Databases in Construction Firms

“Databases allow you to manage your data more efficiently, avoid errors and manipulate it easily.” 

Construction firms are acknowledging the fact that staff and subcontractors come and go and the retrieval of data and information about projects becomes difficult.  With this in mind, construction firms find ease with databases.  There always comes a time when you either have a staff member replaced or simply after the project is completed, years later there is a need to recover the documents from a past project.  This is where databases come into play.  By saving and storing past, current, and potential projects, contractors, suppliers and clients, the workplace becomes organized as well as time and cost efficient.  With a database, everything is stored in one place where authorized staff has access to find the most up-to-date information. In order to obtain such information, the System Query Language (SQL) plays a role as the data language that helps organize and retrieve stored information from the database.  As Elda mentioned in her blog, having a standardized language is very important as it “allows everyone to access and manipulate databases.” 

After my last coop in a construction claims company, I soon came to realize the necessity of databases in the industry.  Considering that the company hired interns for a period of six months, they needed to have a certain file storage unit where future employees could easily attain information.  Because this company had international offices and worked globally, operating with a database was very useful and practical.  In Ryan’s post he said that for large construction firms that operate in multiple states or countries, databases come in handy “to ensure they are in compliance with disposal standards of the local area that the project is in.”  I agree with this statement because this would be a great communication source in order for companies to comply with standards.

Since the 1970s, databases have progressively been integrated in all industries and now we can see a greater implementation in construction firms.  Now, companies are found in a transition stage where the mountains of file boxes are being converted into database files, improving document and information retrieval in an efficient manner.

Sources:

"Benefits of a Relational Database." Sunadal Data Solutions. SDS, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <https://www.sunadal.co.uk/db.php>.

"Construction and General Contractors Database." Oddity Software - Databases, Development and Design. Oddity Software LLC, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.odditysoftware.com/page-datasales165.htm>.

"Database." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database>.

"Why Use the Planchest Database?" Planchest. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.planchest.net/Why.aspx>.