Construction needs a common digital language

Construction is one of the least digitised industries worldwide. Although great progress has been made in the last 5-10 years, the overall construction supply chain still works in “information silos”. The exchange of information between people who design and construct built assets and those who manufacture their components is fragmented.

Each actor manages the same information in a specific format, structure, or system, which hinders the free flow of information. To break away from poor information management practices and analogue processes, the construction industry needs a common digital language that both machines and people can understand.

A key step towards digital transformation

To address this need, the international standardisation bodies CEN and ISO have developed a set of standards that allow actors to capture and exchange information in a way that ensures free information flow, data quality and interconnectivity.

Robust data strategies based on international standards will enable the industry to finally bridge the gap between design, manufacturing and production thus increasing its low productivity growth. A common digital language is an important prerequisite not only for the industrialisation of the sector, but also for the adoption of modern digital technologies, such as machine learning, internet of things, artificial intelligence, etc.

Finally, the free flow of trusted, high-quality data improves decision making and enables the industry to work more efficiently with complex environmental requirements, reduce waste and become more circular.