From Bricks to Bytes: Navigating Data Management in Construction Technology

Abstract

With the advent of technological tools, systems, and mechanisms, the operating system in the construction industry has changed enormously. While technological advancements cover a broad area of software and hardware, those involved in data flow have significant roles in data sustainability. The data flow presupposes various requirements, interactions, consequences, and resource utilization and therefore plays a crucial role in construction organizations’ success. The importance of the data flow subject and the scarcity of pertinent studies provoked the current research, which aimed at the exploration of the data flow in construction companies and the effects of technological advancements on different stages of this flow. The overarching research question was, “what factors or processes generate data that do not add value to the construction organization.” In this context, the added value was considered a tradeoff between all consumed resources, including cost, human resources, hardware and software, and associated challenges on one side and the advantages of data generated on the other side. An extensive literature review was performed to examine the main milestones in the data-generative events in the construction industry, with a special emphasis on recent technological advancements such as BIM, VR, AR, and drones. In addition, a group of construction professionals who were in charge of processes was surveyed to produce empirical data for supplementary analysis. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a clear analysis of the data flow in construction companies which helps decision-makers to design and implement consistent and coherent data generative systems.