Level 1 - Data management

Question 1

What is the Data Protection Act (1998) and how does it apply to your work?

Answer 1

• The Data Protection Act 1998 governs the protection of personal data in the UK. It protects all personal data stored on computes or in organised paper filing systems.
• The purpose of the Act is to control the way in which data is stored and handled and gives rights to people who have data stored about them.
• The definition of personal data is ‘data which enables an individual to be identified from it.
• It is a criminal offence punishable by an unlimited fine to store personal data on a computer without registering with the Information Commissioner.

Principles of the Act are that the information held must be:

1. Secure
2. Fairly and lawfully processed for relevant purpose
3. Accurate and up to date
4. Not kept longer than is necessary
5. Not given to third parties
6. Disposed of securely
7. Processed in line with the data subject’s rights

Question 2

What is the Freedom of Information Act (2000):

Answer 2

• Gives individuals the rights to access information held by public bodies.
• Public bodies are required to issue information held on individuals within 20 days of request.

Question 3

What is BIM?

Answer 3

Building Information Modelling is the process of designing a building collaboratively using one coherent system of computer models rather than separate sets of drawings.
Building information model contains not only the design of a building but data concerning the properties of its components, its construction and ongoing maintenance.
Allows the building to be constructed twice. First digitally coordinating all disciplines aiding integration reducing the risk of mistakes or discrepancies that would otherwise be unearthed on site causing delay to the programme and additional cost.
By 2016, all centrally procured government construction projects must be delivered using Building Information Modelling.

Level 0
• No collaboration
• 2D CAD

Level 1
• No collaboration.
• 3D CAD for concept work and 2D for statutory approvals.
• Information sharing system e.g. 4Projects used, usually managed by the contractor.
• Standard of most projects.

Level 2
• Collaborative working.
• All parties used 3D CAD models.
• Design information is shared through a common file format, which enables any organisation to be able to combine that data with their own in order to make a federated BIM model, and to carry out interrogative checks on it.

Level 3 (Open BIM)
•	Full collaboration.
•	All parties contribute to a single, shared project model which is held in a centralized repository.
•	All parties can access and modify that same model, and the benefit is that it removes the final layer of risk for conflicting information.

4D – use of data to analyse programme

5D – Integration of cost information

6D – Use of information for facilities management

Question 4

How do you manage data?

Answer 4

• Collect - email
• Collate - job
• Label – job no., date etc.
• Store – in job folder in WBS
• Retrieve and share.

Question 5

What are the benefits of a project platform such as 4Projects or Acconex/Project Vault?

Answer 5

	Direct 24 hour access to information.
	Aids faster document approvals.
	Supports the Green Agenda.
	Provides audit trail.
	Less chance of losing information.

Question 6

N1. What document and data control systems do you employ on your projects?

Answer 6

• Coventry, AcConex a CRM system which manages correspondence, drawings etc. and is accessible to all the project team.
• Crest, Project Vault

Question 7

N2. What is the Statutory Requirement for Data Management?

Answer 7

• The Data Protection Act 1995.
• Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• It covers the collection, storage and processing of data and the rights for individuals to obtain copies of data about themselves.

Question 8

N3. What is the Data Protection Act 1995?

Answer 8

• It gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them, and provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly.

Question 9

N4. What is the Freedom of Information Act 2000?

Answer 9

• It creates a public right of access to information held by authorities.
• Allows access to official information.
• Allows individuals/organisations the right to request information held by a public authority.

Question 10

N5. What pricing books do you know of?

Answer 10

• Spons Pricing Books.

* BCIS publishes numerous pricing books.

Question 11

N6. What do GEA stand for and what does it measure?

Answer 11

• Gross External Area.

* It measures the internal area of a building to the external perimeter walls.

Question 12

N7. What does GIA stand for and what does it measure?

Answer 12

• Gross Internal Area.

* It measures the total area of a building to the internal perimeter walls.

Question 13

N8. What does NIA stand for and what does it measure?

Answer 13

• Net Internal Area.

* It measures the total area of a building to the internal perimeter walls, minus stairwells and balconies etc.

Question 14

N9. What does CRM stand for?

Answer 14

• Client Relationship Management.

Question 15

N10. What is Client Relationship Management?

Answer 15

• An approach to managing a companies relationships and interactions with future and current customers.

Question 16

N11. What are the three levels of Client Relationship Management?

Answer 16

• Strategic CRM. Which is about maintaining long term relationships with customers improving the existing teams and the service provided. Achieved through setting up policies, procedures and through employee training.
• Operational CRM. Which is about providing a personal approach to each Client, by stream-lining the existing system. i.e. documenting all correspondence and having better control of drawings.
• Analytical CRM. Which is about reviewing Client data to filter out and identify key facts, allowing Client satisfaction to be measured. From this you can identify appropriate clients to target with marketing campaigns.