Digital platforms deliver higher quality outcomes for construction companies

The demand for higher quality project management and visibility is driving the need for digital platforms in the construction sector. 

Almost none of the information collected during the design and engineering process is shared across the construction ecosystem, creating a range of significant challenges said Sumit Oberoi, industry strategy manager for Autodesk.

“It’s also a huge opportunity to drive successful transformation in the (construction) sector,” he said.

“We want to hone in on what connected construction means. It is really about providing a foundation for how the accountable officers in companies can get full visibility and an understanding of how the project has gone and how that compares to other projects they are concurrently managing.”

For technology partners like Autodesk Construction Solutions, the goal is to help its customers move beyond lagging indicators towards proactive indicators so they can make better decisions about where to deploy their assets and their people.

“From a technology perspective, it really relies on us to be a partner with the industry, to help them identify and understand those indicators that they're trying to achieve and then help them deliver the projects with greater visibility and based on standardised data sets that will assist them moving forward.”

Data is captured in myriad forms and by multiple means, said Oberoi, from design to pre-construction to construction, and finally to handover.”

According to an FMI report, 52 per cent of project rework comes from miscommunication or poor data sharing. In 2020, bad data cost the construction industry US$88.69 billion. Breaking down data silos will help companies address this.

“When we talk about a common data environment this is something that allows us to bring that information together in an aggregate form,” says Oberoi

The creation of standardised information in turn, helps construction companies to manage quality at a very granular level. There are impediments, however. For instance, one of the trends that has led to the disaggregation of data in the sector is the rise of a plethora of apps and point solutions, said Oberoi.

That’s creating some fatigue among users, he believes, and a desire to move to a more unified approach.

“Since perhaps 2010, there’s been a real proliferation of point solutions in the market. They did a good job serving a particular issue in the market, whether it is safety related or perhaps quality related but now there’s a real willingness to move forward to more of a platform approach.

“When we start talking about platform, we're really talking about something that allows for an open API environment. In turn that can encourage the start-up community to engage, it can encourage those third-party integrations beyond the start-ups as well and really address the problem of siloed information.” 

Construction is a complicated business that requires all the partners in the ecosystem to work together efficiently and effectively. Giving leaders visibility over project data that is timely, accurate and contextual is critical to delivering the highest quality outcomes.

Looking to reduce rework and increase efficiencies in your construction projects? Read the Autodesk Executive Guide on digitising project workflows in the cloud