At BuildCentral, we pride ourselves on the accuracy and reliability of our data. To give our customers a deeper understanding of our research processes, our Marketing Specialist, Shanice Lodge, recently interviewed our VP of Research, Liz Moran. Here are the key insights from their conversation:

Liz shared, “When we hire researchers, they’re usually skilled at investigation and research. But we do provide that hands-on training one-on-one so that they can really hone those skills.”

How BuildCentral Collects Planned Project Data

One of the most crucial aspects of our research process is selecting and prioritizing data sources. Liz explained, “We really value sources that are straight from the municipalities. For example, here in Chicago, our Planning Commission posts their agendas online. While there are changes sometimes, we feel that it’s the most accurate source for getting data.”

She added, “Of course, there are news outlets as well. In Chicago, the news reports about just about every new development that’s planned. We consult local news very frequently across the entire nation to get information on what’s going on in their towns. Some cities don’t post municipal information online, so in those cases, we rely on news sources as well as social media.”

Automated and Manual Sources

When asked about the number of automated sources we currently use, Liz revealed, “Most of it is still manual, but we do cover about 30,000 resources. Our team is pretty large, and we’re looking at a lot of data.”

Fact-Checking and Quality Assurance

One of the standout features of BuildCentral’s research process is rigorous fact-checking and quality assurance. Liz shared, “We have a team of reviewers whose role is just to fact-check the data that other researchers enter into the database. You’re never going to look at a report that hasn’t been looked over by multiple people.” this ensures the quality and reliability of BuildCentral’s data.

She proudly added, “Our quality and accuracy are some of our strongest aspects. We audit every product, every researcher, and those scores are very high. I’m really proud of our quality assurance team and the work they do.”

Watch the full interview with BuildCentral’s VP of Research, Liz Moran.

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