Every company has their story with a fair amount of ups and downs. These cannot be undone and forgotten but should be embraced as a learning experience for the company and everyone in it. Every action that is taken creates a trail of data that can and should be utilized to improve. To really delve deep into the world of information it is recommended to hire a specialist to manage the databases in a structured way - this work creates the basis for everyone else to dip their hand in and be able to grab the correct information just at the time when it is needed. It is crucial to also mention the rise of AI tools in just about every aspect of our working lives, and data management is not left untouched. Computers have been processing and transforming data for quite some years now and with AI systems being developed the use possibilities become wider and wider - now the only real key is to figure out what kind of an employee do you want your AI to be and what needs to be done… and of course, hire a specialist, to tame the AI to get the processes right. Let's see how information management affects most of the company processes and how it is therefore irreplaceable for decision making… Data the New "Gold" - Gathering and Accessing Data management guidelines must be implemented within the company to start sifting through and letting only the correct and necessary information in to the database. Data is in a way "the new gold" and should be treated so. It is best if clean raw data is entered into the database at once but in many cases data wrangling actions are needed. The end result must be kept in mind, to achieve a fully updated database containing the agreed upon data points in the correct format. Accessing the collected knowledge should be as easy as possible and comprehensive data visualization tools should be implemented into the company processes. Accessibility to the wisdom must be available for everyone making decisions that should be driven by data. In order to keep the company functioning like a well-oiled machine the database must be central and always up to date. Importance of Management and Continuity The value of collected data does not diminish in time - as the amount of information increases, it actually accumulates and the potential of use cases widens substantially. High end technological solutions have the tendency to break down every once in a while and one should be prepared for this - data continuity must be kept in focus and both physical and digital threats to the database minimized. Having a multiple layer back-up process is advisable to even small businesses (cloud hosting solutions). Losing all or having gaps in the existing database can have devastating effects in the quality of analysis made upon such data. Creating a position and including someone into the company to be in charge of the whole process of Data Management with all its stages is a choice already made by many. As the old saying suggests: "too many cooks spoil the broth" - it is best to have central responsibility and managerial control of the database instead of only relying on everything working out on its own. Data-driven Business Decisions - from Sales and RnD to Project Management "One is encouraged to learn from mistakes made by others, but obliged to learn from their own!" - as a wise leader once phrased it. I could not agree more to this, as improvements derived from experiences (also failures) are one of the key drivers of continuous development of processes and products. Allowing data to help make critical decisions will lower risks and keep focus on the most important subjects where improvement efforts give the greatest benefits. Resources are always limited and must be used wisely. That also applies to RnD, where knowledge of past experiences and vision of the future must be intertwined and analyzed as a whole, creating new value to all upcoming processes and a competitive edge on the market for the company. Sales will be more successful by using the insights they have gathered over time (e.g. client demands, market situation, etc.). Project execution team will be able to use their previous experiences in planning and subcontractor management. And it will all end up on the table of the board members who will draw conclusions based on the very same collection of information as the rest of the process has been using, granting much more clarity and better understanding for everyone involved. Structured and Standardized Data - Even better! So, if everything above is applied, could life get any better, you may think? - The great things about data is that you can continue work with it and improve its quality. This goal is probably not in everyone's dreams but there are a great deal of people around the world in various industries working every day to give data more of a standard structure and through that more meaning. In the construction industry where copious amounts of information must be handled throughout the processes many attempts have been made to create world-wide standardization to meet everyone's needs - this has proven to be a challenge but work continues. Some of the key initiatives in BIM model data management are the IFC file format standards from BuildingSMART. Many more or less local classification systems for construction project elements have also been composed during the years but use remains scattered. Standardized structuring of data (and its quality) will help immensely with collaboration between various parties in the projects, making everyone "speak the same language" and be able to navigate faster in complex projects. How Can We at build.works Help You? A 3D construction model is just a pretty picture if the possibilities of attaching relevant information to model elements is not used. At build.works we focus more on what lies inside the belly of BIM models and provide tools for improving the data management workflows within projects - with build.works you can view, manage, edit and utilize project data and also synchronize it with Revit. We know that changing and improving one's workflows is never easy but it is well worth the effort. build.works empowers You with the cloud-based tools to introduce integrated business processes from BIM to supply chain planning and execution. If You are already using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution by vendors such as SAP or Microsoft, build.works connects Your enterprise applications with BIM to enable Engineer-to-Order production scenario on an industrial scale. Keep focus on what You wish to achieve and involve those who have knowledge to help You out - We are here for You at build.works to provide You with expert advice and world-class innovative solutions to help You really make use of BIM! You are most welcome to contact us through our web-page at https://build.works/ or myself directly through LinkedIn messages or by e-mail! Joonas Mauer I Customer Engagement Executive @ build.works