The power of information and automation comes in all shapes and sizes, from something very trivial like summing to integers in a group, to automating construction management workflows for billion dollar projects. In this wide spectrum of use cases, the essence is generally saving time and money.

In this blog post, I'm going to demonstrate how to use Python to create icons using the names of tables. Alright, you might be thinking, how long would it take to create a logo of a table. Not a lot right? How about if you had a project with 100, 200, or 500 tables. Would you be willing to create all the images manually? If the answer is yes, you have the patience of a saint! If you're like us common mortals, the below might save you some time.

In every project, there are hundreds of sources of information for different processes. Whether it is collecting data regarding the project, such as milestones or stakeholders, or cost data from accounting systems, or scope data from geometric models, the sources of information in construction is overwhelming.

Project professionals typically have to collect this data, check it's quality and then aggregate it for analysis and decision making. Traditionally, you'll find yourself relying on spreadsheets to collect the data and even bring it together in many cases. Some of you may have already started bringing information together in databases such as MS SQL, Azure, etc. However, the technical nature of traditional databases means that you have to collect information and check it after it has been produced, rather than ensuring that all the information is being created in a single environment that ensures standardisation and connectivity of the data. 

This is why at Morta, we provide a customisable information hub that has the familiarity of spreadsheets and the utility of a database. We are often asked how Morta can be used to collect information from different sources. In this blog post we will demonstrate how Morta can help you collect data using Forms, Tables, CSV imports, API imports and even converters! Read on to learn more. 

Introduction

Construction projects involve millions (and sometimes billions) in spending on expenses that range from people to material and equipment. While reconciling costs is a common-place activity, we find that many finance, accounting and commercial teams in construction projects lose precious time every month trying to complete their reconciliation activities.