Overload of information or lack of high value information: lessons learnt from construction

Abstract

Information and knowledge are strategic assets, processed to attain objectives, perform\nactions and make decisions. However, technological innovations can change the format of information\nand often result in more complicated project information or knowledge management tools whilst this\ncan provide information to an individual more easily and quickly. Current systems have little or no\nregard for the value of the information they contain. As projects draw to a close, some organisations\nare now asking what information is worth retaining and how might it be reused. This paper addresses\nthe problems of information overload and value in the construction industry. Exploratory studies\ncompared two major consultants in the UK from three perspectives (business, project management\nand document management). Major challenges in the current information evaluation practice in the\nindustry were identified. Information overload does exist in the industry and is getting worse because\nof the heavy but often inappropriate use of search and collaborative technologies. Loss of high value\ninformation due to staff leaving is a major problem, but the companies are reluctant to evaluate\nrecorded information (before or after storage) for future retrieval. From the strategic point of view,\nthere is a lack of information evaluation tools that quantify the benefits and costs of performing\ninformation evaluation activities and the effects on storage. Based on these findings, a through-life\nInformation Evaluation Methodology (IEM) has been proposed to allow high value information to be\neasily retrievable in the future in order to support through-life knowledge and information management\n(KIM) practice.

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