Project case study
Exploring the role of data in driving more informed, connected and resilient project delivery
Our commitment to Lean principles and methodology leads us to continuous improvement, and our data journey is no different. Our team unlocked efficiencies and insights when they embraced the data analytics tool, Power BI, for their estimate deliverables.
In preparation for a meeting with North Carolina State University on their Integrative Sciences Building, our preconstruction team began the normal procedure of pulling together a standard booklet of estimates, spreadsheets and graphs. Knowing that this client appreciates being guided through the estimate details, they used Power BI to provide an interactive estimate walk-through. From there, the Estimate Deliverable Dashboard was born.
This dashboard combines multiple data sets into interactive summary tabs. The tabs include a cost summary, a visual layout of Uniformat definitions, estimate and variance influences, and Skanska Metriks® insights.
The data behind the scenes feeding the summaries consists of:
- A Uniformat definitions sheet
- An estimate export from Sage
- Key elements and their values based on comparison to other data sets in Skanska Metriks®
- A PCE log export from Intellimas
- An Excel sheet with a high-level comparison variance report between the 100 percent schematic and the previous 50 percent schematic
The cost summary screen provides the grand total of the current estimate and the variance from the previous estimate, as well as a target gauge and the project budget. It also includes a pie graph of the amount of money allocated to each building element—substructure, shell, interiors, etc.— and provides the ability to filter down within each element to see the highest cost drivers.
The dashboard can be posted online and shared with the customer and architect, which provides full transparency. The Estimate Deliverable Dashboard enables our team to showcase the most important parts of our estimate. It brings the data to life for our customers and design teams and helps us solve challenges quicker and earlier in the process. By embracing data and tools like Power BI, our team created efficiencies in our day-to-day processes and brought even more value to the project.
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