data will deliver distorted project insights.
While a range of variables impact the quality and reliability of data that is collected, two key principles should be considered when considering new systems:
Standardised Data Collection
Using consistent and replicable methods to collect raw data enables the data to be reliably compared across people, organisations, time and projects. E.g. All subcontractors using the same platform and the same forms to manage inductions, SWMS reviews, incidents, site movements, or complete Inspections, allows for more reliable analysis.
Data Continuity
This refers to the ongoing acquisition of project data, and how accessible it is to users involved in the project, from ECI through to handover and DLP. When data is stored in different apps, it becomes fragmented and siloed. This makes it harder for users to search, find, action or analyse the data they need to make decisions in the moment - which can result in inefficiencies and delays, leading to higher costs or rework.
It's easier and more affordable than it sounds
Why the industry is shifting to single project delivery platforms
The key to driving operational insights derives from a platform approach to ensure the user can, and does engage through all stages of the project delivery lifecycle
Construction companies can produce gigabytes of data every week, however, most can’t allocate resources to data scientists to export, collate and compare data that is stored across multiple systems.
But there is a faster and more cost-effective alternative - Single Platform Solutions.
When a project is managed through a single delivery platform, operational processes are standardised across the organisation and data entry becomes more consistent across users - from subcontractors on the worksite, through to head office management. This guarantees all users are engaging, reviewing and building on the same , clean and accurate data set - at both the project level and the organisation level.
A single data set that is collected in real-time also ensure all project data is immediately available for analysis and reporting. Whether it's via real-time project or organisational dashboards, site reports or data extracts, operational insights can be relied on by your team and actioned immediately.
A single platform solution thereby removes the requirement to engage data specialists to help extract, sort, clean and collate construction data - saving teams time and unnecessary overhead.
Looking Ahead: We're preparing our clients for emerging tech
We know that data will revolutionalise construction, and industry heavyweights are already understanding the impact of carefully collected data and applied data intelligence in their organisations.
But AI can't solve bad data problems, it will just compound them. We need to trust the data first.
At Simpel, our focus is on empowering our clients to leverage the clean and connected data sets that our single project delivery platform already provides. It doesn't take a data scientist or systems analyst to understand and use them, and the data can be used daily to make faster operational decisions and deliver business intelligence that will help deliver projects safer and sooner.
To learn more, contact us for a demo.
Sign up to Simpel's Newsletter
60 Second Snapshot
It's a quick read with our latest news, blogs, recent software releases, and big company updates - delivered straight to your inbox