The 10 benefits of a CDE to help you control the time, cost and quality of your construction project

Construction projects often involve numerous stakeholders, tight schedules, strict budgets and high quality standards. Managing these elements effectively is essential to the success of a construction project. Here are the top 10 ways in which a Common Data Environment (CDE) can help you control the time, cost and quality of your project.

1. Advanced automation processes

The CDE stands out for its automation processes, from data validation through to access rights management. Team members work together more effectively and processes run more smoothly. Automated validation, distribution and revision processes eliminate the risk of errors. They optimise productivity, freeing up valuable time. 

There’s no longer any need to manually move items from one folder to another to assign access rights, everything is done automatically! As a result:

• Time is saved
• The quality of the information made available to the various project stakeholders is guaranteed.

2. Optimal access rights management

With a CDE, access rights are assigned consistently and efficiently according to the roles of team members and other companies working on the project. Integrated automation manages rights within validation circuits, guaranteeing secure access to relevant information for each player, while eliminating the risk of leaks. 

3. Significant time and productivity savings

Unlike simple document-sharing tools, the CDE goes further by focusing on results. Documentation becomes dynamic, and the tool enables cost savings. It also reduces the risk of rework on site, a source of lost time and money, by providing constantly updated information. No need to do the job a second time because you weren’t efficient enough the first time!

4. Perfect collaboration

Construction projects generally involve a multitude of stakeholders. Effective collaboration between these stakeholders is essential to the success of the project. A CDE facilitates this collaboration by providing a digital workspace where all stakeholders can share information in real time. This reduces delays due to communication problems and ensures that everyone is working together towards a common goal.

5. Interoperability of the solution with other tools

A CDE integrates easily into your existing IT environment. It communicates easily with other business and office software, creating a genuine backbone for managing project data.

6. Automated dashboards for effective project management

The CDE gives you a real-time overview of the project, in a shared, easily configurable dashboard with customisable indicators. All the operation’s metrics are just a click away, with real-time updates.

7. Flawless data reliability

The CDE centralises all project data, ensuring its integrity and traceability. You always have the latest version of documents, which strengthens team collaboration and facilitates decision-making.

8. Complete BIM management

A digital model contains a huge amount of information, which means that it has to be broken down into models, each under the responsibility of a project stakeholder, and this is where one of the CDE’s great strengths lies: it is able to control the different versions of the BIM model using appropriate validation circuits, and to offer the latest version of the various components within a single interface, accessible via a web browser.

9. Secure data storage

The CDE meets the stringent safety requirements associated with the digitalisation of construction. Data is secured using rigorous protocols:

• Definition of visibility rights according to the status of documents and/or models, and the rules defined for the project,
• Action and information traceability,
• Data encryption,
• Strict control of data access,
• Daily back-ups…all the ingredients are in place to offer users the highest level of security.

10. An upgradeable solution for every stage of the project

The CDE is flexible and evolves with the project, adapting to changing needs. It meets the requirements of both large and small projects, guaranteeing complete management at every stage of the worksite.

The adoption of a Common Data Environment in construction project management is a strategic choice. Its advantages in terms of automation, security, collaboration and data reliability contribute significantly to the success of projects, by controlling deadlines, costs and quality. The CDE offers an agile response to the complex challenges of the construction industry, propelling professionals towards success.

DOWNLOAD OUR WHITE PAPER