The Eliminate Downtime Whitebook (published in April 2020) illustrated many instances of the industry’s need for enhanced data-sharing. Co-creation of a blueprint for data-sharing will combine extensive field research and draw together organizations from across the industry for roundtables and five hackathons to drive understanding of problems and highlight current individual practices. The goal of bringing together the peer groups and getting clarity on which data points should and should not be shared signifies a major step to the Eliminate Downtime movement.

Soeren Brogaard, COO, Trackunit, stated. “The current industry situation highlights the need for change. We must streamline processes and adopt industry-wide shared practices that benefit all of us. More widely available access to data can help provide higher levels of safety, communications and productivity on every site. The Eliminate Downtime co-creation of a blueprint for data-sharing allows the industry to gain insights which will drive better machines, better processes, faster problem solving with multiple possibilities for higher productivity.”

Data-sharing does not require complete access to organization’s data or personal data. It requires access to specific data points be shared between one of more entities in all lifecycle phases. The multiple benefits it introduces offer capabilities to modularize offerings, to provide standard submodules which combine in multiple ways to create new systems. Output charging allows business modules to charge for actual benefit generated e.g. tons of earth moved. Value design uses data to design new machines that meet the needs of customers. Just in time delivery and return data allow optimized logistics and inventory based on customers actual needs. In this and other ways the industry will build trust in data and the ecosystems that will proliferate around it.

Technology is increasingly used within the construction value-chain, but historically is often siloed. This creates tremendous barriers and data cannot be easily integrated into centralized data systems or shared to gain insights, which impact other aspects of the organization. Industry consensus on sharing data is essential to allow for increased productivity and innovation.

Phase two of Eliminate Downtime is now underway and scheduled to be complete by the end of Q1, 2021 with the publication of the blueprint for data-sharing across the construction industry. Working together in this new collaborative approach to data can positively change for the long term.