The Preconstruction Data Lifecycle: What It Is and How To Use It
Over the past decade, the world of construction technology has evolved at a breakneck pace. Not long ago, estimators were still calculating numbers by hand and performing 2D takeoffs on pieces of paper. Today, not only are these processes automated but they can even be performed all under the same roof if one wishes.
Thanks to the plethora of recent advancements in construction tech, one concept that has emerged is that of the preconstruction data lifecycle, or PDL. The preconstruction data lifecycle is essentially the progression of data throughout an entire project, from the time that the project is simply an idea to its closeout.
Challenges
While this might seem like an elementary-school level observation, estimating programs that recognize and work within the preconstruction data lifecycle are extremely critical to the success of future project pursuits and estimating efforts. Why? There are three major challenges that estimators face across the board:
- Lack of data – unable to collect it
- Lack of access – collecting data, but can’t easily get to it
- Time cost – mining and organizing data is extremely time-consuming
One of the greatest issues with most estimating software available on the market is that while they may help estimators generate tons of data, they don’t necessarily help them follow through with that data. There are no ways to analyze or track the data.
