Dive summary:

• In a process akin to how software development moved from system- or machine-specific products to programs applicable across a range of devices using standardized protocols such as Web browsers, the construction industry is moving beyond first-generation use of information technology and is making it part of the standard way of doing business.
• A recent McGraw-Hill Construction report on building information modeling found that it is now being used to design and guide the construction of 71% of projects, up from 28% in only six years.
• Off-the-shelf applications have come down in price at the same time that contractors with the in-house expertise to build their own products see an opportunity to gain a competitive edge by exploiting their own knowledge and understanding.

From the article:

On a recent trip to India, I met with Tata Consulting Services (TCS) and learned about its investments to standardize construction-management processes across its high-value facilities and its goal to expose time and cost overruns. ...