Webinar round-up
Access webinar here
As part of the Leeds Digital Festival, we hosted a webinar with an expert panel discussing their experiences on the golden thread within the construction industry and the challenges that organisations face to achieve compliance. Our speakers included:
Carl Collins - Head of Digital Engineering - Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineering
Simon Carter - Head of Process Improvement - Willmott Dixon
Chris Lees - Technical Director - OSCRE International
As well as our hosts, Dominic Smith & Adam Spry, Directors at Tribus Digital.
The golden thread, as defined by the BRAC, is:
"The information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future. It provides a clear accountability trail, helping to reduce risk and improve safety in construction."
But what does this really mean for organisations who are expected to maintain a golden thread? Our panel touched on a variety of interesting discussion points. Key takeaways included:
Data management plays a crucial role in the golden thread and serves as the first step in the digital transformation of the industry.
Data management should ensure transparency, traceability, and accountability throughout a building's lifecycle. In construction, a vast amount of data is generated from various sources, and efficient data management is essential because it enables stakeholders to seamlessly access, update, and share critical information throughout a project's different phases.
Building strong partnerships with the supply chain will drive efficiency and compliance.
Close relationships with the supply chain will likely foster a culture of collaboration and mutual commitment to data sharing. Collaborative partnerships enable real-time data exchange, helping construction companies maintain up-to-date, accurate records throughout the building's lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and maintenance. From our experience, when the supply chain is engaged as an active participant in the acquisition process, they are more likely to invest in data quality and accessibility, contributing to the initiative's overall success.
Data standards may appear complex, but once applied to contextualised data, can drive added value in strategic decision-making.
Construction data standards may initially appear complex and overwhelming due to their technical details, documentation, and extensive requirements. However, once thoroughly understood and effectively implemented, these standards become powerful tools that drive value and efficiency within the industry.
While they set minimum requirements, they also leave room for creativity and optimisation within those boundaries; organisations can identify opportunities to innovate in other areas, such as sustainability and business efficiency.
Early adopters can help you overcome resistance to change.
Showcasing the benefits of the above can drive lasting change within organisations. Simon Carter of Willmott Dixon explained that change can sometimes be hard to see but can be felt. Within Willmott Dixon, they have found that having culture change champions can help instil behaviours that will drive compliance and efficiency for the golden thread and realise other benefits, including improved collaboration, increased digital maturity and data efficiency.
We would like to thank our speakers for contributing to such an interesting discussion. If you want to watch the webinar in full, you can view it here.
If you are considering what your best course of action is to help manage the challenges the future holds concerning keeping a golden thread of your construction records, feel free to book a no-obligation consultation with the team at Tribus, who will be happy to help guide you through your options. Contact our team here.
