Open Access

Anthony Jungert

• The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry is currently in transformation. Within this transformation, digitalization has a leading function, whereby a higher level of efficiency is pursued. In order to ensure a coordinated information exchange within the digitalization, the concept of the Common Data Environment (CDE) has been developed in the last years. A CDE is a cloud based collaborative platform that is used to exchange project information and data between the different stakeholders of a construction project. The main objective of this thesis is the implementation of a suitable CDE solution for the purpose of a construction management company. For this purpose, an evaluation of different CDE software on the market, based on the functions and usability of the different software, has been complied to identify the most suitable solution. Secondly, a concept for the setup and implementation of a CDE solution has been developed. Therefore, advice for a successful change-management has been established to ensure the good implementation of the CDE. The first part of the thesis includes a literature review through which the current state of the information management in the AEC industry is analyzed. The advantages of a CDE for the information management are also analyzed. Therefore, a synthesis of the functions and requirements to a CDE has been complied. The second part of the thesis links the concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with the CDE. The advantages of a CDE in the BIM process has been established. The third part of the thesis treats the evaluation of CDE software. This evaluation has been complied with a scoring method. As basis of the evaluation, a requirement list has been developed in which all the required functions of a CDE are listed. In the fourth part of the thesis, a concept for the establishment of a CDE has been developed. The developed concept is a practical application of the standards specifications to CDE. The concept has been developed with CDE expert and CDE power users. The developed concept treats overall of the structuration, the standardization, and the implementation of a CDE. The last part treats of the change process engender by the implementation of a CDE. Summary, this thesis provides a structure for the implementation of a CDE software and serves as framework for companies of the AEC industry to select and establish a CDE.