Speculation, profiteering, closed and lack of ERP transparency
22 February 2024The problem of data heterogeneity
22 February 2024The problem of diversity of formats and systems in the construction industry is inextricably linked to the issue of closed and proprietary data in the key systems of companies in the construction industry.
While most construction data management systems operate on open standards, CAD (BIM) tool databases continue to be the only isolated islands of proprietary systems in the construction data landscape.
The closed and proprietary nature of CAD (BIM) data creates barriers to data integration and access in the ecosystem of construction companies.
Project data stored in closed CAD (BIM) databases, more specifically, the attributes of creature volumes and their geometric representation, accumulated over weeks, months and even years are eventually converted into complex parametric or closed CAD (BIM) formats. More information about the BOM-BIM concept and the conversion of CAD (BIM) into open and structured formats is available in the chapters "BOM-BIM Concept" and "Conversion of CAD (BIM) Data into Structured Form".
IT specialists and developers in companies that create applications for data access, processing and automation today face many limitations from CAD (BIM) software vendors. These constraints require creating solutions through specialized API connections and additional "zoo" of tools and software.
This situation leads to the fact that the entire code architecture and business process logic in the company turns into a spaghetti of tools that depend on CAD (BIM) vendors' policies regarding the provision of quality access to data.
This dependency creates a number of challenges, from limited flexibility in development to potential risks to business processes if the CAD (BIM) vendor changes access terms or licensing policies.
The closed and proprietary nature of CAD (BIM) data creates barriers to data integration in the ecosystem of construction companies.
In today's environment, developers have to constantly adapt to changing APIs, sometimes even rebuilding significant parts of their systems to meet new requirements. This not only increases the burden on developers, but also increases the time and resources required to implement or update systems.
The bottom line is that despite the potential for automation and optimization that modern technology offers, the constraints imposed by closed solution providers severely limit the ability of companies to use modern technology to its full potential.
The lack of trust and transparency in data and systems results in the risk of human errors and leads to the creation of unnecessary multi-level bureaucracy in the core business processes of construction companies.
Monopoly or tight control over critical data formats and protocols is not unique to the construction industry. Many industries have faced, and some still face, problems related to closed standards and formats. The removal of barriers related to limited access to data in other sectors of the economy has led to increased innovation, competition and productivity.
Monopoly ownership or strict control over key data formats and protocols is not an exclusive problem for construction industry.
Despite the barriers and marketing strategies of large corporations, the construction industry recognizes the need to use open data to ensure the efficient and continuous exchange of information between different systems.
Major players in the construction industry are increasingly demanding that developers not only create open data solutions, but also provide access to the source code of open source solutions. This ensures that such solutions can continue to be supported and maintained even if the original developer leaves the market.
In the future, all companies in the construction industry will be forced to concentrate their business on working with open data.
Open source solutions that work with open data automatically forces businesses to focus on business processes and their efficiency, rather than on software and the constant hassle of updating API commands and finding compatibility between a zoo of closed solutions.
