Building a specialized database of construction projects with accurate information

Specialized databases help businesses address specific needs within their organizations. In the news and media industry, specialized databases help organizations meet the information and analysis needs of their customers. It allows them to explore the broader context behind events and identify trends in the data. High accuracy and coverage of pertinent information is vital for news and media organizations to effectively meet this objective and gain a business advantage.

To support effective analysis and decision-making in the construction industry, our client, a trusted source of business news and analysis, wanted to build a specialized database of construction projects in the Middle East. The database was to cover key details such as the project developer name, contract type, and completion date. As project data is often in the hands of contractors in the field, accessing accurate and timely data for all projects was difficult.

About the client

Our client is a trusted source of business news and analysis, serving millions of professionals from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and rest of MENA. It provides business and financial intelligence across sectors such as real estate, construction, energy, banking, tourism, technology, aviation, healthcare, logistics and education, among others.

Objective

To support effective analysis and decision-making in the construction industry, our client wanted to build an extensive database of construction projects with accurate information. As project data is often in the hands of contractors in the field, accessing accurate and timely data for all projects was difficult.

• Project name
• Name of the project owner
• Name of project developer
• Name of consultants involved in the feasibility study, design, architect, PMC, and construction supervision
• Project location
• Project value
• Current project status : ongoing/on hold/completed/cancelled
• The current phase of the project
• Contract type : supply and installation/ construction/EPC/DB
• Main contractor : construction/EPC/DB/supply and installation
• Suppliers of cement, aluminum, steel, glass, HVAC, piping and wiring, concrete
• Sub-contractors: MEP, mechanical, electrical, civil
• Completion date

Solution & Approach

The firm turned to Netscribes for its vast research coverage and experience working with firms in the global media and information industry.
Given the paucity of reliable data on construction projects in the Middle East, Netscribes used a blend of primary and desk research to collect the data the client needed for its database.

Ensuring high data coverage and accuracy:

First, we gathered available information from secondary sources including company websites, news, and premium databases.
Next, we conducted telephonic interviews with contractors and project owners to validate the data we collected and fill any data gaps.
As data accuracy was crucial, we performed a second round of telephonic interviews with external consultants to validate the data we gathered.

Maintaining standardization:

Once the information was collated and verified, it was further processed by our team of data specialists. They normalized the data and prepared a final output database as per a pre-defined template.

Delivering the data:

To reduce delays and bottlenecks in making the information available to customers, Netscribes uploaded the output file to the client’s portal as soon as it was ready.