3 TIPS: DRIVING VALUE WITH DOCUMENT CONTROL
TIP #3 KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR DATA
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TIP #3 KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR DATA
Contractors commonly encounter owner requirements for reporting or data sharing, but it’s smart to think carefully about how to comply. It’s not unheard of for owners to insist that a project workflow follows their established working model or integrates with the software they already use. But contractors should retain control over their own project data, experts advise, even if doing so requires extra effort. Failing to do so creates new opportunities for data loss, corruption, or even theft.
“There's risk and liabilities if our data isn't in our system. Sometimes, things go south, and you don't want that data lost. So, even if the owner has their own system, we put the essential data inside our own document control system. We're trying to be a hybrid between those two things. We don't want to have our project staff do everything twice, but we don't want to put ourselves at risk by having all this important information outside our system.”
-Michelle Orizzonte, Corporate Document Control Manager, Graham
Fortunately, organizations can continue to rely on new document control technologies throughout the project while meeting owner requirements. In the case of owners with strict system requirements, redundancy is key. Organizations cannot control the stability, security, or structure of their partner's data environment. They can, however, control their own network. Organizations can bridge the gap between customer expectations and practical policy by putting essential data inside their document control system. While it's certainly bothersome to create redundancy, with its requirement for repeating specific document control tasks, the benefits of such caution quickly overcomes the risk of loss.
Redundancy offers the benefit of continuing to feed project data into your own data environment for use in future projects. According to Orizzonte, "When you look a little bit forward and look at dashboards to have some visibility into your projects -- if that data is sitting outside our own tools, we're never gonna get there. We can talk about magic when it comes to software, but you can't do any magical AI or have nice dashboards if your data isn't clean and in the same spot."
Similarly, clean document repositories and unlimited licenses allow organizations to admit external stakeholders into their environment easily. For example, rather than digging through poorly organized drawings and communication logs, company lawyers can log in, follow a logical chain of naming conventions, and find the documentation they need to resolve a dispute. Instead of asking engineers to sift through a content library, auditors can access the repository and see a clear trail of decisions, RFIs, and approvals. "Because of InEight's unlimited licenses business model, we can grant those user licenses and logins to folks who otherwise wouldn't be using the tool, like an auditor, which makes the process a lot more efficient for them and a lot less laborious for my team," explains Perrin.
Contractors are experts in building things to suit their needs. Why should software be any different? "One of the biggest benefits of InEight Document is the flexibility of the software," says Smith. "Now we're not beholden to another platform's specific process that they have deemed as the only way to do a thing in the system. InEight Document allows us to say, 'Well, we don't really want to do it that way. We want to modify the workflow or the process.'"
A CONFIDENT FUTURE
As capital construction projects grow more complex and complicated, improved document controls enable organizations to create a document environment that meets their needs, understands their business, and engages their customers. By standardizing accessible, construction-focused document control tools throughout the organization, teams put their best foot toward reducing rework, expediting approvals, and ultimately improving profitability.
ABOUT INEIGHT
InEight is a leader in construction project controls software, empowering over 850 companies taking on challenging projects in industries including construction and engineering; transportation infrastructure; mining; water; power and renewables; and oil, gas and chemical. Uniquely suited to capital construction and other complex work, our integrated, modular software manages projects worth over $1 trillion globally, taking control of project information management, costs, schedules, contracts, and construction operations, and delivering insights with advanced analytics and AI. InEight's solutions adapt and scale to meet the dynamic needs of modern construction, driving operational excellence and successful project outcomes. For more information, follow InEight on LinkedIn or visit InEight.com.