Good data for the public good

This IET report examines the transition of the built environment from a document-centric to a data-centric approach. Written for technology providers and users within the engineering and design community of the built environment, it also takes into account the shifting emphasis on project delivery; transitioning from short-term considerations to whole-life value propositions.

To deliver operational benefits for owners, operators, occupants and users of built assets throughout their whole life, we need data that’s perpetually accessible while also being securely managed. Simultaneously, to deliver wider social, economic and environmental benefits, we also need data to be open. This doesn’t mean free; the openness of data is about its interoperability and ease of distribution.

These aspirations inevitably challenge existing industry practices and some entrenched commercial positions. As industry practice has begun to shift from document sharing to data sharing, the role of established technology providers may also need to change. Today’s architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) software providers will need to review how they might best capitalise on the rapidly changing nature of built environment data in the 21st century.