PUBLIC RESEARCH
PUBLIC RESEARCH
A blueprint for effective communication
Communication among the actors involved in an actual construction project is one of several areas where CRTI-B has detected a need for improvement. Hundreds and thousands of documents can be involved, and project changes and updates need to be communicated efficiently to the appropriate participant. Based on input from stakeholders, CRTI-B initiated the research project Build-IT. Using the expertise of CRP Henri Tudor, Build-IT resulted in the creation of CRTI-weB®, a collaborative tool designed to optimise cooperation and communication between the actors in a construction project. CRTI-weB® improves collaborative practices, centralises document exchanges and reduces information processing time. It was built using open source software and is provided as a Software as a Service ( SaaS ) solution accessed via a browser.
The Informatics, Systems and Collaboration ( ISC ) Department, founded in 1988, currently focuses on two areas – visual informatics and business informatics. “ Visual informatics ”, says ISC Scientific Director Fernand Feltz, “ is about how we can better visualise key performance indicators that let management make more informed decisions ”.
CRTI-weB® consists of two modules. The first is a worksite meeting report module that facilitates worksite coordination through the production and dissemination of meeting reports. The second module supports project document management and enables the sharing of documents, tracking of changes, workflow validation and version management, with automatic e-mail notification of the parties affected.
He adds that “ most management information systems, even ones that include charts and graphs, do not allow for the true complexities of the data to be properly represented or explored ”. Using algorithms developed by ISC, vivid graphics let the user see the information in all of its complexity and navigate through it. Various “ if, then ” scenarios can be modelled and the consequences of decisions can be simulated.
“ CRTI-weB® was developed using input from all stakeholders in a construction project, including architects, engineers and the builders themselves. It provides greater transparency and optimal communication between all contributors ”, Mr Brachmond concludes.
Empowering the community
Resource Centre for Technologies and Innovation in Construction ( CRTI-B ) +352 42 59 91 1 info@tudor.lu www.crtib.lu
42
Focus 5 I 2011
Every business day, around 150,000 workers from neighbouring countries cross their national borders to come to work in Luxembourg. These cross-border employees enjoy the social benefits of the Grand Duchy, but to verify their eligibility for specific allowances, public administrators may need to know when a child is born in Germany, when a marriage is celebrated in Belgium or when a family moves from one town to another in France. Enter the ISC department of CRP Gabriel Lippmann to manage this information exchange by integrating systems across borders.
Mr Feltz describes a few earlier projects that are particularly representative of the Department’s work. The first involved making the video archives of Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies searchable; the difficulties of indexing a collection of videos rather than documents or other word-based material can be easily imagined. Today, thanks to the expertise of the ISC, users can find content relating to a specific deputy or pertaining to a certain issue or piece of legislation. This tool is especially useful for journalists and researchers.
Blitz Agency
UNRAVELLING COMPLEXITY
Reacting to the problem of the isolation frequently experienced by elderly citizens, ISC also developed a “ social web ” for the residents of a retirement home. Working with psychologists and gerontologists, ISC designed a user-friendly, intuitive interface that provides residents with information about activities and encourages participation. The application was very well received, says Mr Feltz, and may in due course be licensed to other organisations. A third project involved developing a training management system for the Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and the Administration of Employment ( ADEM ). Creating an efficient system that enables users to access and exchange information about available training opportunities, the related requirements and student evaluations entailed standardising formats and integrating data feeds.
Integrating IT systems across borders
While working to integrate the systems of three Luxembourg organisations may have been challenging, accomplishing similar data exchanges across borders presented an even greater test. ISC has worked on solutions for the management of social security payments, which notably facilitate the administration of the National Family Benefits Fund. Many families today are multinational, reconstituted and geographically mobile, and following up on a family’s eligibility for specific benefits can be a challenge. Establishing information exchanges with neighbouring Belgium, France and Germany was a major component of the project. The ISC Department has a staff of 50 researchers, including 2 PhD candidates. Mr Feltz describes their working method as being characterised by “ agility ”, which also reflects the conditions under which today’s businesses must operate to be successful. The research team, he says, “ observes a system, improves its productivity and then monitors the improvement in practice ”.
Fernand Feltz, Scientific Director, Information, Systems and Collaboration ( ISC ) Department
Informatics, Systems and Collaboration ( ISC ) Department CRP Gabriel Lippmann +352 47 02 61 600 feltz@lippmann.lu www.lippmann.lu
Focus 5 I 2011
43