From December 1 – 3, Autodesk will be a proud sponsor at The Buildings Show in Toronto, one of North America’s largest construction trade shows. We’ll be hanging out on the trade show floor with a 20′ x 20′ booth and also presenting on the Demo Stage about our unified platform. The event is being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and we’d love to answer all your Autodesk questions (and give you some good swag in the process).

The host, Buildings Canada, brings together a world-class construction, building and real estate network of the most established and reputable industry experts. Attend and you’ll enjoy speaker sessions, product demos, innovation awards, valuable education, and more.

The Buildings Show details

Date: December 1 – 3, 2021
Trade show hours: 9:30 am – 5pm ET & Friday 9 am – 1pm
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
South Toronto, Canada
You can register here.

Don’t miss our presentation

One Source of Truth: Autodesk’s Unified Platform Build

Wednesday, December 1 – 11:30am to 12:00pm
Thursday, December 2 – 11:30am to 12:00pm

Autodesk Build delivers a broad, deep, and connected set of field execution and project management tools for builders in a single software platform that is easy to deploy, adopt and use. In our sessions, hear about Autodesk’s vision for construction management software and learn how Autodesk Build delivers field collaboration, project management, as well as document management, cost controls, turnover and insights… all managed together. 

Find us on the floor

Make sure to visit us at booth #1613. Our 20’ x 20’ booth will be stacked with swag giveaways, raffles, and Autodesk experts ready to field questions. You also won’t want to miss Phil Deutsch, an amazing mentalist who will be entertaining visitors at the Autodesk booth on Dec 1 from 11:30 – 1 pm. 

What is The Buildings Show?

From the event’s website, “Design, architecture, construction, renovation and property management professionals, experts and suppliers have come together at The Buildings Show, consisting of Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo and World of Concrete Toronto Pavilion, for over 30 years. Get unparalleled opportunities to learn, lead and empower with cutting edge educational programming, product showcases and networking opportunities in a safe and secure environment.”

Why attend The Buildings Show?

From the organizer’s website, “The Buildings Show provides an unforgettable experience as North America’s largest event for products, services, educational programming and professional networking.” Buildings Canada is “proud to host this spectacular event for the design, construction and property management communities for over 30 years.

“You’ll expand your knowledge base, become a leader in your field and earn continuing education credits from BOMA, OAA, BSSB, CAHPI and ARIDO. The Buildings Show will provide opportunities and solutions for the industry to transact, learn and engage year-round through hybrid, online and in person experiences.”

How is The Buildings Show handling safety?

“The health and safety of attendees, speakers, exhibitors and partners is top priority. We will continue to closely monitor the situation around COVID-19 and will update you across our channels. For more information about Health & Safety protocols in place, please click here. 

“Proof of vaccination will be required to attend the in-person event.”

Want to attend The Buildings Show?

You can register here. It’s an event construction professionals from around the globe make a point to attend and we’d love to see you there.

The post Join Autodesk at The Buildings Show: A Construction Trade Show appeared first on Digital Builder.

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems are essential to commercial and residential buildings. In turn, MEP contractors are critical to modern infrastructure projects. These construction professionals work with arguably the most complex and technical aspects of the building process, which require expertise, careful planning, and strict execution. 

Understandably, this complex role comes with unique challenges. MEP contractors work with a range of stakeholders and must skillfully communicate to builders how they’ll tackle project complexities while sticking to the timeline and budget. In recent years, MEP contractors have relied more heavily on emerging and established technologies to streamline workflows, increase collaboration, and improve outcomes. The most popular technologies are easy to deploy and deliver the greatest ROI. We’ve captured our favorite innovations to help address a range of potential obstacles including accessibility, productivity, and resource planning below. 

Fabrication Software

Fabrication software is incredibly helpful in providing real-time insights for better decision making—from the shop to the field. It aids in spooling a model into its component parts for fabrication, tracking shop processes for assembly, and field processes for installation. The best software is flexible enough to handle a variety of different jobs without sacrificing the precision required to get the job done right.

With the construction industry continuing to set the bar higher on fabricators, the solutions are getting better too. It’s worth mentioning — just because a solution is more “advanced” doesn’t mean it’s more “difficult to use.” Below are three areas of fabrication software, with examples, to help paint a better picture of where this technology is going.

Automated Cutting Tools 

MEP firms leverage fabrication software to win more profitable work by automating routine and time-intensive tasks. One company doing this well is Allied BIM. The innovation of their fabrication technology lies in its delivery of autonomous cutting stations. Automated cutting tools are designed to help fabricators synchronize cut lists to remote shop locations from their BIM 360 model packages. These tools help automate the positioning of cuts directly on the fabrication machines — helping to generate designs, eliminate messy cut lines, automate assembly and spooling processes, and reduce overall fabrication time. 

Beyond automated cutting tools, Allied BIM’s Fabrication Suite offers powerful solutions to enhance the fabrication process by uniting teams across design, fabrication, and field deployment with a huge focus on enabling better prefabrication, tracking, and real-time communication with field employees.

Productivity Tracking Tools

One of the key challenges in construction productivity is that critical information often lives in silos. In other words, the information is often there but inaccessible to stakeholders who may not be aware of its existence. Productivity tracking software aims to resolve that. MSUITE, for example, allows an organization to provide transparency in progress while flagging any roadblocks that may be holding up a project. Through connecting BIM, fabrication and field teams, users are able to reduce costs, increase productivity, efficiency and safety.

With tools like MSUITE, MEP contractors can track, manage, and collaborate on improving efficiencies throughout each stage of a project life cycle. They allow management of spooling, fabrication, and even installation of premade items. This software makes it easier to monitor and track productivity with deep insights or at-a-glance reports. 

Supply Chain Tools

MEP contractors benefit from having a more accurate picture of their resource needs. Once the design phase of a building is complete, supply chain and resource planning tools come into play. This is especially important for MEP contractors who often operate on tight budgets with resource-heavy commitments. 

Software like Stratus, for example, allows contractors to more effectively meet and manage their supply chain needs. While offering a full suite of solutions for the entire BIM 360 process, we want to call out their Packages feature since we’re talking about supply chain tools.

In most cases, it’s unrealistic to put a barcode on every pipe and part, then scan every barcode at every phase in the shop. This is where Stratus’ innovative technology excels. Their software allows you to organize parts by Package in the model. By scanning a single part in the shop, all packaged parts are updated. This gives you insight into where they’re at, so you can more accurately determine when they’ll get to where they need to be.

Tools like this make it easier to measure and communicate project progress. Whether needing a high-level look or granular procurement numbers, supply chain tools provide detailed insights that can save a ton of time and money. 

Project Management Software

Project management software is similar to productivity tracking software in that it allows detailed tracking, documentation, and reporting. However, project management tools diverge in that they focus on project progress, rather than progress along a sub process, like fabrication or installation. With these tools, you can monitor and track every stage of a project’s life cycle from simple task management to completions, dependencies, and roadblocks in a unified and holistic context. 

Project management software like Autodesk Construction Cloud can help MEP contractors coordinate between the office and the field while centralizing data and documentation. Additionally, leadership can get a clear picture into progress with visuals of timeline goals and completions. 

The connected platform acts as the single source of truth for design and build decisions by housing all data in a common data environment (CDE). Autodesk Construction Cloud also has a robust ecosystem of integration partners, enabling the platform to serve as the foundation for a connected technology stack. This enables MEP contractors to seamlessly leverage comprehensive construction management software in tandem with a more trade-specific tool. For instance, Autodesk Construction Cloud can also be integrated with trade-specific project management software such as eSUB. The software is designed to help subcontractors standardize their project management process. By leveraging preconfigured forms on the jobsite for MEP work, subcontractors can work more efficiently and reduce costs, errors, and time spent redundantly tracking down progress of tasks.

Construction Layout Software

Next up in MEP innovations, we have construction layout software. Specifically, the software helps contractors plot out an easy-to-follow plan by knowing what goes where on any site. No guesswork. This also mitigates a very real concern of collision tracking. It provides building-critical insights for every step of the project and allows complete transparency into the complex workings of MEP.

One noteworthy construction layout tool is Leica iCON, of the famous Leica cameras. It  allows contractors to verify MEP parts that have been installed in the building. Through integration with Autodesk, MEP contractors can ensure crews are working with the most up-to-date design and that their teams have accurate field data. Being able to cross every ‘t’ in a highly complex build is essential. As Leica iCON notes, “fast, accurate verification in building construction is a significant concern for our customers.” Being able to share accurate design and field data seamlessly helps to streamline critical MEP workflows.

Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality (AR) “superimposes digital information in a user’s view of the real world, allowing you to see real and digital worlds together.” It’s an exciting time for construction. For MEP contractors, this might look like holding up a tablet and seeing piping plans overlay your view from the camera. It’s hard to think of a better way to step into the future and visualize the different stages of a project. Ease of use is a priority and these innovations have a pretty good head start. They’ve been made possible using the same technology being used in video game development, filmmaking, automotive design, and architecture.

VisualLive is one of the AR technologies bringing the future to MEP contractors. Its HoloLive product works with Microsoft’s HoloLens and headsets to overlay 3D CAD files on jobsites. Through the mixed reality technology, contractors can see their plans right on-site, in real time. All a contractor has to do is adapt their hard hat and put on some glasses to see their MEP plans in “real life”.

The benefits of AR technology like VisualLive, for MEP contractors, includes everything from increased safety and cost reduction to acceleration of strategic decision-making. The hands-free sets provide a safe way to communicate on-site with stakeholders to discuss progress, resource needs, and site risks. 

Bid Management Software

Today, managing and submitting bids is about more than volume and speed. You don’t want another contractor swooping in because you’re lost in your own numbers. MEP contractors need to be able to assess cost and risk as well as ensure accuracy. Bid management software can help contractors increase the success rate of bids by allowing for quick adjustments.

Powerful preconstruction tools, like BuildingConnected, help owners and builders more quickly assess cost and risk before embarking on a project. MEP contractors can track and maintain current projects while gathering insights into their overall bidding performance to achieve better overall outcomes.

The Value of These Innovations Extend to the Construction Industry at Large

For MEP contractors, these technologies not only bring value, but help firms tap into innovations that save time and money on projects. These innovations also drive the potential for profits in the long term by increasing accessibility to complex processes, enhancing the visibility of data, and allowing for efficient scaling of their businesses. 

Learn how Autodesk Construction Cloud integrates with these products and others in our ecosystem on our website. 

The post 7 Advancements in MEP Tech that Make Life Easier on Contractors appeared first on Digital Builder.

Construction management is a highly complex and multi-dimensional collaborative effort. To execute on projects effectively, several people and moving parts all need to click and stay in sync. Issues need to be resolved quickly, questions must be answered in a timely manner, and there should be trust and accountability across the entire team. 

Accomplishing all that, however, is easier said than done. 

Design and construction teams struggle to find a seamless way to identify issues and circulate them to the appropriate stakeholders. Often, teams rely on spreadsheets, static reports, or third-party management solutions to gather information and make decisions. 

Unfortunately, these tools and sources are unreliable and inaccessible to the wider team. They cause confusion and are ultimately ineffective for detecting clashes and resolving issues. Not to mention, the manual tasks involved with static documents and spreadsheets are tedious, time consuming, and can cause issues to slip through the cracks.

The result? Issues that could’ve been avoided bubble up to the surface later on in the form of rework — and unnecessary costs. Clashes alone account for 5% of construction spend and 52% of the $280 billion of annual rework costs are caused by poor project data and communication globally.

To address this, many companies turn to third-party point solutions to address specific problems. However, these programs usually require further training and implementation, as well as additional costs. 

To make matters more complicated, the different parties involved (e.g., design firms, GCs, and subcontractors) all use different systems and platforms. The JBKnowledge 2020 ConTech report found that 63% of construction pros are using three to six more apps  — which makes integration and communication harder and limits project data usage.

All this to say that managing project issues in construction can be a headache. 

What if you could address issues at the same time and at the same place, to streamline resolution?

The combination of Autodesk BIM Collaborate (part of the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform), Navisworks, and Revit makes all that possible. 

Thanks to the tight integration between these solutions, issues can be created, managed, or resolved directly in the tools you work in daily, and are connected using a common data environment (CDE). 

By surfacing and resolving issues in a CDE, you create a lasting history of decisions made for downstream stakeholders for future reference. It also allows multidisciplinary teams with different tools to manage and communicate about issues using a common solution.

All in all, this paves the way for a roundtrip workflow, which helps teams close the loop with any clashes or issues that arise. 

Issues created in either Autodesk BIM Collaborate or Navisworks can be assigned and contextualized in either of those tools and resolved in Revit. That resolution then makes its way back to Autodesk BIM Collaborate for reporting and future project forecasting. 

Let’s take a look at just one of the ways all these solutions work together. 

Autodesk BIM Collaborate

Autodesk BIM Collaborate’s browser-based model coordination and design collaboration tool comes with automatic clash detection and grouping tools that help identify issues early on. The software’s UI is intuitive and easy on the eyes, so all discipline types (designers, GCs, and specialty contractors) can use the solution. 

Team members can self-check their work as they go, and if issues come up, they can flag it with a location pin and add details such as the root cause, description, important dates, and clash screenshot. From there, they can assign the issue to the appropriate stakeholder. 

Because multiple stakeholders can take part in identifying and assigning issue tasks, the coordination process is faster and much more streamlined. Issues and their associated models are stored in a common data environment for multi-team, product, and construction phase access to action on.

Navisworks Coordination Issues Add-In (Navisworks 2021-2022)

This Navisworks add-in connects models, views, and issues through a CDE, so BIM/VDC managers can easily create, track, assign, and resolve issues directly in their desktop application.

If a Navisworks user is unsure about an issue, they can simply comment directly within the platform. Similar to Autodesk BIM Collaborate, users can add issues and include details like type, location, assignee, description, and due date. They can then pair that issue with an image snapshot of the clash identified. Thanks to this add-in, stakeholders using the software can better contextualize the issue, resolve it, or assign it to someone else.

Navisworks also has an updated Coordination Space and Append capabilities. With the upgraded issues add-in, users now have the ability to append additional models from a Model Coordination space to their already opened set of models. This increases the efficiency of coordination meetings by allowing users to immediately update your .nwf files as new model files arrive from project design teams.

Plus, this free add-in seamlessly connects with Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Revit, so there’s no need for third-party integrations. You’ll reduce manual work and miscommunication, and resolve issues more quickly. 

See for yourself by downloading and installing this add-in from the Autodesk App Store. Once installed, start Navisworks and navigate to the Coordination tab.

Revit Issues Add-in (Revit 2020 or later)

Using the very same common data environment and issues layer, architects and engineers working in Revit can scan through all the details we covered above and any additional information from the comments/history, to resolve the issue directly in the model.

This type of connectivity displays the same information to the entire project team, thus enabling stakeholders to literally stay on the same (digital) page. Stakeholders benefit from having more transparency and greater levels of accountability which result in less rework from issues slipping through the cracks. 

Instead of waiting until the next coordination meeting to resolve an issue, users can continuously collaborate on models, speeding up time-to-site and reducing the expensive design iterations that occur from poor and sporadic communication.

You access this add-in from the Autodesk Desktop App or your Autodesk account. Get more info on how to use it from the Autodesk Knowledge Network.

Bringing It All Together

Autodesk BIM Collaborate, along with the Navisworks and Revit add-ins, take issue management to a whole new level. 

These tightly integrated tools don’t just let you track or manage issues, they create an environment to collaborate and resolve them. 

Issue resolution is tracked in Autodesk BIM Collaborate with a dashboard of outstanding issues and resolution overtime, paving the way for better management and prediction for future projects.

Plus, the entire project team can work together to resolve issues and collaborate with a “clash avoidance” mindset (as opposed to a “clash detection” mindset). This speeds up the time-to-site and reduces costly rework.

With a roundtrip workflow, issues are created in either Autodesk Construction Cloud or Navisworks, and actionable in Autodesk BIM Collaborate, Revit, or Navisworks, bringing the best of each environment to your next project.

Interested in experiencing Autodesk BIM Collaborate for yourself? Request a trial today.

Request a Trial

The post Issue Resolution and Clash Avoidance with Autodesk BIM Collaborate appeared first on Digital Builder.

Construction companies across Asia Pacific including Japan (APIJ) in the “acceleration” phase of recovery are most advanced at using technology to future-proof their businesses, the latest research has found. 

A recent IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Autodesk, Road to Recovery: Overcoming COVID-19’s Impact on the Construction Industry with Digital Technologies, surveyed the construction industry across the region and identified three stages of COVID-19 recovery: “response”, “adaptation”, and “acceleration”. 

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, 95% of construction companies have increased their adoption of digital technologies to drive digitalisation and become resilient. Across the industry, 89% of APIJ construction companies have seen an upsurge of solutions such as BIM workflows, bid management, project management and insights as a result of COVID-19 – but there is still a way to go.

Luckily, there is a tremendous opportunity for change. The InfoBrief states that before the pandemic, 80% of construction companies in the region were in the earliest stages of digital transformation (DX). This translated into short term, tactical and disconnected responses when the pandemic started. These companies have the biggest opportunity for change and to learn from their peers who are further along the road to recovery and in the acceleration phase. 

Significant opportunity to increase adoption of digital solutions to support recovery  

The opportunities to increase adoption of digital technologies to support businesses to thrive are in ample supply. Across the region, 46% of construction companies still leverage paper drawings for their projects, and 35% are considering purchasing a software solution to address this. Furthermore, when it comes to digital solutions 46% of companies ranked themselves as very knowledgeable in the handover phase of construction, but this was not the case in the design, planning or building phases where digital solution knowledge was ranked as low. 

Almost 30% of ANZ survey respondents indicated they are now in the acceleration phase, closely followed by Japan-based respondents at 20%. Both of these countries are historically early adopters of technology so the results were not surprising. Looking forward to their next moves, the survey found that the top construction phases for planned investments are design and development for both ANZ and Japan; followed by the testing and comissioning phase.

Construction companies must embrace digital to survive and thrive

Because there is no clear indication of when the COVID-19 pandemic will end, construction companies must embrace the changes and opportunities that surround them. In particular, companies need to ensure the health and safety of their employees — and a safe working environment is a digital environment.

To create further resiliency in the “next normal” and to capture market share, construction companies in the acceleration phase should prepare for future growth opportunities with the use of digital construction solutions. The increased adoption of these technologies (for example, BIM) to support all construction workflows should be targeted investments that will support companies’ recovery and future growth.

Software such as the solutions within Autodesk Construction Cloud, an integrated cloud-based portfolio of products used to manage construction projects, enables connected workflows, teams and data at every stage of construction to reduce risk, maximise efficiency and increase profits.

With the construction industry facing a new era of convergence and evolving challenges for processes and teams, innovation is essential to create streamlined workflows and maintain competitiveness in today’s marketplace.

Find out more about the construction industry’s recovery, and the next steps you can take

For more information on the construction industry’s recovery and innovation since the pandemic began, view our previous blogs on how the industry is building resilience and future-proofing through digital technologies, how construction companies in the “response” phase of COVID-19 are using technology to ensure the workforce is connected, engaged and safe, and how construction companies in “adaptation” phase are using technology to support a hybrid workforce.

 To download the IDC InfoBrief, click here. To find out more about how Autodesk Construction Cloud can support your business, contact us or get your free trial.

The post Digital Transformation is Helping the Construction Industry Future-proof Their Businesses as They Recover from the Pandemic appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you know that technology is increasingly playing an important role in the rail industry, helping to achieve safety milestones, meet passenger demand and expectations as well as reducing the impact on the environment? For the rail industry, an exciting era of innovation is underway supporting train operating companies and rail asset owners to analyse, monitor and track data collected and captured to enhance safety, reliability and service to customers.

For BAM Nuttall, technology has played an important role in the delivery of two major rail projects from 2017, with the ambition to improve rail capacity in the North West of England. One project for Merseytravel involved preparing the rail infrastructure for a new fleet of Stadler trains. This £18m Merseytravel Depot Construction Contract (DCC) project included upgrading the existing Train Maintenance Depot (TMD) at Kirkdale, with stabling facilities, maintenance sheds, offices and a training simulator.

Running concurrently, the Northern Train Lengthening programme was a £3.9m project for Network Rail to extend all the platforms at five stations between Streethouse (Featherstone) and Knottingley in Yorkshire. The new platforms would accommodate the three car trains used in the new fleet, delivering a 50% increase in capacity. The complex, multidisciplinary projects incorporated rail, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical specialisms.

Safety is a key aspect to any rail project due to the complexity of the structures, the incredible attention-to-detail and meticulous planning needed to successfully deliver works around an operational train line. For BAM Nuttall, these projects were no different, and data is a key link to delivering these two projects safely, efficiently and on time. The team had to think outside the box to manage the projects’ health, safety and quality key performance objectives, and for Construction Project Manager Raymond Castelyn, it wasn’t workable to rely on paper-based processes.

“At the beginning of the project, the paper-based document management was a nightmare,” recalls Raymond. “The site was too large to be carrying around big drawings with you – and we had 150 drawings that were being regularly updated. Identifying locations could be a challenge, as the appearance of the site before and after the project was as different as night and day.”

Identifying efficiency gains to improve project delivery

For the team working on the project, manual processes also slowed down the project’s progress. Photos taken of the site had to be downloaded from devices, saved in a folder and then relabelled with their location, to make them searchable. Manual methods of working were also used to identify and report both health & safety and quality issues, through track sheets. “The documents would be printed and then filled out manually, normally when people got back to the office – so it was hard to be sure they were always accurate,” recalls Raymond.

The team was not only relying on manual processes for their operational activity but also for performance tracking, which made it difficult to quickly identify trends and patterns that could precede undesirable outcomes. “With the paper-based processes, we had no traceability, mobility or transparency – and it wasn’t sustainable.” So, Raymond decided to find and adopt a solution that would improve upon traditional techniques for gathering, analysing and reporting the site data.

A connected construction journey begins with a single step

BIM 360, an Autodesk Construction Cloud product, is a unified platform that connects project teams and data in real-time, from design through construction. BAM Nuttall had been using BIM 360 on a selection of projects since 2012 so Raymond and the team decided to implement it into these significant rail projects. They were equipped with five iPads to use on-site and from January 2018 and the project moved to an entirely digital way of working using BIM 360.

From photo tracking of activity on site to producing a 3D model of the project, the technology has supported BAM Nuttall to work in a more connected way, helping the team to navigate the complexities of these projects and ultimately make better decisions. Being able to access drawings and models allowed the team to coordinate better: “We had a 3D model of the 1,040 individual buried services revealed by the ground penetrating survey. If I went on-site and someone asked me, ‘Where’s that water main?’ I could look it up on the iPad and say with complete confidence, ‘It’s two meters from that manhole.’ That was hugely important,” says Raymond.

Accelerating accountability and transparency across the supply chain

The two projects benefitted from improved levels of accountability. Being able to track the cost of each Non Conformance Report (NCR) and identify challenges with any subcontractors or elements supported this. The team generated reports using BIM 360 to send to each subcontractor on a weekly basis and monthly reports were also shared with the client and the wider BAM Nuttall team. This helped improve visibility and communication across all contributors.

On both projects, efficiencies were improved significantly using BIM 360, according to data that the project team collected. On the Merseytravel DCC, the project saw savings of 13.4 hours in a 50-hour week per person when averaged across the team, resulting in a 27% increase in efficiency. The results on the smaller Northern Train Lengthening programme were consistent, with 16.2 hours saved per person per week, equivalent to a 32% increase in efficiency. Team members noted in a survey that the impact on their working day was significant: “Huge time and cost savings can be made on a project by using BIM 360 to manage the site.”

Insights today to be used tomorrow

Using BIM 360 to capture data on site helped the team handover the project to their client, supporting them with better insights on the asset. The platform opened up significant possibilities for data analytics, as due to the rich data export function, the information could be visualised in PowerBI. Raymond asserts: “Having all the data in one place means you can start doing the smart stuff. You can track close calls and issues or pick up problems in particular areas like concrete. Traditionally it would be really complex to pull that information from Excel sheets, but with BIM 360 the data is exported with the click of a button. Data is what it will all be about going forward, and with BIM 360 you get a solid foundation in place.”

The Merseytravel Depot Construction project was the first time that a 3D model had been linked into BIM 360 in the rail division. And, following the success of the project, in 2019, BAM Nuttall have rolled out BIM 360 across most rail projects with similar successes achieved.

The post Technology Increases Productivity by a Quarter on UK Rail Projects appeared first on Digital Builder.

Sensible guidance for adopting Autodesk Construction Cloud

New technology adoption presents some unique challenges, especially when it comes to actual implementation. In recent years, especially due to the pandemic, the construction industry has more readily embraced innovation. In many cases, business models have been quietly shifting because of it.

However, any time you change the way someone has been working for years (or even decades), overcoming related obstacles is par for the course. That’s why it’s important to understand common implementation challenges and best practices when deploying new technology or construction software. 

During a great industry talk at Autodesk University this year, Ivana Tudja, BIM and Digital Engineering Lead (Senior BIM Manager) at Mace, shared common blindspots and lessons learned for making new technology implementation a success. Ivana is a 40 Under 40 Champion of Construction (2020), and we’ve compiled some of the best tips from her session Implementing Autodesk Construction Cloud Across a £1.8billion Business. You’ll hear about the drive for change within Mace, the journey and processes her team followed to roll out Autodesk Construction Cloud, and how they improved on-site coordination and efficiency.

 

1. Start with a vision for implementation of construction software

What do you want to achieve by implementing Autodesk Construction Cloud? What pain points are you trying to solve? 

Push yourself to explore possibilities outside the status quo. Go beyond the way things have always been done. Ivana explains, “You’re not going to change the industry without thinking out of the box. So try thinking about how you want your teams to operate in the future. And please, don’t limit yourself with what’s happening just right now.” By removing self-prescribed limitations, you’ll find strategic navigation flows much more naturally in the exploratory stages of implementation.

Know that as you push for changes and challenge limitations, you’ll be driving a cultural change.

Next, do research and explore the market as much as possible. As the market is ever-changing, it’s important to understand the latest technology available. Being knowledgeable of progressive industry innovations is a great first step to building a vision. Then when you keep up with the industry, and really stay at the forefront of the future-friendly technology, you’ll give your firm a competitive edge over others. 

As you explore potential construction management software options, always test your products and get hands-on experience. “I wouldn’t just rely on what you read about the product because that can be really misleading. Nothing can replace hands-on experience, and that’s why it’s important to have it, even if you’re not someone who is using the product on a day-to-day basis yourself,” shares Ivana. 

Know that as you push for changes and challenge limitations, you’ll be driving a cultural change. That’s why Ivana emphasizes the importance of winning people over. You’ll be questioning your team and pushing them to go further. So establish connections, build relationships, and understand their needs so you can support them along the way. Do this with your team on-site as well. That way if they have any issues, they’ll know who to call. 

Finally, be a rebel. As Ivana puts it, “How else are you going to change [an] industry that hasn’t changed for so long? Sometimes, you really need to make bold decisions if you want to make a real impact.” Realize you may hear “no” over and over again. However, don’t let those “no’s” serve as permission to give up. Keep going and look for ways to build common ground.

 

2. Pinpoint top use cases for Autodesk Construction Cloud

Mace decided to implement Autodesk Construction Cloud and Assemble due to internal and external pushes toward modernization. The firm needed to meet the BIM Level 2 mandatory requirements as well as complex project requirements from advanced, highly technical, and educated clients. Ivana and her team wanted to build higher levels of consistency into Mace and be able to compare projects as well as analyze data to make better business decisions. They turned to Autodesk Construction Cloud, specifically BIM 360 Next Generation and Assemble to meet those objectives. 

Mace uses BIM 360 for a variety of purposes, including document management, effective design management, and coordination as well as managing quality assurance and quality control on-site. Using this unified platform has improved the quality of data analytics for Mace significantly. Ivana notes, “Data analytics was a big driver behind the implementation of the platform. And we are now able to get easy access to all the information via Insights, Construction IQ, and Power BI integrations.”

“One of our commercial managers [sic] recently told me that this is the best BIM tool he’s ever used. Believe me, commercial managers are normally the hardest ones to convert.” —Ivana Tudja, BIM & Digital Engineering Lead, Mace

The team recently added Assemble to their portfolio for information-sharing and to break down silos. Before Assemble, BIM managers acted as the go-between for users and project and platform. Every time a project needed data, they would have to request that it be exported by the BIM manager. 

With Assemble, the project teams now have direct access to data, which has been favorably received. “One of our commercial managers [sic] recently told me that this is the best BIM tool he’s ever used. Believe me, commercial managers are normally the hardest ones to convert,” explains Ivana.

By knowing their top uses for Autodesk Construction Cloud and Assemble, Ivana was able to score early wins and further drive adoption across the firm. 

 

3. Prioritize on-site coordination and efficiency 

Mace currently runs over 100 projects on Autodesk Construction Cloud and has over 2,500 users using the platform. Understandably, complexity is always present and the risk for inefficiency is always there. To drive greater design management and coordination, Mace has leaned on BIM 360 to simplify the clash detection process. This process takes place in the cloud and offers automatic grouping of clashes. “For those who are not aware, it’s really important to mention that model coordination now includes tolerances, which was a really long-awaited feature,” emphasizes Ivana. “We’ve established workflows which also help us to manage and analyze project risks through BIM 360 Docs and Power BI.”

As an open platform, BIM 360 can cover every single project activity through integrations. Mace regularly connects the platform to over key tools during projects. As for Assemble, the tool has been beneficial in pre-construction for progress tracking or a tagging and track system. The data fits right into Mace’s objectives to gather more insights from analytics: “The platform enables us to do asset data checks and ensure that we are meeting client requirements at the right stage. We can also provide data from models to our sustainability specialists to support them with achieving our net-zero carbon goals.”

 

4. Deliver the right training to your users

Once you’ve planned for implementation and identified your top use cases, take time to understand training requirements. You can succeed at every other phase in this journey, but won’t be able to move forward unless your end-users know how to use the software. Ivana recommends creating a company-wide survey to assess and evaluate your staff in terms of their digital skillset. This survey can serve as your starting point for customized training. 

Mace’s Digital Training Academy is a critical aspect of bringing every stakeholder into its digital construction journey. To customize the training, offerings vary for leadership, direct end-users, roles, and external consultants. However, training doesn’t end once users complete the academy. As Ivana shares, “If I had to choose one thing that’s a key for success, that would be continuous support. Don’t just assume that you can provide training and leave. There are always questions that will arise when users start using the product. It’s critical that you provide them with support when that happens.”

 

Charting a path to construction technology adoption

Adopting new technology is about more than leveraging great features. It’s about pushing a cultural change forward and helping others succeed in their roles through innovative, intuitive solutions they want to use. As Ivana has shared, implementing construction software effectively requires a strong vision, proper planning, careful research, empathy with users, and a robust training program. 

If you’re considering implementing a new construction software solution at your firm, we’d love to show you exactly how Autodesk Construction Cloud can help with a free demo.

The post Expert Tips for Rolling Out Autodesk’s Construction Software appeared first on Digital Builder.

Top takeaways from AU 2021

Every year, Autodesk University (AU) brings industry knowledge to light, leaving construction professionals from across the globe with a wealth of actionable insights. Across our 80+ construction sessions led by a powerhouse of industry leaders and experts, AU2021 revealed some undeniable truths about the future of the industry—and the trends impacting the economics of your business most. All recorded sessions are now available for viewing on the Autodesk University website.

Let’s take a look at the top takeaways from this year’s Autodesk University.

Jump to industry learning:

1. Great decisions require access to great data
2. Tight collaboration during preconstruction equals better outcomes
3. Modern construction cost management relies on connected workflows
4. Educating and enabling project teams is critical to technology adoption
5. Diversity is one of construction’s biggest opportunities
6. Sustainable construction can make good business sense
7. A change management strategy likely matters more than you think

 

1. Great decisions require access to great data

According to a recent global report made in partnership between Autodesk and FMI, decision-making based on “bad” data may have impacted upwards of $1.85 trillion in global construction industry costs in 2020. That includes $88.69 billion in rework alone. For a contractor doing $1 billion a year in revenue, this equates to over $7 million in avoidable rework. The report also revealed that data has doubled in the last three years, yet only about half of the survey respondents admitted to having a formal data strategy in place.

The “why” behind having good data is clear—making good decisions to empower better project outcomes and profitability. An excellent example of “how” to leverage good data is covered in the session, Data in the AEC Lifecycle: Using Data to Better Connect AECO Stakeholders.

This Autodesk University session emphasizes the benefits of correctly using the enormous amount of data available to decision-makers and how to do so with a unified platform. Lauren Collier, Business Leader Project Technology & VDC for SSOE Group, leads this discussion by sharing how her firm is leveraging data in the real world. Sunny Manku, Technical Solutions Executive for Autodesk supports with deeper insight from the technical side. These two leaders in construction technology and digital transformation have over 30 years combined in the construction industry, and share a wealth of knowledge

Key learnings from related AU session

• How collecting and using data through the lifecycle of a project can help teams stay on schedule and maintain costs
• The potential value in analyzing data and how you can use it to drive better decision-making
• The additional infrastructure needs or talent required to be successful in life-cycle data collection & analysis
• The importance of aggregating data across a connected cloud environment

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“If you want to get started today, you can start running insight reports, PDF reports, scheduled exports, for your clients to start consuming that data in a really practical way.” —Lauren Collier, Business Leader Project Technology & VDC, SSOE Group

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Watch the full video >

 

2. Tight collaboration during preconstruction equals better outcomes

For best results on any project, you should have your approach well-sorted before a shovel ever hits the ground. Collaborating early is the best way to avoid costly issues later. Forgive the crassness, but the old adage “proper planning prevents piss poor performance” couldn’t be more true.

In the AU session BIM Collaborate: Bringing the Distributed Team Together, technology leaders Matthew Anderle, Director of Digital Practice and Technology for AECOM, and Katherine Crowley, Project Coordinator for AECOM, walk through a sample project that reveals all the opportunities for collaboration that AECOM leans on to ensure successful project outcomes. They talk through common project workflows and discuss the best approach for migrating your next project to the cloud. They also discuss the differences between BIM Collaborate and BIM Collaborate PRO, its permission-enriched capabilities, and how to manage design collaboration across a distributed team.

Key learnings from related AU session

• Insights into the enhanced capabilities of BIM Collaborate / BIM Collaborate Pro
• How to’s for leveraging permissions for document control and security
• Understanding design collaboration workflows across a distributed team
• Background into integrated methodologies for tracking changes and model coordination review

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“We were early adopters of [sic] BIM Collaborate, which has proven to be instrumental in managing project documentation throughout the project lifecycle. Of particular note is the role [it] played in our move to remote working in response to the pandemic.” —Katherine Crowley, Project Coordinator, AECOM

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Watch the full video >

 

3. Modern construction cost management relies on connected workflows 

When it comes to managing cost activities and subsequent schedule impact, how you connect your financial data to the people who need it should be top priority. That’s why a resilient integration ecosystem is so important for whatever construction platform you’re using.

In the session, ERP Integrations for Autodesk Construction Cloud, speakers from Autodesk and hh2 Cloud Services come together to speak about integrations between Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) software and construction accounting applications. They share which ERPs integrate with Autodesk cost and how to make best use of those integrations.

Key learnings from related AU session

• Autodesk Construction Cloud’s cost management capabilities and workflows
• How hh2’s integration between Sage CRE 300 and Autodesk Build works
• How to integrate Quickbooks Online with Autodesk Build using ACC Connect
• Workflow guidance on flexible budget structures, contract generation for commitments, collaborative change order workflows, and cash flow forecasting

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“Cost management plays a significant role in managing how revenue and costs are accrued on your projects.” —Josh Cheney, Sr. Manager of Strategic Alliances, Autodesk

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Watch the full video >

 

4. Educating and enabling project teams is critical to technology adoption

Implementation of any new solution can be challenging, especially when you are changing the way people have been working for decades. Many see construction as an old-fashioned industry, but the fact that there is so much space for change is what makes it really exciting. Implementing and teaching these skills can be vital to a project’s success.

In the industry talk, Implementing Autodesk Construction Cloud Across a £1.8billion Business, Ivana Tudja, BIM and Digital Construction Lead at Mace Group discusses how to introduce and implement Construction Cloud software from Autodesk across your business while inspiring your team to use it. 

Key learnings from related AU session

• Learn how to develop a strategy for implementing Construction Cloud in your company
• Identify uses for different BIM 360 modules and the Assemble platform
• Explain how to use the product to improve coordination and drive efficiencies on-site
• Learn about training requirements and how to deliver the right training for your users

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“You can get everything else right, [but] unless your end users know how to use software, you won’t be able to move forward.” —Ivana Tudja, BIM & Digital construction Lead, Mace Group

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Watch the full video >

 

5. Diversity is one of construction’s biggest opportunities 

Creating a diverse and inclusive environment is something that every company should strive for. In your journey to doing so, you’ll enable new ways of solving old problems, unlock high-value mentorships, retain your best and brightest, ease impact of talent shortages, learn to balance inequities, and encourage unlikely groups to collaborate with impressive results. 

In the panel Transformational Change Through Diversity and Inclusion, industry leading experts in technology, design and construction share their stories and insights on how diversity and inclusion will drive transformational change for the industry. You’ll walk away with a renewed appreciation for the fact that it’s the variety of expert experience that serves as a pillar to your success. Panelists dive into why diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are important for your business, how diversity and inclusion drives innovative results, and how leadership can play a direct role in cultivating a culture your organization can be proud of.

Key learnings from related AU session

• Discover how to build an inclusive workplace
• Learn how to implement strategies to develop a road map for DE&I excellence
• Learn how to create opportunities for diversity in leadership roles
• Discover how DE&I can bring transformational change to our industry

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“Be supportive, because that will motivate the champions and the people in the organization to keep pushing this through, because it benefits everyone.” —Anton Dybuncio, Co-Founder & COO, VIATechnik

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Watch the full video >

 

6. Sustainable construction can make good business sense

The subject of sustainable construction is an ongoing conversation that every AECO stakeholder should be mindful of. Sustainable construction not only affects costs, waste and carbon emissions, but empowers innovators to shape today’s communities and future generations.

One industry session of note is Using Technology and Software to Create More-Sustainable Designs. May Winfield, Global Director of Commercial, Legal, and Digital Risks at Buro Happold discusses how implementing processes, documentation, and software can help support more sustainable and environmentally friendly design. She shares lessons Buro Happold has learned regarding how to effectively use technology to achieve these aims.

Key learnings from related AU session

• Discover the contract terms or documentation that will support and require more-sustainable design, processes, and practices
• Learn about implementing technology and improved processes that produce more-sustainable design, processes, and practices
• Learn how to implement internal processes and documentation to improve sustainability in working practices
• Assess how your organization can successfully implement a more sustainability-focused ethos and design processes

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“It’s not just moral aspects that make this important. It also makes business sense. … When [McKinsey] ‘asked 100 senior executives what trends expected to accelerate due to COVID, 53% cited sustainability.’” —May Winfield, Global Director of Commercial, Legal, and Digital Risks, Buro Happold

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Watch the full video >

 

7. A change management strategy likely matters more than you think

In an enlightening industry talk, Successful Digital Transformation Through a Product Management Organization (PdMO), technology experts Dace Campbell and Anna Lee, both from McKinstry, share how PdMO, as a strategic organization, helps to drive digital transformation. 

You’ll learn how to ensure alignment between the technical road map and business needs while being able to effectively measure the impact of deployed technology. Overall, the PdMO’s framework for innovation to implement new technology on live projects supports digital transformation with minimal business disruption.

Key learnings from related AU session

• Discover how PdMO enables more agility and adaptability to meet the needs of an evolving market and converging industries
• Learn how to develop and implement product road maps to prioritize and manage a portfolio of cross-enterprise initiatives
• Discover best practices for change management to ensure you meet the needs of the business without distracting them
• Learn about how an industry-agnostic approach enables application of best practices and lessons learned across industries

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“Technologists risk pushing emerging [construction] technology into business operations without addressing real world needs, causing an organization to chase shiny pennies that seem attractive at first, but lack buy-in or staying power as a valid long-term solution.” —Dace Campbell, Director of Product Management in Construction, McKinstry

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Watch the full video >

 

Ready for more expert-led education from Autodesk University?

You can check out all the best sessions from Autodesk University 2021 on our website. We’ve only scratched the surface here, but with on-demand sessions and a treasure trove of expert-led education, rest assured you won’t be waiting for progress. You’ll make it.

Explore all of this year’s sessions on the Autodesk University website.

The post 7 Construction Industry Truths Made Clear at Autodesk University appeared first on Digital Builder.

Meetings are essential to the success of all construction projects. Whether it be weekly coordination or OAC meetings, they are a necessary part of the design, preconstruction, and construction phases to bring multiple teams and stakeholders together to check in on action items, coordinate activities, and resolve issues.   

Ensuring teams have an effective way to run a meeting, create agendas, and assign action items is just as critical to project success as work executed in the field. For example, suppose a material submittal is waiting for approval and delaying a project. In that case, the construction team can easily add an agenda item to discuss and address in their weekly OAC meeting. During the meeting, the specific submittal item can be referenced in the agenda, and the architect’s representative can easily be assigned an action item with a due date to work with relevant stakeholders and secure approval. Similarly, coordination meetings need to address complex and potentially costly clashes first, so agenda items can focus a meeting with referenced issues and status, assignee, and the associated model.

Introducing Enhanced Meeting Views 

At Autodesk, our product teams are constantly building on our promise of delivering connected construction through our unified Autodesk Construction Cloud platform. This includes ensuring project teams can efficiently collaborate in every phase and project activity, including meetings. With our latest release for Meetings for Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Autodesk Build, teams can enhance transparency and ensure all meeting items are addressed and resolved.  

Let’s explore how our latest product enhancement can improve how teams collaborate in meetings with new, enhanced views to organize and track meetings and meeting items.   

Looking to run more effective meetings? Join our webinar on July 29 at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT to learn how to save time with coordination meetings with Autodesk BIM Collaborate.  

Register NOW

Improved Meetings List View 

Now, Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Autodesk Build users will have a new, streamlined view of all relevant meetings. All meetings will now be grouped by their relevant series, such as OAC Meetings or Coordination Meetings.  

Users can click on the series to expand it to see all individual meetings in a particular series. This makes it easier to find the meeting they’re looking for and easily reference any key agenda or action items.  

Check out the enhanced list view in action. 

New Meeting Items View 

Tracking meeting items can be a tedious task. But the new meeting items view in Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Autodesk Build simplifies tracking and makes it easier for users to manage meeting items. 

The new view collates all meeting items into one list. Users can customize the view and streamline item management by sorting the list by status, meeting, or due date. Filters also enable users to easily find specific action items, status, assignees, unassigned items, due date, or items that were flagged during a meeting.  

The view’s flexibility and customization make it easier to track items across a number of meetings and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.  

Watch the new items view in action.  

Meeting in Project Home 

With so many moving parts in every construction project, it can be challenging to remember which tasks to prioritize once a meeting ends. But now, Meetings are included in Project Home for Autodesk Build users, enabling a quick view of the most relevant items and statuses.  

When logging into Autodesk Build, users will see meeting items in the work status module. In “Your assigned work,” users can see the number of upcoming and overdue open or ongoing meeting items assigned to them and seamlessly jump to a view of their action items. In “Project assigned work,” users can see the number of open or ongoing meeting items and click to jump to a view of those items.  

With Meetings in Project Home, individuals and teams can more easily track and resolve open meeting items. 

See the project home view in action.  

Run More Effective Meetings with Autodesk Construction Cloud 

The new Meetings release isn’t the only way that Autodesk Construction Cloud unified platform helps teams increase transparency and run more effective meetings. For instance, with project references, teams can link Files, Photos, Issues, Sheets, Models, and much more to ensure relevant information is quickly and easily accessible, leading to more effective and productive conversations.  

Additionally, with the Zoom integration, teams can easily add in the video conference link and ensure that remote members can attend, participate, and collaborate in meetings. And with a unified platform, owners and other stakeholders always have insight and visibility into past project decisions and documentation captured throughout a project’s lifecycle.   

If you’re looking to enhance meetings, don’t forget to register for our webinar, “How to Run an Effective Coordination Meeting,” on Thursday, July 29 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT to get useful tips on stakeholder expectations, prework, agenda creation, guidelines to remain focused, and follow-through.  

Register NOW

Learn more about all updates across Autodesk Construction Cloud this month in our blog.

The post New in Autodesk Construction Cloud: Enhance Transparency and Efficiency with Meetings Release  appeared first on Digital Builder.

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