Better Search Techniques For The AEC | Optimize Search | ProjectReady | ProjectReady

Arm Your Company with Search Techniques & Strategic Data Management Tools

Cloud technology and digitalization of project information are becoming increasingly integral to operations among the AEC industry and project owners. With all this data and different data sources, this blog aims to unravel the intricate challenges associated with search techniques and optimization across the AEC sector. Read on to learn more about why this particular challenge is crucial. You’ll also discover why search techniques and strategy is essential for the successful application of AI.

We’ve also released a podcast on this topic. You can visit the show page here to learn more, or you can hit play on the media player below. 

Why ‘Search’ Is Such A Challenge For The AEC 

Digitalization and Data Overload 

The AECO industry is currently seeing a surge in digital adoption. Statistics predict a five-fold increase in global data volume in construction by 2025, reaching an astounding 175 zettabytes (source). Unfortunately, unless organizations have a better way of finding and accessing the growing amount of data being collected on a project, what will ultimately result is a lot of unusable digital noise.

Challenges and Wasted Time

The struggles faced by AEC professionals and project owners in finding information effectively are abundant: 

    • Having to log into multiple systems 
    • Searching for the right projects 
    • Combing through various libraries and inboxes.  

Statistics reveal that 35 percent of construction professionals spend more than 14 hours per week on non-productive activities like searching for project information (source) already. As the volume of data continues to increase, the amount of time wasted will likely increase proportionately.

Optimize Search | AECO Industry Solutions | ProjectReady Podcast | ProjectReadyThe Significance Optimization: Search Techniques in the AEC

When executed correctly, search optimization can be catalyst for a substantial boost in productivity and a reduction in the risk of information mismanagement. 

Improving the way data and information is managed, including a thoughtful email integration strategy, at the onset of every project is essential. It starts with understanding all your data sources and determining how they can be integrated and standardized for better control. For example, how will you use metadata to unify information across various systems on a project for improved search and reporting?

Metadata and Tagging

When considering a search optimization strategy, metadata is critical.  

Metadata is the descriptive information assigned to data or a resource (Source).  

When applied properly, metadata makes your ability to search and locate files and information more effective, giving you the ability to filter and search in context. That said, one of the biggest challenges of metadata management is getting your team to use and apply it consistently. That’s why you may want to consider solutions that automate the application of metadata across your entire project information ecosystem. 

What To Look For When Researching Search Techniques & Optimization Technology and Tools

There are numerous solutions out there that claim to bring your data together and simplify your search experience but there is only one Integrated Data Environment (IDE), which is what ProjectReady offers the AECO industry. 

An IDE is a “system of systems” designed to apply process to the different platforms used on a project. As data, content and workflows are passed between team members and the systems they use to manage their portion of the project, an IDE keeps it all organized, automates and simplifies metadata management, and tracks the transactions that occur between team members and their systems.  

The benefit of an IDE goes beyond search. With your systems properly integrated, it also sets the stage for clean data and the creation of a data warehouse. Armed with a functional data warehouse, users gain the ability to introduce effective AI strategies moving forward.

Better Search Techniques Will Improve The Impact of AI

Many in the industry are looking forward to the impact Artificial Intelligence will have in the future. Although there is exciting potential for the application of AI, for AI to work in the way it is intended, clean data is paramount.  

Therefore, even if your plans of introducing AI to the mix are several years away, it’s important to lay the groundwork now. This means, taking a strategic approach to data management with a solution like ProjectReady.  

Graeme Freeman, co-founder and director of Strategic Partnerships at Freeman Clarke Ltd, underscores the critical importance of clean and correct data in his blog on optimizing data for AI 

Freeman says clean data is foundational for effective data-driven decision-making, cautioning against the misconception that an abundance of data necessarily leads to clarity. This emphasis on the need for accurate data serves as a pivotal reminder for organizations preparing for AI and automation, highlighting that a culture conducive to proper data strategies is paramount for successful implementation and business value extraction. 

Next Steps

If you’d like to learn more about how ProjectReady is working to improve data cleanliness across the AECO industry, check out our recent podcast episode on the subject. We’ve also pulled together some other great thought leadership on this topic. Check out the resources below for more.  

Alternatively, if you would like to see how easy it is to promote clean data and information with ProjectReady to make search and reporting more accurate and effective, email our team today to request a free, no obligation demonstration of the solution.

Additional Resources