Category: Construction Blogs

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) aren’t just buzzwords, and these tools are no longer reserved  for construction technologists like BIM and VDC managers. These technologies have come a long way in just a few short years and these days, they have practical use cases that owners and builders alike can benefit from at every stage of the project lifecycle.

Angel Say, CEO and Co-Founder of Resolve, and Dr. Mani Golparvar-Fard, CTO and Co-Founder of Reconstruct Inc., join the podcast to explain what’s possible with AR and VR in construction. They also bust some myths and share practical tips on implementing AR and VR.

Specifically, we covered:

How AR and VR have evolved over the last few yearsWhere these tools fit in the project lifecycle Getting started with AR and VR yourself Potential advances in the technology we may see in the near future

“It’s actually some of the less technical end users who stand to benefit the most from VR and AR.” —Angel Say

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The difference between AR and VR

Before diving into the episodes’ key takeaways, it’s worth exploring how Angel and Mani view AR and VR, particularly when used in construction.

“When I think about these two technologies and what they represent, it really boils down to bits and atoms. Bits meaning those ones and zeros in computers, and then atoms being the building blocks of the physical world,” says Angel.

According to him, virtual reality (VR) is “all about full immersion.” You wear a device on your head, which then uses sensors and a computer to hijack your senses and make you believe you’re somewhere else. “It gives you these superpowers,” adds Angel. “I could put on a headset and teleport from my home office to an unbuilt building.”

On the other hand, augmented reality (AR) is all about “augmenting the world around you, meaning you’re taking bits and you’re overlaying them on the atoms in front of you,” says Angel.

“And so that could be metadata about pipes that you’re looking at or it could be, ‘Hey, I want to bring a piece of equipment into my home office so that when I get to the site I know what I’m dealing with.’”

Mani weighs in, saying that AR in particular has evolved quite a bit over the past five years.

“In the earlier days, it was all about augmenting someone’s view live. But for all kinds of practical reasons, we realized that you can also augment any form of reality capture data. If you have access to a static image from a cell phone device or if you have access to videos that are being provided from job sites and you’re augmenting that with planning information, that’s a form factor of AR.”

3 Takeaways on Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Construction

After discussing the fundamentals of AR and VR, Angel and Mani shared their thoughts on the myths surrounding the two technologies, as well as how they can be applied in construction. They also discussed the steps an organization can take to implement AR and VR.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation.

1. AR and VR are more affordable and accessible than you think

Angel and Mani had a lot to say when asked about the common myths and misconceptions about augmented and virtual reality.

For starters, they dispelled the Hollywood depiction of AR, which usually involves people swiping virtual elements in the air.

“There’s a misconception that you would be able to visualize all kinds of information at the right point in time,” shares Mani. But this isn’t the case, as AR involves processing a lot of details, hosting information on the device, and filtering data.

Angel adds, “People always talk about Minority Report as the quintessential example of augmented reality. It’s like swiping through things in the air. We’re quite a ways away from that. It looks a little different today.”

There’s also the view that AR and VR are tools that would only benefit folks working in virtual design and construction. However, this is far from the truth.

“One common misconception that’s more industry-specific is that VR and AR are going to help BIM and VDC teams the most, and I think it’s quite the opposite. Because BIM and VDC teams spend so much time in 3D tools like Revit or Navisworks, they’re pretty good at what they do. They’re really good with 3D controls, and it’s actually some of the less technical end users who stand to benefit the most from VR and AR,” remarks Angel.

Another myth worth busting? AR and VR are expensive. That may have been the case several years ago, but these technologies have become more accessible and far less expensive over time.

As Angel points out, “Now you have VR headsets that are under $500, which is the cost of a tablet. Anybody can unbox it and jump into a virtual environment on their own with minimal help. And that starts to really democratize the use of the technology.”

2. Why AR and VR are a big deal in construction

AR and VR have practical applications that would benefit every stage of a project, from preconstruction all the way to handover and even building operations.

“All of these technologies — AR, VR, AI — are really augmenting people’s workflows. This is especially true in construction because the industry has already moved towards having so much rich data in BIM, which they’re using to coordinate and produce drawings. It’s so much rich data that we can feed into these technologies to help people be more productive,” explains Angel.

On the owner’s side, a key benefit of using AR and VR is they help mitigate the loss of information when a project is being brought to life.

AR and VR “provide the opportunity for the owner to see the end product with a level of detail that matters to them,” explains Mani.

He states, “if we can provide the owner with an opportunity to verify the work by contrasting the scope of the work that was promised from that VR model versus the reality that they’re looking at, we have yet another opportunity to make sure owners are benefiting from it.”

These technologies can also play an important role in helping owners maintain and operate their buildings.

According to Angel, “We hear from a lot of owners that BIM assets end up on hard drives and they don’t get touched until maybe you need to hand them off to a new engineer contractor working on a retrofit. But there’s so much value that you can be tapping into [with AR and VR] even after construction.”

Angel adds that most of the teams running buildings and facilities won’t get a lot of value from BIM assets since these folks don’t specialize in Revit and Navisworks. This is where VR comes into play, as it allows users to view the information in a way that they can understand and engage with.

“With VR, you put on a headset and you can walk through a BIM file. Operators can then start to leverage that asset for procedure simulations, onboarding of the employees — and in the world of remote work — making sure people know what a site looks like before they visit. And so you really start to multiply the ROI of BIM beyond the construction lifecycle,” says Angel.

3. How to getting started with AR and VR

Mani and Angel offered some of their top advice from organizations that want to get started with AR and VR. If you’re looking to implement these technologies in your projects, keep the following steps in mind.

1 – Determine the exact problem you’re trying to solve

Before investing in AR and VR, make sure you know your objectives and understand your end users. By getting clear on what you want to achieve, you’ll be able to figure out the role of technologies in your projects.

2 – Assess whether you have the right type of data to tackle the problem you’re trying to solve

In order for AR and VR to work, your data needs to be able to support these technologies.

That’s why Mani recommends conducting a self-assessment “in terms of how mature your data is” to be able to support AR and VR capabilities. “Depending on what problem you want to solve, you need to make sure your files are at a certain rate of maturity per model discipline, which is really hard to see even these days,” he adds.

3 – Set your KPIs

You need to measure the success of your AR and VR initiatives, so think about the KPIs you need to hit.

Aside from metrics that tell you whether a project is completed on time and within budget, Mani says you also need to design KPIs that measure the impact that AR and VR have on the personas using the technologies.

“Make sure you understand how many personas are being touched by that product and data,” he says.

4 – Acquire the right technology

The next step is to get the devices needed to power AR and VR.

Virtual reality, in particular, requires an investment in headsets, and Angel recommends providing a headset to every stakeholder who needs it, instead of having everyone share just one or two devices.

“It’s a lot more empowering if you can buy a headset and assign it to someone even if it’s just for the length of the project. That way, when they have 20 or 30 minutes to review the model, they can jump in and do it as opposed to having to go and check it out from the IT or the BIM or VDC team,” says Angel.

In addition to headsets, you should also ensure that you have tools that will enable you to leverage your BIM assets and other project data. A common data environment (CDE) like BIM 360 or Autodesk Build can make this process easier.

5 – Run a test pilot

When you have the plans, KPIs, and tools in place, it’s time to put them to the test. Mani recommends going through an experimentation phase that involves using AR and VR in a given project and measuring the results.

You could even work with the AR/VR vendors in designing a pilot. “Engage your team so they would help you measure performance against those KPIs,” says Mani.

6 – Develop a case study

Be sure to document everything that transpired during the testing phase and take note of the results. Use the information you’ve collected to create a case study for your company.

“Once you have that case of study formulated, you can start sharing that and use that as an internal sales tool in your organization, to bring everyone up to speed,” says Mani

When implemented correctly, this case study can increase trust in the new technology and drive adoption.

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode

Hopefully, the takeaways above help you better understand AR and VR and inspire you to utilize them in your projects. And if you need more info on augmented and virtual reality, listen to the full episode of Digital Builder on the following platforms:

Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherGoogle Podcastsor wherever you listen to podcasts.

The post Digital Builder Ep. 19: 3 Takeaways on Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Construction appeared first on Digital Builder.

Autodesk releases new product enhancements for quantity takeoff and design review workflows to increase collaboration and mitigate risk during preconstruction

San Francisco, Calif. — September 23, 2021Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced that more than 350,000 projects across the globe are using Autodesk Construction Cloud to power more effective preconstruction workflows, including document management, bid management, quantification, model coordination and design collaboration. The company also announced a series of product updates, doubling down on its commitment to unify the construction process and empower teams to build better.

Owners, general contractors and specialty contractors alike, across all industry segments around the world, turn to Autodesk Construction Cloud for their preconstruction workflows. DeAngelis Diamond, Windover Construction, Inc. and Granger Construction are three such companies using Autodesk Construction Cloud to supercharge workflows for bid leveling and risk mitigation, model conditioning, quantification, design collaboration, model coordination and more:

DeAngelis Diamond – a national construction management firm specializing in commercial, multi-family and healthcare construction with offices across Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Michigan.Granger Construction – a Michigan-based construction management firm specializing in education, commercial, industrial, healthcare and the public sector.Windover Construction, Inc – a full service, employee-owned firm that provides comprehensive preconstruction planning, estimating, design-build, virtual design and construction management service in the education, healthcare, commercial, senior living and hospitality spaces.

“Mistakes made in preconstruction become exponentially more expensive when they are discovered in the field,” said Zac Hays, head of preconstruction product at Autodesk Construction Solutions. “Autodesk Construction Cloud arms preconstruction teams with best-in-class solutions to help mitigate risk and reduce rework, whether it’s reducing the total number of RFIs, increasing collaboration between the design and planning phases or using machine learning and predictive insights during the bidding process within BuildingConnected.”

“Any contractor knows that risk mitigation during the preconstruction phase is one of the most critical factors to success, and a big part of that is bid leveling,” said Brett Diamond, CIO and principal at DeAngelis Diamond. “BuildingConnected not only gives us access to a robust network of specialty contractors, but also makes collaboration with our estimating team seamless and provides valuable insight into our historical bidding data. Combined withTradeTapp’s machine learning and AI technology to evaluate and mitigate risk, BuildingConnected allows us to reduce our rework, stay on time, on budget and be more nimble and efficient as an organization.”

Autodesk Construction Cloud is a cloud-based construction management solution that offers an end-to-end platform to manage every phase of the building lifecycle, from design and plan, to build and operate. For the design and plan phases of construction projects, Autodesk Construction Cloud supports:

Bid management and qualification – bidding teams can access the largest real-time construction network with an easy-to-use platform that streamlines the bid and risk management process, while utilizing machine learning to help identify, quantify and provide risk mitigation insights.Design Collaboration — multi-disciplinary teams can update designs in the same place, at the same time. With controlled package sharing, team WIPs, issue identification and design change notifications, teams will always be up to date with the latest design content.Model coordination – designers, engineers, BIM experts and trades can easily contribute to model coordination using automatic clash detection, clash grouping and tolerances, an issues solution that connects tools like Navisworks andRevit to the cloud and an aggregated model that can be reviewed by discipline, relevant sections or a first-person walk through.Model conditioning – teams can easily add custom data to a given model and classify and organize project data, turning a design into a construction-ready model that can be easily broken down into relevant scopes for downstream activities.Quantity takeoff – estimating teams can perform 2D and 3D quantification workflows from a common data environment to increase collaboration, speed and accuracy during the estimation process.Document management – Autodesk Construction Cloud provides a common data environment that helps teams organize, distribute, and share files on a single, connected document management platform, ensuring all team members have access to the information they need.

New Takeoff API allows users to leverage quantities from Autodesk Takeoff externally

Autodesk Takeoff has released a beta API that allows estimating teams to leverage quantity takeoff data and project information directly from Autodesk Takeoff and integrate it into existing solutions. With this new API, teams can now extend the life of takeoff data to inform project decisions and power downstream workflows while breaking down barriers and providing added flexibility.

“Along with being able to visualize our takeoffs in both 2D and 3D, Autodesk Construction Cloud’s common data environment gives our team a big advantage when it comes to quantification,” said Amr Raafat, vice president of VDC and technology at Windover Construction. “Knowing that our team is working from the most up to date information, from a single source of truth, allows us to enhance our collaboration and deliver more accurate and complete quantity takeoffs.”

utodesk BIM Collaborate adds functionality to better identify design and constructability issues

Autodesk BIM Collaborate, a solution that enables project teams to easily manage coordination and design review workflows from the cloud, has also announced new updates that will help teams be able to quickly identify and resolve design and constructability issues throughout the building lifecycle. These updates include:

A new clash tolerance filter, which allows individuals on the project team to check their work using dynamic clash tolerance filters—making it easier to focus on larger clashes at first, while getting more detailed as you go.Issues in Design Collaboration for architects, engineers and BIM experts to identify 3D issues in the design phase—adding relevant issue details, assignments, comments and due dates to be resolved in Revit or passed on to the coordination phase. 2D issues are also available for digital markup of 2D sheets with shapes, text, measurements, photo references and issue pins during design review.

“Information siloes between general contractors and trades have historically been a massive challenge for those of us working in preconstruction,” said Darrah Leach, VDC Manager at Granger Construction. “Building a bridge between the two with collaborative features allows us to work not only cross functionally, but with partners outside of our own organization. This helps connect us in ways that simply were not possible before and, at the end of the day, helps us speed up our delivery time. Autodesk BIM Collaborate acts as that bridge between project partners and allows us to work in lockstep as broader team.”

ssemble now supports publishing directly from Autodesk Docs

In line with offering a model conditioning solution that allows BIM and VDC Managers to organize, customize and share model data with key stakeholders for downstream workflows,Assemble users can now publish Revit models directly from Autodesk Docs and BIM 360 Docs to Assemble without using Revit or any publisher add-ins. This greatly reduces duplication of efforts by leveraging the common data environment and helps ensure everyone is working from the latest project documents.

“As technology pushes the envelope of what’s possible in construction, preconstruction has truly become a secret weapon that allows teams to improve their margins, speed up delivery times, reduce risk and deliver projects with more precision,” said Jim Lynch, senior vice president and general manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions. “Autodesk Construction Cloud delivers a suite of preconstruction products that are bound together by a common data environment – making collaboration seamless and breaking down siloes that lead to costly mistakes and rework. We’re excited to be powering the future of preconstruction and look forward to continue delivering on our promise of building better, together.”
About Autodesk

Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made. Our technology spans architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media and entertainment, empowering innovators everywhere to solve challenges big and small. From greener buildings to smarter products to more mesmerizing blockbusters, Autodesk software helps our customers to design and make a better world for all. For more information visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk.

Media Contact

Paul Chalker
Autodesk
[email protected]

Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Assemble, Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360, BuildingConnected, Navisworks, Revit, TradeTapp are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2021 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

The post Over 350,000 Projects Turn to Autodesk Construction Cloud for Preconstruction Workflows appeared first on Digital Builder.

When it comes to data in construction, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is, construction professionals recognize the value of data and are collecting a tremendous amount of information. In fact, research from FMI Corp shows 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are produced daily

The bad news? The vast majority of that data — 95.5%according to FMI — goes unused in the E&C industry. And for the data that does get used, “bad” data may contribute to over $1.8 trillion in global construction industry costs. That’s a startling figure to come out of the recently released report, Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, made in partnership between Autodesk and FMI.

So while data can be powerful when generating insights, failing to harness it properly can do more harm than good. For a single contractor doing $1 billion in annual revenue, our research shows that bad data could cost them upwards of $165 million yearly. With so much on the line, you can see how good insights, based on good data, are a practical necessity.

Issues like wasted time and diminished productivity often arise. In fact, research shows that 13% of construction professionals’ working hours are devoted to looking for project data and information.

This tells us that while we have a lot of data, we don’t have much insight.

But don’t worry, there’s hope. If your construction firm is data-rich but insight-poor, know that there are a number of actions you can take to effectively leverage all the information you have.

Let’s explore the data issues that construction pros are facing and how to address them.

Data Challenges in Construction

Data overload and difficulty with connecting data points are two of the biggest challenges we face today.

A good question to ask yourself is, “What’s so bad about ‘bad’ data?” The problem is that when it gets used, it harms insights, enables poor decision-making, and opens you up to unnecessary risk. A downstream consequence of poor decision-making is the often understated erosion of trust in the same data you need. This directly impacts your team’s ability to make decisions confidently with data in the future.

Our research shows that data has actually doubled in the last three years alone, yet only about 55% of organizations have a formal data strategy in place to make good use of all that data. For the other 45%, as you can tell, making confident decisions with bad data is not only risky, but costly.

Travis Voss, Leader of Innovative Technology at Helm-Mechanical shares, “The two skills that will be paramount in the future are understanding how to connect and relate data from disparate sources.” In other words, to get to those high-value insights, how do we connect disconnected data?

More expert insight comes from an Autodesk University session in 2020 Manu Venugopal, Group Product Manager at Autodesk, says that most of what’s collected is stored in data silos, making it even more difficult to derive insights. 

It’s no surprise then, thatForrester found that while 74% of firms want to be more “data-driven,” only 29% are successful at turning data into insights and actions. 

“Unless we break down the silos, we can’t fully leverage all this data and get insights from it,” said Venugopal.

Recognizing the Difference Between Data, Analytics, and Insights

There are three key components to effective data utilization: data, analytics, and insights. Overcoming the challenges mentioned above starts with understanding these three things, and making sure that everyone in the organization shares the same definition of these concepts.

Only then can you effectively determine the tools, people, and processes you need to collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from data.

Let’s look at these components individually in the context of the construction industry. 

Data refers to quantitative and qualitative measures collected in raw form. In construction, this could be things like the number of defects, safety incident rates, time spent dealing with change orders, observations on the jobsite, etc.

Data collection specialists and data engineers are usually the types of professionals in charge of handling these measures. People in these roles clean, aggregate, and enter the information to be analyzed. 

Analytics, on the other hand, involves processes and technologies that help translate the raw data into formats that people can understand — typically reports and dashboards. Effective data analytics requires a robust construction platform as well as data analysts who can help with inspecting and transforming data into the best format. 

Then we have insights, which are the meaningful realizations and actions that the organization implements based on data and analytics. While there are official roles designed for deriving insights (one example is the role of insight analysts), extracting insights from data and analytics is something that many people in the organization can do. 

For instance, field managers and general contractors who regularly monitor metrics like incident rates, rework costs, or waste can use all that information to come up with processes thatimprove profits and productivity on the jobsite

Key Pillars to Move from Data to Insights

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of data, analytics, and insights, let’s discuss how construction firms can put all of the above to good use. Here are the pillars of effective data management and analysis. 

Digitization. With so many metrics and data points to be collected and analyzed, it’s simply impossible to do things manually. That’s why the first pillar of moving from data to insights is digitization.  

Do note that going digital isn’t simply about replacing pen and paper with technology; it’s about reimagining your processes to make data collection and sharing more efficient. 

As Venugopal put it, digitization “isn’t just about moving off of paper although that’s an important first step. It’s about enhancing the way information is shared, often in ways that weren’t even possible before and leveraging connected devices in the office and field to expand access to project information and help everyone make faster and better decisions.”

Workforce upskilling. With so much riding on the quality of your data, having a workforce with data skills may give you a healthy competitive edge.

Digital transformation is inevitable in the construction industry worldwide. How and when you choose to embrace it will affect your team’s ability to make great data-driven decisions when they count most.

Workflow integration.You may be using digital tools, but if your systems and workflows aren’t integrated, becoming more data-centric will be an uphill battle. 

So, strive to run your workflows on a tightly integrated system.Connected construction workflows open up several benefits, including higher levels of efficiency, reduced risk, and better collaboration. 

As such, your construction platform should enable the smooth data transfer from one project phase to the next and enable all stakeholders to be in sync.

Open and connected data access. See to it that you’re using an open platform that allows you to quickly find, access, and retrieve data. This openness is critical, particularly in a fast-paced environment where you need to get your hands on the right information ASAP.

Closely related to this is having connected datasets. Your workflows should be linked so that any updates or changes to your data are automatically synced across your systems. This way, you’re able to access the right information at any given time. 

Flexible visualizations. Raw data by itself is hardly useful. Your team should be able to view data in a user-friendly format — hence the need for visuals like graphs, tables, and reports. 

The manner in which data is presented can make all the difference, so get yourself a system that supports user-friendly and flexible visualizations. There are data platforms that offer templates or pre-built dashboards for things like resolution workflows, RFI management, etc. 

The best-in-class solutions come with configurable visualizations that let you tailor your reports to fit your needs. This flexibility is essential because there are many cases when you need to slice and dice the information to fit a specific project or situation.

Streamlining intelligence. Data-backed insights are the bedrock of good business decisions, so you want to optimize your data analysis for success. While team members can certainly put their heads together to gather intel, it doesn’t hurt to use technology to automate your data efforts. 

Adopt construction technology that uses AI and machine learning to provide real-time and automatic insights from the data you’re capturing. The right solution, said Venugopal, can help “flag any riffs, improve the accuracy of your workflows as well as help standardize and structure the data” — ultimately streamlining your operations and helping you deliver projects quickly, and in the most cost-effective way possible. 

Data and insights go hand-in-hand in construction

The future of construction will be a lot more insightful. In order to thrive, your firm needs people, processes, and tools that can help you unlock the valuable insights within your construction data. 

To do that, start by making sure that your organization understands the ins and outs of data, analytics, and insights. It’s important to establish the key pillars discussed above so you can have a solid foundation on which to build and implement your initiatives. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to turn data into insights, learn more aboutAutodesk Construction Cloud to find out how our platform keeps your workflows, teams, and data connected at every phase of construction. Additionally, if you’d like to learn why a formal data strategy may be the game changer you’ve been needing, download Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, a report made in partnership between Autodesk and FMI.

The post You Have Data — But Do You Have Construction Insights? appeared first on Digital Builder.

The Latest Across Autodesk Construction Cloud Unified Platform, Autodesk Build, Autodesk BIM Collaborate, Autodesk Takeoff, BuildingConnected, BIM 360, and Assemble

We spend a lot of time listening to customers so we can build the products and incorporating the features you need most. Our team has been hard at work, and thanks to your feedback on the user experience, I’m excited to share over 35 new feature releases and enhancements across Autodesk Construction Cloud products.

From ensuring project schedule detail is always visible no matter where you are, to faster resolution of design discrepancies with deeper issue tracking, the latest product updates within Autodesk Construction Cloud can be found below.

Jump to releases by product:

Autodesk Construction Cloud Unified PlatformAutodesk BuildAutodesk BIM CollaborateAutodesk TakeoffBuildingConnectedBuildingConnected ProBid Board ProTradeTappBIM 360Assemble

 

 

utodesk Construction Cloud Unified Platform

* = features on both Autodesk Construction Cloud Unified Platform & BIM 360

PI | App Gallery 

The App Gallery allows Account Admins to easily connect Autodesk Construction Cloud platform products with third-party apps such as augmented reality tools, jobsite cameras or scheduling applications. The App Gallery allows users to explore and discover a range of integration solutions that leverage the Forge open platform for seamless data flow. 

dministration | Limit Project & Template Creation to Account Admins 

Autodesk Construction Cloud Unified Platform users can now limit the creation of new projects and new project templates to only Account Admins. This restriction creates more control, improves standardization, and ensures the unnecessary creation of duplicate projects or project templates. 

dministration | Product Display List in Project Admin & Members Pages 

Project Admins will now only see the products they have purchased as options to assign to members. This will avoid potential confusion of which products or licenses are available to use. Additionally, Account Admins will have the option from this screen to purchase or add additional products. 

dministration | UI Updates to Project List Page 

Users can now see additional links to other Autodesk Construction Cloud products in the top of the project list page. The addition of these links will help teams save time with the ability to easily access other Autodesk Construction Cloud products like BuildingConnected and TradeTapp. 

Document Management | Search Reviews and Transmittals by Name 

You now have access to a new search bar at the top of the Reviews and Transmittals pages. By inputting a keyword in the search bar, users will be able to search through all Reviews and Transmittals to quickly find what they’re looking for. 

Document Management | Hypermodel Viewing and Alignment 

Users will now get a better understanding, and visualization, of their 2D drawings and 3D Models with hypermodel viewing and alignment. Users can choose 2D drawings to position on top of a sectioned 3D model to align and seamlessly navigate between. 

Document Management | Holding Area Update

Previously, files in the Holding Area were split into batches based on upload group with a time/date stamp. The Holding Area will now show all files in a single list and will be sortable by columns so Admins can easily review, edit, and approve.

Document Management | Custom Attributes Enhancements * 

You now have better document control with custom attribute enhancements. For example, Custom Attributes with text fields now have character type and character limit constraints. In addition, Admins have the ability to edit custom attributes that already have data associated with them. 

Dashboards | Additional Partner Cards 

Both Autodesk Construction Cloud Unified Platform and BIM 360 users will now see new partner cards for Google,  Airtable, Join.BUILG , Stevenson Systems, EmbneusysField Control AnalyticsLambertssonOpticVyuProgressCenterProNovosQuickbaseSafe Site Check InSignOnSiteStructShareTopBuilder, and WakeCap

 

 

utodesk Build 

** = features in both Autodesk Build & BIM 360
*** = features in Autodesk Build, Autodesk BIM Collaborate & BIM 360

Schedule Tool 

Autodesk Build’s Schedule Tool is now available for all Autodesk Build users! Schedules uploaded from Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and ASTA Powerproject can be imported to a Build project and displayed in a Gantt chart or calendar view.  

Create custom views that display desired schedule items with the filter function, allowing users to look three weeks ahead or behind the current schedule. Share the schedule with field teams so they can comment on specific activities and link references to each activity item. References include photos, files, sheets, assets, and issues. Users can also integrate Schedule with Cost in Autodesk Build to improve budgeting and planning for schedule-related costs. 

Get all the details on the new Schedule Tool in this blog post [coming soon].

Data Connector | Forms Data & Power BI Template

Coming early October. Autodesk Build users can now extract Forms data using the Data Connector as well as leverage a new Power BI Template. This will help improve visibility into how teams are using forms, an overview of the status of forms, and highlight any issues that need to be addressed.  

Data Connector | Updates to Document Management & Assets Power BI Templates ** 

There is now a new Document Management Power BI Template that includes formats for both csv and compatibility with the Power BI Connector tool. Additionally, there is a new Asset Power BI Template that is compatible with the Power BI Connector tool.These templates help teams start to create custom dashboards that align more to their company KPI’s while using easy out-of-the-box options.  

Templates | Adding Form Templates from Account Library 

Account Admins will now see the ability to add a form template directly to a project template. This can be created within the account level library. This expands on the standardization capabilities ensuring that teams are always inputting the right data via the most up-to-date templates.  

Meetings | Microsoft Teams Integration *** 

Autodesk Build and BIM Collaborate users will now be able to add a Microsoft Teams meeting link directly from the meeting. This helps to enable more collaboration between project teams as users can now choose between Zoom and a Microsoft Teams collaboration toolsets. 

RFIs | Email mechanism for project team members

Coming early October. Project team members can now reply to RFIs directly from the email notification, without logging into the platform. If a team member has a ball-in-court, their response will be noted as the official response and the RFI will automatically move to the next step in the process. This increases collaboration, streamlines the process, and helps improve the response time for RFIs.  

RFIs | Enhanced References

Autodesk Build users can add additional references including submittals, forms, assets, and schedule items. When referencing RFIs in other tools, such as Issues, users will be able to search and filter across all RFIs, making it easy to connect workflows within Build. 

RFIs | View and edit custom fields on mobile

Autodesk Build users can now view and edit custom fields, within RFIs, directly from their mobile devices. 

RFIs | Quick List Action / Three dot menu 

Autodesk Build users can now perform quick RFI actions from the RFI menu within the RFI log. These actions include: duplicate RFI, sending a reminder email to the RFI ball-in-court, and exporting the RFI. 

Submittals | View linked markups on mobile 

Autodesk Build users can now view linked submittals directly from markups on their iOS and Android advice. This ensures that all team members, especially those in the field, have access to important project documents. 

Cost Management | Connection to Locations** 

Autodesk Build and BIM 360 Cost Management users can now connect a location to budget and change order items. This feature allows teams to see how much money is allocated to specific areas in the building, and have a location-based view of changes. This provides a powerful way to track patterns to mitigate risk and potential cost overruns. 

Cost Management | Cost Payment Applications Custom Approval Workflows** 

Autodesk Build and BIM 360 Cost Management users can now utilize the decision-based workflow engine to create custom workflows to automate the internal review and approval process of cost payment applications. 

Forms | Forms Tab UI Revamp on Mobile 

Coming soon. The Forms tab UI will be revamped to offer a more convenient experience to mobile users. With this improvement, finding and quickly editing form drafts becomes easier for the field team. The update includes a new“At a glance” view and searching and filtering options. 

Photos | Locations

Users will have the ability to add a location to a photo. Linking jobsite photos to predefined project locations will help teams further standardize the way they collect and organize their data. 

Learn more about this month’s product releases specific to Autodesk Build in this blog post.

 

 

utodesk BIM Collaborate 

 

Design Collaboration | Design Issues 

Design issues in Autodesk BIM Collaborate help teams communicate and resolve design discrepancies in 2D and 3D by detailing the who, what, and where—all in the same environment where design packages are created and reviewed. 

Issues in design collaboration use the same communication solution as is used in coordination workflows, field workflows, and the Revit add-in, making it easy to assign and resolve issues in whichever tool is necessary to get the job done. 

Upfront issue communications create higher quality designs and have a cascading effect on downstream workflows, making the job of the BIM manager and the project manager all that much easier. 

Get all the in-depth details on the new Design Issues feature in this blog post [coming soon].

Design Collaboration | Team Content Folders 

Each team on a project can now define which folders they’d like to see in their team space. The team content folders will only show the selected sub-folders for quicker access to the most relevant models, sheets, and pdfs. Permissions can be assigned for each team folder as well as creating an exclusive coordination space for that team’s models is quick and easy. With fewer files to load, teams gain speed and efficiency in the package creation process 

 

 

utodesk Takeoff 

File Compare 

Users can now compare PDF versions directly in Autodesk Takeoff without the need to run the compare in Autodesk Docs. This helps streamline change management and creates a smoother takeoff process. Users can either compare files side by side or use the overlay option. 

 

 

BuildingConnected 

BuildingConnected Pro 

Updated Look and Feel

Coming soon. Users can now experience an updated look and feel with new typography and colors in BuildingConnected Pro. Product functionality remains the same. 

New Proposals API Endpoint 

For users that use BuildingConnected Pro’s API, there is a new API endpoint available for proposals submitted. Information such as line item descriptions, unit costs, total cost, and revisions are available to use. 

Bid Board Pro 

Updated Look and Feel

Coming soon. Users can now experience an updated look and feel with new typography and colors in Bid Board Pro. Product functionality remains the same. 

TradeTapp 

Expanded Auto-Renewals 

Users can now configure vendor auto-renewals to send based on qualification status expiration, financial statement expiration, and/or certificate of insurance expiration. 

 

 

BIM 360 

 

Reports | Display Asset Detail in Checklist Report 

Coming early October. The Checklist Detail Report in BIM 360 will now include details about assets that are referenced back to a checklist. This will give users access to any relevant asset data so they can save time by addressing issues quickly during inspections.  

Reports | Checklist Report Filter Enhancement 

BIM 360 users will now see a new “Updated” filter option for the Checklist Detail and Checklist Summary reports. This allows users to select a timeframe for showing checklists that have been updated within a specified time range. This also gives users the ability to create more relevant reports with more specific data. 

Checklists | Offline Checklist Creation

Coming early October. BIM 360 mobile users will be able to create a checklist even when their phone doesn’t have an internet connection. Thanks to this feature, even if field teams need to work on sites with no internet connection, they can still start filling out checklists which will sync up to the cloud once they are back online. 

Checklists | Filter by Creation Date 

BIM 360 users can now filter checklists based on their creation date by using the new “Created On” filter. Thanks to this new filter, project members who need to review checklists created within a certain time frame, can quickly find what they are looking for. 

Checklists | Attach Document from Local Drive 

Coming soon. Similar to RFIs and Issues, BIM 360 users will be able to attach a document from their local drive to a checklist as well. The document will be stored as an attachment to the checklist only, it won’t show up among the project files. 

Submittals | Reporting and Submittal Enhancements 

All BIM 360 users will now be able to create reports and filter submittal items by sub-status and due date, increasing transparency and connectivity. Users will also be able to export search results and leverage the new XLSX export format within the submittals overview tab. 

 

 

ssemble 

 

Model Publishing Enhancements 

Assemble users can now publish Revit models directly from Autodesk Docs and BIM 360 Docs to Assemble without the need of Revit add-in. This greatly reduces duplication of efforts by leveraging the common data environment. It also helps ensure everyone is working from the latest project documents. 

Stay in the Know for More Autodesk Construction Cloud Product Updates 

 

The post 35+ New Product Updates for Autodesk Construction Cloud appeared first on Digital Builder.

Emergency services rescued a tower crane driver in Manchester on Friday after the man fell ill in his cab.

The Falcon crane driver had to be lowered down in a stretcher by emergency services at the Northern Quarter site in Manchester.

The man was then quickly admitted to hospital, where he is in stable condition, Greater Manchester Police have said.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called at around 9.15am this morning (17 September) following reports that a man had fallen ill while inside a crane on Oldham Street, Manchester.

“Emergency services are attending and police are assisting with road closures.”

Four fire engines along with the Technical Response Unit was involved in the rescue operation. They used used specialist height equipment, including an open air platform and turntable ladder, to reach a 42 year old man who was then assessed by North West Ambulance Service .

A fire services spokesman said: “The man was lowered to the ground using specialist rope equipment before being conveyed to hospital by NWAS.”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.dennis-construction.com/?p=369

In the construction industry, the abundance of data can be exciting or overwhelming depending on who you talk to. In a new construction report from Autodesk and FMI, Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, research shows that “bad” construction data is commonly associated with poor outcomes in project decisions. So, how much data do you really need?

The critical factor with data in construction is less tied to quantity and is more about quality. It’s whether or not it’s actually useful. And even then, if your data isn’t good, it doesn’t help you make real world decisions, especially at the field supervision or project manager levels. In spite of the industry’s growing reliance on construction technology, only 55% of report respondents stated that their organization has implemented a formal data strategy for their project data.

Further, our research also shows poor quality construction data, may have impacted over $1.8 trillion in global construction costs in 2020 alone. You can see the detailed cost breakdown in the complete report here

One of the best steps you can take to dramatically improve your effectiveness in managing projects is to create a formal data strategy. Aside from the benefits of strong data management, one of the most important takeaways to come out of this report is the actionable, 4-step process to implementing a data strategy. We share the high-level steps below, but encourage you to download the complete checklist for deeper insight. 

 

DOWNLOAD DATA STRATEGY CHECKLIST

 

Quick Look at Benefits of a Data Strategy

To support data capture, management and analysis in your organization, start with a formal data strategy. This strategy will help eliminate burdens on the team tasked with managing data and increase consistency and accuracy. 

In our report, Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, respondents who had a formal data strategy reported a much greater percent of usable project data. Other benefits included less rework, fewer missed schedules, and fewer project overruns. 

The proof is in the numbers when it comes to formal data strategies. If you’re wondering what bad data means for you, consider that a contractor with $1 billion in annual revenue could have upwards of $165 Million in cost impacts from bad data, including $7.1 Million in avoidable rework. It’s clear that a better strategy for managing data can bring significant positive impacts to your organization.

 

Why Do So Many Firms Lack a Data Strategy?

With savings this significant, you might be wondering why more organizations haven’t created formal data strategies. There are several common obstacles that can deter companies of all sizes from implementing a strategy. 

Among the respondents in Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, the top reasons for not creating a formal data strategy included not knowing how to start, the potential costs, and what resources will be required. 

Lack of formal data training is another reason why so many firms feel hesitant to create a formal data strategy. Only 38% of respondents in our survey were provided with formal data management or data analysis training. Yet in contrast, 50% of respondents provide their staff with formal safety training. To increase investments in formal training tied to data, we’ll first have to change the perception of its importance. 

The research uncovered that training is found at higher levels in organizations that have formal data management strategies (48%) and those that always or often incorporate data into decision-making (47%). Compare that to organizations without a formal data strategy, where training only occurs 27% of the time. 

 

4 Steps to Building a Successful Data Strategy

It’s clear that getting started is often the hardest part of creating a data strategy. The volume of project data can feel overwhelming and add to feelings of stress. This four-step process will make implementing a data strategy easier and attainable for your organization. If you’d like deeper insight on the following steps, we encourage you to download the checklist.

 

GET THE CHECKLIST

 

Step 1: Select a single point of focus

Where can your organization most benefit from data-driven insights? Look for the areas of your organization that can generate the most value. Doing so can help you achieve buy-in and ROI faster. Your immediate goal should be to prove that a data process improvement has clear value.

In our research with industry leaders, many began with quality assurance or safety. While this may not apply to all, this is an example of two areas that often have data readily available. Having this single point of focus will help your team prioritize and accelerate the impact of the solution. 

Fred Meeske, Vice President at Rosendin explains, “For teams starting to build data standards and processes, it is important to keep two things in mind: first, build an interdisciplinary team that focuses on easily achievable goals. This will enable you to learn while still providing immediate value. More intricate questions with more effort and time requirements can have a bigger impact, but when starting, nothing beats the immediate impact. Once momentum is built, and the questions are well defined, the team can start tackling harder questions.”

Expert tip

Picking a focal point requires you to consider some important questions. What do you want to do better? What would look different if you were able to leverage your project data and generate insights? Specific questions like this, and more, will help you articulate your organization’s aspirations with data.

 

Step 2: Get employee buy-in to reduce hesitancy

You need buy-in from your project team and their involvement in the decision-making process. This will help to increase their engagement while minimizing resistance to change. 

McKinstry, a specialty contractor in Seattle, Washington, leans on an internal Product Management Organization (PdMO) to achieve employee buy-in. The PMO team is in charge of implementing cutting-edge solutions for clients throughout the construction process. They connect the common needs of each line of business to the overall digital transformation process. 

This internal department works on the success of these data standardization efforts. They follow best practices such as the diagnose before you prescribe approach, with a thorough discovery process to identify pain points, root causes, and impacts of not having data standards. “By qualifying and quantifying this pain in terms of business value, we can articulate and prioritize the need to standardize our data among other important process and technology improvements across our enterprise,” shares Dace Campbell, Director of Product Management in Construction at McKinstry. 

Expert tip

Buy-in from all potential users is a requirement because the success or failure of a plan relies on the adoption by and execution of the frontline staff. Gathering feedback from end-users is one of three important components that organizations say help them achieve buy-in for their data strategies.

 

Step 3: Standardize your data capture across all projects

In our survey, we learned that over a third of respondents describe their organizations’ data as inaccurate, incomplete, and inconsistent. Yet only 36% had started a process for identifying bad data and repairing it. In fact, several industry leaders shared that it took up to two years to completely “clean” their data. 

How do you prevent tedious and resource-heavy issues like this one? First, you need to standardize how data is captured. As you implement this process, examine how the data will be leveraged so it can be converted into insights. 

Dr. Jad Chalhoub, Technology Solutions Implementation Lead at  Rosendin describes the challenges of collecting standardized data as “figuring out what we want to use the data for, and subsequently what data needs to be collected and to what accuracy. Different types of applications require different tolerances and collection methods, so understanding the use case is extremely important.”

Expert tip

There are ways to increase the likelihood of company-wide adoption of data standards and data strategies. A few of those things fall under a simple commitment to  resource allocation like money, people and tools. 

 

Step 4: Keep project data in a common environment

We can’t understate how important a common data environment (CDE) is to your construction data strategy. In Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction, leaders stressed the value of a connected construction environment, or complementary technology solutions with robust integration capabilities to facilitate the flow of project data. Bespoke customizations to the data environment hinder the access of future industry-wide analytics. 

A single point of access to data improves the ease of reporting and gathering advanced data analytics. Dr. Chalhoub describes standardization as a tool; standardization techniques can be made to all collected data. However, that does not mean the data will be comparable. “There’s always another layer you can standardize, and it’s important to know when to stop and how to use the other tools in your toolbox,” he adds. 

Expert tip

There are a few best practices on data quality that’ll give you a head start on your strategy. Arguably the most important one is ensuring that the data collected are accurate and in a standard format.

 

Take your first step towards a formal data strategy

Having a data management strategy can help improve efficiencies via better, and faster, data-backed decisions. A formal data strategy can also support efforts to improve decision-making, avoid rework, and prevent lost profits. Planning to use data effectively by committing to a formal data strategy is the way to not only remain competitive, but give yourself an edge.

Ready to start building a data strategy? Download our four-step checklist to get started today.

DOWNLOAD THE CHECKLIST

The post How to Create Your Construction Data Strategy [Checklist] appeared first on Digital Builder.