Breaking down project construction of all types and sizes will lead to the realization that the management of data has always been an integral part of project execution, starting with project planning and not ending until all project material has been accounted for, whether the material made it to the construction site or still remains in the laydown yard post-project construction. Project construction success as it relates to project cost and time-to-site efficiencies depends as much on project data as it does on stable processes and the people physically working those processes.

Beginning with project Bill of Laden, project material data moves through procurement to the material management team where it is tracked, expedited, received, logged into inventory and eventually placed into a material laydown yard or a staging area until the material moves to the construction site for assembly. When managing multiple projects, material data often needs to transfer from one project to another to keep resources moving without disruption; that data needs to be tracked.