An interesting conversation occurred at our semiannual senior staff meeting this past November relative to budgeting money to continuously upgrade our computer technology. What came out of this meeting was the challenge to identify how do we maximize the application of computer technology and not simply keep abreast of hardware and software? From this request, to look beyond having the latest in computers, we were given the challenge to develop a list of business methods where we would capitalize on the application of this technology.
In the past, record drawings documented the as-built conditions. Existing conditions have also been recorded through video taping of the installation and also through digital photographs. In past “Single-Source Solutions” columns, the merits of photography have been addressed and have led us recently to inventory an entire building’s infrastructure relative to mechanical distribution within walls and above ceilings.