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Types of Data

It is useful to differentiate between drawings and documents (Passive Data) and data that can be transferred between computer applications (Active Data).

Passive data requires human interpretation, which adds time/cost into the process and the potential for misinterpretation. Passive data can also have “wrappers” or Meta Data that contain attribute information such as who, when and why it was produced, making it easier to manage its flow through a process and ease retrieval.

Active data is read from Word documents, spreadsheets and databases as electronic data and imported by other applications used by other members of the project team. Apart from the time/cost savings, the data should be more accurate and traceable back to the originator.

Both types of data are necessary and there will always be a need for human interpretation, but where this can be automated, it can have a considerable effect on quality and motivation for those involved.