Artificial intelligence has quickly become a priority for asset owners looking to improve building efficiency, transparency and safety. This reflects a broader shift toward digital asset management and building information management, accelerated by regulatory changes such as the Building Safety Act. Organisations now need unified, well-structured data to make faster decisions, manage risk and operate portfolios with confidence. Yet despite AI\u2019s promise, one systemic challenge continues to limit progress: building information remains scattered and is often incomplete.<\/p>\n
Many organisations have digitised documents, but the information still sits across shared drives, legacy platforms, email archives, contractor CDEs and scattered servers (or even USBs). This fragmentation slows even the most capable teams. Studies show facility employees spend 1\u20132 hours each day searching for building information (ARC Facilities), and that 80% of employees lose around 30 minutes per day retrieving data in inefficient environments (Asset Infinity). For asset owners, these delays escalate into slower decisions, higher operational risk and unnecessary cost.<\/p>\n
AI cannot resolve these issues when the underlying data is incomplete, inconsistent or difficult to locate. If information is unlabelled or outdated, AI cannot determine which document is authoritative. Multiple versions of an inspection report without metadata make it impossible for a model to identify the right one. When naming conventions vary widely, systems cannot draw accurate links between assets, zones or components. Fragmented information leads to fragmented intelligence \u2013 and for AI, that means inaccurate or even hallucinatory outputs.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why improving data foundations is becoming a priority for asset owners. A consolidated environment reduces reliance on individual knowledge, eliminates manual searching and supports faster operational responses. When documents are consistently named, logically grouped and stored in one secure place, teams gain clarity that digitisation alone cannot achieve. As buildings grow more complex and regulations evolve, this clarity becomes essential.<\/p>\n
Strong information practices also enable Golden Thread grade transparency and traceability across the building lifecycle. Knowing where documents originate, how they have changed and who has accessed them is vital for confident decision-making and compliance. A unified platform allows asset owners to track this in one place rather than relying on a patchwork of systems with limited visibility. The aim is not just to organise information, but to create a dependable record that supports audits and evidences compliance, such as safety cases and long-term planning.<\/p>\n
Once this foundation is in place, AI can deliver meaningful value. Structured information allows AI to retrieve documents quickly, interpret asset relationships and highlight gaps requiring attention. Instead of manually searching for certificates or installation details, teams can obtain what they need through simple queries, freeing time for higher-value work.<\/p>\n