The construction industry has faced the daunting challenge of digital transformation in recent years. One of the main difficulties has been the inherent lack of interoperability between software solutions. This lack of integration between the systems used by construction companies leads to silos of data and information, making it difficult to achieve accurate project data, meaningful insights, and better project planning. In addition, the lack of actionable data-based business intelligence and KPIs makes it nearly impossible for construction companies to make informed decisions.
Interoperability is the ability of different software solutions to communicate and exchange data seamlessly. In the construction industry, interoperability is crucial as the industry involves multiple stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors, who use various software solutions for tasks such as design, estimating, project management, scheduling, and accounting. When these software solutions do not communicate with each other, it leads to data fragmentation, inaccurate data, and lack of insight, leading to inefficient project planning and management.
One significant consequence of these problems is data silos—as each software solution used in a construction organization generates data. If systems cannot communicate, data insights are inaccessible to disparate departments. For example, suppose the data generated by the estimating software cannot integrate with the project management software. In that case, the project management team cannot access the most up-to-date information on the estimated costs, leading to project delays and cost overruns. Ultimately, this leads to inaccurate project data, making it nearly impossible to accurately track the project’s progress.
Worse, the lack of interoperability is the lack of meaningful data insights. Construction companies generate vast amounts of data but cannot consolidate and analyze data without integration between software solutions. For instance, if the data generated by the project management software is not integrated into the scheduling software—the organization will not have visibility into the impact of schedule changes on the project’s cost and completion time. Simply put, a lack of integration between software solutions leads to a lack of meaningful data insights. You can’t make informed decisions without accurate insights.
Further, when multiple software solutions exist, creating a cohesive project plan that considers all aspects of the project is complex. Consider this: if the design team and the estimating team use disparate software solutions that don’t effectively communicate with one another—how can a project be completed on time and within budget? They can’t—lack of effective communication between disparate systems results in miscommunications between separate departments and project delays.
Because construction companies generate a vast amount of data, it is challenging to create actionable business intelligence and KPIs without integration between software solutions. For example, if the data generated by the project management software cannot communicate with the accounting software—the result is hours of manual input and inaccurate financial reports, and no actionable data.
To address the challenges of the lack of interoperability, construction companies need to take steps to ensure that their software solutions communicate with each other seamlessly. The good news is that there is a solution—check out our latest press release.
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