Combining Delivery, Data & Operations
Design businesses can benefit from adoption of emerging smart tools.
The goal of delivery
The secret to delviery is to understand that we are delivering a technical product - a building with a lot of interrelated systems.
With its in mind, the goal of delviery is to - as much as possible - emulate and capture the technical aspects of a building or system or component. In Revit for example, wall and roof assemblies need to accurately simulate the layers of materials. Copings and reveals need to e modeled for coordination. And mechanical components
The "information' Aspects of delviery then, should focus on the technical
Delivery and Data
Improved Operations means multiple threads of activity into a single fabric, fusing :
Construction methods and expertise,
Digital technologies for BIM and issue tracking,
Progressive thinking on lean processes and methods,
and human factors like teamwork and collaboration.
In the final analysis however, the crux of delivery boiled down to optimizing one major factor - communication!
Optimized communication is the crucial work of the delivery process, and all the technologies and behaviors are about clarifying the transfer of knowledge from one team member to another. Traditionally the communication process has been slow and siloed. But newer thinking like IPD and Lean have started to break down barriers to smooth communication, while digital technologies have made it easier to represent and to share ideas and input. I have spent much of my career pushing simultaneously on each of these major issues: using BIM, adopting new methods such as as Lean Documentation. and using Newforma for issue tracking.
Advances in Building Technology
As industries evolve, so too do the tools and methods by which they build their buildings. Recent examples of advances in building technologies include Off-site Construction (such as modular units, and HVAC duct trees) which allow labor to be performed in more controlled conditions, and frequently to higher standards.
Knowing the means of construction is an essential part of the design process, and off-site construction is especially suited to multi-resident building types, such as dormitories, apartments and the like.
New Tools for 3D and information
Delivery is continuously impacted by the advent of new software which allows for better communication of ideas, and better tracking of information. There are two major classes of digital tools use in delivery: BIM software, such as Revit, Navisworks, Fuzor, Tekla, BIM 360, and a host of 3D model based software; and PIM software, (Project Information Management) such as Newforma, BIM 360 Docs, etc. Each of these toolsets has changed the way teams communicate and track information. BIM software creates models where information is embedded in 3D objects for all to access. But similarly, PIM software tracks emails, submittals and project document versions throughout a project and across a distributed team.
summary
Delivery is a critical and multi-faceted aspect of creating modern buildings. There have been many great advances in tools in the past decade - and it's not over yet! With the maturing of BIM tools, the growth of cloud services, and new tools to aggregate large amounts of data, delivery is still a fresh arena for innovation and continuous development.