From clay and papyrus to digital technology
18 February 2024Data management systems
18 February 2024A new era of modern data storage and processing began with the adoption of magnetic tape in the 1950s, opening up the possibility of storing and utilizing much larger amounts of information. The next breakthrough was the introduction of disk drives, which radically changed the approach to data management in the construction industry.
With the rise of data warehousing, a large number of companies have entered the solution market and started developing software to create, store, process data and automate routine tasks.
Exponential growth in the volume of information and tools has led to the need to develop integrated solutions that do not work with individual files, but help manage and control the entire data flow in projects.
The first comprehensive platform tools had to not only store documents but also document all change requests and transactions in processes: who initiated them, what was the scope of the request, and what was the final record as a value or attribute. Forthese purposes, a system was needed that could track accurate calculations and decisions made. Such platforms were the first MRP (Material Requirements Planning) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems that gained popularity in the early 1990s.
Advances in data warehousing technology led to the emergence of ERP systems in the 1980s, automating routine tasks and change management in construction
The first MRP and ERP systems laid the foundation for the digitalization era in business process management and construction project management. MRP-ERP systems, originally designed to automate key business processes, over time began to integrate with additional, more flexible and adaptive software solutions. These additional solutions were designed for data processing and project content management, and they either replaced certain modules in ERP systems or effectively complemented them, extending the functionality of the entire system.
New software solutions have complemented traditional complex systems such as ERP systems and brought a whole army of managers into the business to manage data flows
And while for thousands of years engineers in the construction industry only needed clay tablets or sheets of paper to manage a project, in the modern era, company professionals manipulate hundreds of different digital systems that require mutual integration and coordination.
