SOFTWARE
ABOVE:IFS directors George Harold and Kieran Beggan receiving Public Sector Award Services to Business Management
Managing Building Information for the Asset Lifecycle Risk and Opportunities in the Digital Age
A
s a company that has pioneered the digital construction information process, IFS have seen first-hand how important it is for both the construction company and the client’s FM/ Operations team to have access to approved content in a secure place, allowing them to gain familiarisation with systems and procedures way ahead of the facility being handed over and during operations.
We are in an era where ‘information’ or ‘data’ are the most valuable resources for any organisation. Often, when we visualize the various teams associated with construction of a project, we always see a huge mountain of paperwork with Construction and then Facilities Management (FM) teams trying to make sense of it. Major construction projects generate, process and store considerable quantities of real-time information prior to, during, and post-construction phases. The construction activities are shrouded in information; management of the construction project requires appropriate systems which facilitate bi-directional data input, information processing, dissemination and functional access. Accessing and processing this information is key for the design and construction of projects where time and delivery is of the essence. Then, the handover of these projects
to the Owner/Operator is the next stage for the projects’ information.
Construction, FM and Technology today Information Technology (IT) is permeating the value chain at every point. In today’s complex construction environment, the use of an appropriate information system has the potential to bring about team syncing and stimulate improved collaboration among project teams. Construction and FM go hand-in-hand in all phases of the lifecycle of a building. Once the construction is completed, it is the responsibility of the facilities team to operate the facility at optimal efficiency to increase the lifecycle of the building beyond its expected lifetime. The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) during the design and construction process and its extended value to the building owner and FM is gaining momentum across our industry.
6 0 | Construction Management | November/December 2017
As asset portfolios become larger and more complex, and as the world becomes more digitally biased, organisations will no doubt allocate more and more time to consider the need for a re-structuring of how they manage asset information with a specific focus on the Asset Information Model (AIM). AIM is managed within a Common Data Environment (CDE) and compiles the data and information necessary to support Asset management; that is, all the data and information related to, or required for the operation of an Asset. The building Internet of Things (IOT) is producing a multitude of data, analytics and new resourceful software that sits on top of these systems to offer new levels of monitoring and control for operations teams. Facility managers are beginning to transform the way facilities are managed. Sensors are becoming cheaper, smarter, and more widely used. New connections are being forged; not just between devices in a system but also among systems and subsystems in a built structure. These data are being transformed to resourceful information using sophisticated analytics. The sense of balance now has shifted towards the use of this data.
Managing Information for Design, Construction and Operations Despite the technological advances available today, we can still see a huge information gap between Design & Construction and Handover & Operations stages. The emergence of new technologies has given AEC and FM sectors opportunities to boost productivity across all stages of building lifecycle. However, putting in place a strategic process that can provide a full lifecycle solution can be a real challenge. Using various software applications for different tasks at different stages of building lifecycle can turn into chaos if there is no structure. Sharing information on CDs/ USBs or via file-sharing application can be just as messy as dealing with documents in hardcopies. Limited communication between teams and lacking information quality approvals during Design and Construction stage creates accountability issues, project delays, and makes managing handover information after project