Even before the COVID-19 global pandemic, the construction industry has been “going global” using available technology and cloud-based data storage and file sharing on all phases of projects. For example, an owner might hire a London-based architect to design a transportation hub in the United States. The London architect might delegate its building information modeling (BIM) work to a company in New Zealand. Cloud- and internet-based platforms make all this possible, enabling the general contractor or construction manager to offer as part of its services one-stop paperless project management, stored on the cloud and protected by password.
In addition to BIM, other digital tools and devices, such as radio frequency identification trackers, wearable cameras, and drones, have become more prevalent in the industry, marketed to enhance the safety and efficiency of construction projects. All of these tools require data storage. As more project data go digital, the likelihood of remote access to the data increases.