Implementing a strategy towards a common open framework for product and business data exchange in the AEC sector

Within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector there is not a unique organization capable to impose a referential framework for integration of software applications and data exchange, though the largest companies that could be found in Europe, and worldwide in general, have a small market share. Due to the short-term perspective of business partnerships, sector’s high fragmentation, together with the small size of most of the companies operating in this sector, it is difficult to harmonize long-term interenterprise solutions. Therefore, it is urgent to define and have implemented a strategy to assist the companies operating for the AEC industry to face this problem and move towards a common open framework with easy mechanisms for integration of applications and for product and business data exchange. This paper describes a strategy in execution in Europe through the prodAEC network, to assist the AEC sector and the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in general to get this aim, presenting the methodology and the mechanisms developed by prodAEC to prepare the framework.