How could BIM collaboration innovate the design and construction process?
It is widely recognized that the “data” is the oil of the new millennium. Even in BIM collaboration there is no exception.
The wide availability and accessibility of information allows to produce new types of energy and with it to create new forces and ideas to innovate processes, create sustainable and smart buildings, and, above all, buildings that our customers want to buy.
Construction industry, traditionally more backward than others, have the priority to get out of a crisis that is decimating our companies.
Other industries, in the recent past, have already faced the same challenges, think to the manufacturing industry, where, for example, the application of LEAN principles has had a strong positive impact in terms of increased productivity, strong limitation of waste and overall increase of product’s quality.
It is the product value perceived by the customer that drives the industrial choices, today ,very often, happens the opposite: the company’s needs drive the production.
The construction industry, as previously other sectors, is now facing a crossroads, innovate processes and products, or its future becomes more uncertain than ever.
BIM Collaboration can be the tool to generate new opportunities, new tools able to produce new products and services at lower costs and overall more attractive for our customers.
Be careful
In order to obtain the expected result is not enough to buy a software and provide training to operators, it is necessary to launch a deep restructuring of production processes to build an aware and empowered operational chain to achieve the shared objectives.
The production value chain in our industry is very long and fragmented, each building is a unique case, very often the designer is involved only in the initial stages, the contractor, is involved at the end of the project when all the fundamental choices have already been made and, finally, the Facility Manager rebuild the information he needs to improve the efficiency, operating costs and maintenance of the building; all of these processes are almost always disconnected from each other.
These detachments generate inefficiency, produce unexpected costs and, very often, a final product not in line with customer expectations.
All operators: designers, contractors, manufacturers, operators, and, above all, owners and investors, with the aim of achieving common goals, should be involved from the planning stage in all the following operating phases, only in this way is possible reduce wastage, avoid rework, plan and meet deadlines and, especially, achieve the time and cost targets.
The CDE (Common Data Environment) applications – generally accessible in cloud and from any device (PC, Tablet or Smartphone) allow, if properly designed and used, to achieve the above objectives. All operators have (each with their own access profile) a “unique place” where they can store his own data and have access to those of others. Everyone “speaks the same language” and are empowered in terms of efficiency in delivering the information they need when they need them.
It is also fundamental that these tools can track the activities that each team member is required to provide in time. So as not to hinder the work of others who, on that information, they rely.
It is the beginning of a virtuous cycle that tends to build trust, transparency and accountability among all stakeholder involved to achieve common goals.
BIM and Cloud allow construction of “networks” which combines skills and specificity, generate trust and respect to build new business opportunities.
The use of BIM methodology allows to simulate the building’s performance, right from the conceptual stage, to solve conflicts in advance, to manage time and costs and reduce massively costs related to maintenance and operation throughout the life of the building.
BIM defines objects as building elements and systems that include all the information related to the project and subsequent phases.
This allows to the stakeholders involved in the process to work in teams, bringing their design, construction and operation data into a single smart model.
BIM is a powerful tool designed for collaborative work.
Sharing information and collaboration between all stakeholders involved in the process becomes the essential element to take advantage of the potential offered by BIM.
As all stakeholders: designers, contractors, owners and services collaborate and work synergistically is just then that BIM have played its potential fully.
Building in Cloud is designed to meet precisely these needs: to share and manage building data to ensure greater efficiency in team activities.
Building in Cloud is the first solution fully developed in Italy, dedicated to the construction industry to optimize the return on investment of BIM design.
With this new service Lemsys – Building in Cloud developer – makes available to all users in construction industry (designers, builders and owners) an innovative tool. The tool is available from any devices (PC, Tablet or Smartphone).
The service is available immediately without the need for any installation. Simply by accessing the site www.buildingincloud.net: after registration, the service is immediately available and without charge for a month. Once the free trial period has expired the service can be easily and permanently activated, without loss of data. From the cost of € 9 per month for an unlimited number of concurrent users.