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AboutRead In 6 Minutes
We live in a data-driven world. Even construction projects are data-driven. To some, that may seem counterintuitive since it’s the image of a jobsite full of crews and diggers and materials that typically comes to mind for a construction project – not computer screens full of data. The reality is, however, that construction projects are largely composed of information housed in databases. That information represents every minute detail of every material, person, equipment, etc. that happens every day of the project.
The virtual representation of the project has become the only way to organize and tame the chaos that happens out there on the jobsite. And, as construction projects become more complex, sharing vital project information across project teams and with key stakeholders has become an essential building block for success. Yet, many organizations that engage in construction projects continue to work in disconnected, disparate systems and spreadsheets, causing information silos between teams that should otherwise be working collaboratively together to maximize project success. When they don’t, it leads to disjointed processes, data inaccuracies, and errors.
This misalignment across project teams ultimately drives up costs, delays schedules and can negatively impact information accuracy and quality, which ultimately impacts the health of a company’s bottom line. By bringing people together into the same system – or by tightly integrating enterprise systems together – organizations can create a truly collaborative environment that elevates project transparency and minimizes errors and gaps. Addressing these gaps & errors will provide project stakeholders the insights they may not have otherwise had. To better understand if information silos are creating a barrier to a holistic view of your company data, read on.
Experience Centralized Project Controls
What are information silos?
Information silos form when a department or project team doesn’t share information and doesn’t receive information. Sometimes project information may be readily available to one project team, but isolated from other key project groups, and often results in a severe lack of transparency, efficiency, and trust across business units & divisions within an organization.
The Cost of Information Silos
Organizations invest heavily in data to grow their bottom line. However, data silos are a frequent problem especially among construction companies with many departments, stakeholders, vendors and complex projects that require diligent oversight and tight communication.
While the direct costs of information silos may not be clear, there are numerous ways these silos waste company resources, reduce efficiency and erode trust between disconnected teams, including:
- Slow decision-making, causing an inability to take timely corrective action when necessary
- Compromised trust and lack of collaboration across project teams
- Higher project costs due to rework
Information silos produce incomplete views of essential business information. If data is siloed with different project teams and within disparate systems, this isolation keeps the organization from seeing a holistic view of a project’s activities, progress, and cost. When project teams are working within the same system and accessing the same information, they can present an accurate and holistic picture that gives key stakeholders confidence in their decisions.
Let Technology do the Heavy Lifting
With a multi-user, collaborative software platform that connects departments and disciplines throughout project planning and execution – information is instantly shared at the moment it’s entered into the system.
Utilizing an integrated software solution enables you to free up your organization’s resources and it gives your project teams access to a 360-degree view of their data in order to glean deep, actionable insights to make informed decisions. After all, the future growth of any business is in its ability to make timely, informed decisions. This only comes when there is unity between departments, people and across the landscape of construction projects.
Learn More
With a wealth of project management features – 4castplus enables companies to leverage their data as an asset by delivering a powerful suite of reporting tools to visualize, report, and pivot all your vital project information. There is no other software system on the market that provides such a comprehensive suite of project management & procurement tools. Contact us today to learn more.
