A simple but powerful application to harness building information

Arguably the most important element of any business is sales. While aspects of a business such as quality of product, service or the levels of innovation etc, are all important a business will fail unless at some point its products are sold to customers. This seems fairly obvious. Identifying prospective customers has been a challenge since the dawn of commerce and it remains so in the twenty-first century. Those who sell products or
services to construction projects, however, are at a distinct advantage because many of their potential customers are readily identifiable. They are identifiable because often projects are physically visible. They are identifiable because of engagement in regulatory processes. They are identifiable because updates charting the progress if projects are posted in the media, on social media and company blogs.

Over the last ten years Building Information Ireland (BII) have listened to the needs of the industry and developed a simple but powerful application to harness this information and help subscribers identify opportunities. Built around a highly intuitive interface using google maps the BII application gives users access to the details of thousands of live projects. Using a quality controlled methodical procedure, construction projects are continuously added and updated to the BII database. Researchers constantly work adding detail and value.

The easiest way to appreciate the BII service is to go ahead and take the free trial from the website www.buildinginfo.com. This will grant access to a fully functional free trial of the web-based application. The website allows users to create custom searches and exports to suit their needs. An alert system automatically  emails users weekly to inform them of new projects or updates to their searches. The website also has CRM type features to facilitate collaborative working  ithin organisations. We will be happy to take you on  a demonstration of the application and customise the searches and alerts to your particular needs.Building Information Ireland also can provide a customisable API (Application Program Interface). This API allows for the seamless retrieval of data from the building information database. Customers who use their own CRM system can, and have, benefited by having sales opportunities imported directly into their systems. A  simple once-off configuration is all that is required to get this feature up and running.

The BII database contains details of construction projects of all scales from minor domestic alterations to massive  projects such as the Children’s Hospital. It is among the most comprehensive construction datasets  available. Using this comprehensive content BII can produce meaningful analysis that reflects the state of the Industry. The Building Information Ireland Index, please find the latest version at  www.buildinginfo.com/industrynews/ gives a high-level analysis of the current state of the construction Industry in Ireland. The Index is the summation of the individual projects by sector and region from the structured database. Bespoke analysis can be undertaken to drill into individual regions or sectors. BII is one hundred percent Irish owned and operated.

Since its inception over 10 years ago it has been a popular choice for Builders Providers and Hardware Suppliers around the country due to its intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Register for the free trial to see for yourself.

CIARAN CRAWLEY Building Information Ireland

I am happy to answer any queries you might have and can be contacted on 01 9053200 or at [email protected].

This Business Support article featured in the January/February 2024 issue of The Hardware Journal