Build Magazine August 2015

Build Magazine 43 nential increase in the amount of information generated as compared to traditional project delivery methods. Taming the resulting data explosion While in an ideal world all project collabora- tion would be done face-to-face, the reality of highly-iterative BIM projects is that queries, issues and decisions are largely settled and documented via email. These collaborative cycles continue throughout the duration of a project, so effective management of both BIM-related deliverables and email corre- spondence is a fundamental consideration for all project stakeholders. Furthermore, efficiency-boosting information management tools that integrate seamlessly across all existing systems can simplify project informa- tion discovery and ensure the responsiveness of project stakeholders. Apps on phones and other devices are a great example of this; they eliminate bottlenecks in BIM-improved processes when they allow teammembers to to easily access current versions of documents and supplement them with live observations and updates from the field. Hilson Moran’s approach to BIM Hilson Moran completed the 20 Fenchurch Street (also known as London’s iconic Walkie Talkie building) project in BIM just one year ago. As the first office tower in the City of Lon- don to have been conceived, co-ordinated and designed 100% in 3D, Vince Ugarow, partner and project director, noticed that having project information in silos was a big challenge for his team. He deployed the solution from New- forma which he says created an inte- grated project data environment, in turn creating “clear time, cost and ef- ficiency savings.” The 105,000 emails documenting the myriad of queries, issues and decisions surrounding the BIM processes were made instantly discoverable, down to the level of PDF attachments. According to Ugarow, “It converted the liability of email previously buried in individual inboxes into an information asset.” Furthermore, Ugarow was quick to recognise the benefits of PIM in harnessing the pervasive growth of mobile technology in construction: “The Newforma solution includes integrated apps that save time and improve the quality of information, whether we need to capture field notes, snagging lists or carry out inspections in the field.” “These apps integrate with BIM and other software we use at the desk to avoid creating another information silo,” Vince adds. “These information silos are one of the industry’s biggest challenges. A PIM solution that stitch- es them together to form an integrated project data environment creates clear time, cost and efficiency savings.” Unlocking the benefits of BIM When properly implemented, BIM is delivering huge benefits to all project stakeholders. However, the contin- ued adoption of BIM across projects in the building sector, coupled with an increasingly collaborative way of working, is driving a tsunami of information that threatens to derail even the most disciplined companies. PIM [Project Information Management] provides the vital support that is required to manage this data across the many silos in which it accumulates. For this reason, PIM is increasingly important across a sector heading in a di- rection where data rich modelling will soon become tantamount to the design process. By implementing tools like this, firms will be able to better manage inputs and outputs that will help them unlock the long-term benefits of BIM. Regulation