Data from the construction industry is important for contractors to fully understand the progress and health of their projects. While new technology is making field data easier to collect, analyze and share with teams, the actual types of data, tools, and processes contractors work with most frequently have yet to prove completely valuable or effective, a factor which is detrimental to overall success.
Reviewing these issues, Dodge Data & Analytics and Viewpoint (a provider of integrated software solutions for the construction industry) have released a joint report looking into how advancements designed to improve collection and analysis of project data can contribute to the overall digital transformation of the construction industry.
The report charts how new methods for assessing digital data can result in a significant increase of key project outcomes like budget, productivity and profitability. In terms of how data can be gathered for analysis, the report highlights emerging means of data capture, such as via apps, cameras, sensors and wearables.
The report also demonstrates how those contractors who use commercial software to gather job site data are reporting significantly higher satisfaction rates compared with those using paper forms or spreadsheets. The report also signals how both general contractors and specialty trades are flagging security concerns as the top reason for not managing data in the cloud, and among those surveyed, 65 percent are still using on-premise servers. This finding shows on-going concerns with the adoption of cloud security systems.
Despite these security concerns in relation to cloud systems, there remains cycbersecurity issues with current practices. Although 86 percent of respondents are relying on anti-malware software to address data security, only 45 percent of those surveyed have implemented employee compliance training in relation to cyberattacks and related issues. This is a barrier that needs to be overcome if the construction sector is to accelerate digital tools for the analysis of data.
