Data Management Flashcards
How long do you need to keep project data for?
- 6 years if contract signed underhand, 12 years if signed as a deed
- RICS recommends <15 years (limitation period for most legal claims)
What’s your understanding of Intellectual Property and Copyright?
- Right to control use and ownership of original works
- Generally created by employee, belonging to employer unless copyrights put in place
- Common in construction for client to be granted license for use and reproduction of copyright material - i.e. right to use particular design by subcontracting specialist who retains control of original copyright
How does Stace protect client data?
Online filing system, password-locked files, restricted access to certain drives
Guidance note for Data Management?
RICS Data Management Guidance Note
(and Freedom of Information Act 2000)
Types of data systems used in your organisation?
- Shared hard drives - confidential ones for certain clients
- Backup servers
- Online storage systems (one drive)
- Software i.e. Teams
- Project extranet
What is a project extranet system?
Network allowing external parties to view files on a secure platform
Advantages of extranet system?
- Improves communication
- 24hr access
- Efficient
- Secure (can apply different access and permission settings)
Disadvantages of extranet system?
- Can be expensive
- Requires maintenance
- May require user training to operate
Benefits of cloud-based storage systems?
- Easy access worldwide
- Secure / password protected and backed up
- Low set-up costs
- Teams can work in ‘real time’ - multiple users access same docs (which can be synchronised)
- Access control / restrictions / accessibility available for confidential files / folders
- Convenient to send and share files
- Relatively environmentally friendly
Sources of pricing data?
BCIS, SPON’s, benchmarking, in-house records and databases
What are pricing books?
Assist with estimating and valuing variations, cover major areas of construction process
What is BCIS?
Building Cost Information Service
- Provides cost and price data for UK construction industry, helping produce specific estimates, early cost advice, plan costs and benchmarks
- Part of RICS
Where does the data on the BCIS come from?
Real life projects, where members of the construction industry provide cost information that’s uploaded to database (following review by BCIS staff)
What cost data is submitted to the BCIS?
Elemental costs from pricing documents, including % for each element, details of contract, procurement and tendering route, description of works, GIFA, base date, location
What else is available on BCIS?
Cost analysis, indices, average prices, life cycle costing, wages, dayworks, schedule of rates, contract %, tender price studies
How does your company ensure accurate cost data uploaded?
Template for info, internal database system forwarded to relevant party
What influences the cost data we hold?
- Level of detail provided, consideration and identification of project abnormals affecting pricing
- Amount of cost data in particular location
- Age of data
- Project location
What is Meta Data and why is this important?
- Info about a specific piece of data
- i.e. when sharing cost planning doc, meta data can consist of info about author, file size, date of documentation, keywords to describe doc
- Must ensure it’s afforded same level of care as other confidential info
- Try to ensure not to share inadvertently
What different sources of info do you use in your day-to-day?
- RICS guidance notes
- Contract documentation
- Previous tenders
- Cost plans
- Valuation data
- Industry journals
- Specialist subcontractor information