5 Ways Disconnected Construction Data is Hurting Project Performance

Everybody knows a few horror stories. The project that went on forever and cost millions over budget. The contractor that went out of business after a project hit the skids. The building that never got completed and now stands a bare monument to miscommunication and failure.

Maybe you haven’t ever had a project that went that bad… but the odds are good that you are carrying more risk on your projects than you want to. And much of this risk can be traced back to poor construction data and a disconnected job site.

Most of today’s construction sites are plagued by a lack of communication between teams. Contractors and trade specialists often find themselves working with outdated data and plans that are riddled with errors and omissions. Data silos, disconnected teams, and poor visibility into real-time information negatively impacts project performance, leaving stakeholders pointing fingers and taking blame instead of celebrating a job well done.

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The disconnected job site is costing you money whether you know it or not. Here are five ways.

#1: You’re Paying for Unnecessary Admin Work

In the disconnected job site, documents come in from multiple sources, creating disorganization and confusion around current versions and mismatched naming conventions. This requires a document manager to inspect and rename every document before filing it in accordance with your organization’s system. Then they have to make sure everyone on the job site has the information that is most relevant to them. And in a disconnected job site, many teams may not have access to a centralized file system or cohesive construction data platform, meaning the document manager has to email individual files or update a separate file repository.

#2: Your Supers Are Working from Incomplete and Outdated Information

Your superintendent can’t afford to be tied down to the trailer, and doesn’t have time to navigate difficult-to-use software that isn’t specifically designed for the jobsite. This makes the super dependent on the speed of the document manager in updating documents and making them available to the field. Without immediate access, it can be tough for supers to keep up with items like issues and RFIs.

Did you know? 63% of construction professionals rely on manual paper-based processes or spreadsheets. This means that changes made by the architect, engineer, general contractor, and field teams don’t always make it to the super in a timely fashion.

#3: Your Field Teams Are Doing the Wrong Things

When field teams have to depend on a document manager to provide the right documents, it’s easy for them to end up working from outdated or incorrect information. This leads to mistakes and rework. Additionally, on the disconnected jobsite it can take hours, days, or even weeks to receive responses to RFIs and issues, which can delay work while field teams wait for updates.

#4: You’re Not Tracking Issues Efficiently

When teams rely on paper-based methods to create issues on the jobsite, tracking becomes a big challenge. Understanding which issues have been resolved and which still need to be addressed introduces significant complexity. Without a standardized methodology for managing issues, the information exchanged between document managers and subcontractors can be inaccurate and difficult to act on.

#5: You’re Exposing Yourself to Unnecessary Security Risks

When teams don’t have access to the latest information, it not only creates inefficiency, it also create data-security and access-control risks. When teams can’t share information via their company’s chosen software or application, they’re more likely to seek “work-arounds,” such as unsecured cloud storage solutions that do not meet corporate IT security standards. This creates compliance issues, the risk of information loss or theft, and potential legal ramifications if sensitive data falls into the wrong hands.

Find Out How to Get Connected for Free

With current advances in technology, there is no reason why any job site should be disconnected, yet only 6% of contractors report that they have all of their applications integrated in the field.

Find out how you can be in the top 6% with our beginner’s guide to connecting construction data and documents.

Download The Beginner's Guide To Connecting Construction Data and Documents

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