“Digital Innovation” in Action
Transforming Design with Automated Solutions
BIM and digital tools have reshaped the building engineering landscape, making projects smarter and more sustainable. But what does “Digital Innovation” really mean, and how can it be applied in the day-to-day?
Introduction
At Collective Engineering, “Digital Innovation” isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a practical approach embedded in our daily operations. For us, innovation is about taking real, actionable steps—automating processes, improving efficiency, and most importantly, fostering positive growth within our team.
Let us show you how, and why, we do it.
Automation Leads to Innovation
Automating building information modelling (BIM) is a top example of ‘digital innovation in action’. We’re committed to providing 100% in-house BIM, which requires practical, actionable steps, with a strong focus on automation.
In our experience, a hands-on approach to innovation is the only way to positively impact the industry. We’re all about saving time and keeping projects running smoothly, so whether speeding up REVIT projects or automating data processes, automation is our secret weapon for boosting efficiency and streamlining workflows.
Our Processes Toolkit
The processes we’ve developed as a team are designed to inspire digital innovation in action. These processes fall into one of four categories:
Streamline Design and Communication
We simplify BIM’s slow, tedious, or distracting aspects to improve efficiency. We also save time by streamlining REVIT project setups and automating data logging and communication within teams.
Enhance Design
Preset views add to automation by helping to assess flow rates or compare engineers’ schedules against REVIT input. REVIT Analytics enhances design by sizing pipes, ducts, and schematics without graphs, Excel macro functions, or ductulators.
Visual Coordination
We have several software programs in our arsenal, such as Navisworks, REVIZTO, and ACC model coordination. They help detect clashes and visually check the work. While “clash detection” alone may not be innovative, the coordination process is a game-changer.
Document Quality Control
Completing documentation standards and compliance is much easier with a bit of automation! It can spot non-compliance and give our team a nudge if needed. There are no scavenger hunts for missing documents— everything’s in one convenient spot.
Evolution of Construction Technology
Drafting has come a long way since the days of traditional drawing boards. With the uptake of BIM, 2D CAD, 3D Modelling, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR), design in construction is more shiny and interactive than ever.
BIM is nothing short of revolutionary. It allows for offsite three-dimensional coordination, reduces onsite rework, and enables tracking and monitoring of assets. Meanwhile, 2D CAD is a handy tool that helps to maintain consistency when design adjustments are made. AR enables design and service comparisons, while VR allows for immersive walk-through experiences.
These advancements have completely transformed the drafting process, setting new standards for the future of construction.
“Digital Innovation” for the People
Automating mundane tasks to drive digital innovation offers many benefits, including significant time and cost efficiencies, improved documentation quality, and, importantly, enhanced staff fulfilment.
By providing more efficient ways to model, design, and collaborate, the quality of BIM documentation improves, leading to fewer errors, and more opportunities to find creative solutions, fostering skill development and knowledge sharing among team members.
Being “innovative” in BIM has clear benefits, and it’s not just about getting a cool fly-through and showing off Hollywood style around the office (though, that is a lot of fun). Ultimately, efficiency and automation drive a more positive, people-first work culture, and we’re here for it.
Adopting new programs and sharing the workload between staff leads to gurus in different niches, and a remarkably strong, agile team. Having a balance of knowledge amongst the team gives each member something unique to offer, while also preserving workflow.
Challenges and Considerations
Encouraging companies to invest in automation can be challenging, but to achieve long-term efficiency gains, it is crucial to:
Overcome Resistance to Change
The BIM world is constantly changing, so keep up or be left behind. Attending events helps to scope out options, ask questions, and see tools in action. Ensure a good fit with your team and existing software before adopting new programs.
Provide Cohesive Training Modules
Accessing training models hosted on SharePoint via Teams is a great way to keep everyone upskilled with new processes and programs. This is malleable, and employees can refer to it for future use.
Allow Time for Team-Wide Integration
Embrace new tools while ensuring sustainable processes. Automation tools like Dynamo or in-house developed add-ins help, as long as everyone in the office knows how to use them so you’re not dependent on one person.
Real-World Application of Other-Worldly Tools
To push design boundaries and provide highly accurate, excellent solutions within reasonable timeframes, you need specific tools.
For team-wide collaboration and model flythroughs, we use cloud-based tools including:
- Revit
- Twinmotion
- Revizto
- BIM Collaborate
- Navisworks
- dRofus
Our tools are crucial to maximising efficiency, saving significant amounts of time, and enhancing the accuracy of documentation. But what really sets us apart is our commitment to ensuring that everyone on our team understands and can use the tools to their fullest potential.
Our automation tools are estimated to save around 3-10 days of labour per project, depending on the project size and number of disciplines.
By reverse-engineering the process and teaching our team how to use tools effectively, we foster a culture of continuous improvement and generate innovative ideas for automation that help us stay ahead of the curve.
When it comes to accuracy, we leave nothing to chance. That’s why we use pipes instead of lines in our schematics, ensuring more precise flow calculations and eliminating the possibility of human error.
Our pre-set checking views come colour-coded with branches and tags, indicating key parameters such as pressure (Pa/m), velocity (m/s), and flow rate (l/s) – and all of this information is sent along with QA results for maximum transparency and accountability.
Future Trends and Innovations
It’s no secret that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reshape REVIT user skills, emphasising communication with AI tools and collaboration between services within a single model.
Future AI processing capabilities include designing systems such as pipe routes and cable trays, which will enhance efficiency and reduce revisions. The advancement of computer and internet capabilities will eventually make it possible to collaborate using a single large live model.
This shift shouldn’t be cause for concern. Human relationships are critical to any successful project, and individuals with expertise in relevant fields will be needed for verification and programming purposes.
Looking to the future, our automatic Quality Assurance (QA) checker is poised to revolutionise project management. The tool will ensure adherence to naming conventions, verify the existence of key project documents, and confirm when relevant team members e-sign critical documents.
By automating these tasks, reviewing team compliance will be easy. Team members will receive quick notifications of any non-compliance issues, and have complete confidence that they adhere to internal standards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Digital Innovation” is a term often overused to the point of losing its true meaning. At Collective Engineering, it represents a practical, daily approach that drives positive outcomes for our projects and team members.
The ultimate goal of BIM implementation should be to empower teams to produce creative, excellent work that challenges industry norms and reduces manual workloads. While BIM has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry, it is not a cure-all. Introducing new tools and technologies requires a balance between innovation and practicality.
Our approach to BIM implementation at Collective Engineering ensures productivity gains by maintaining quality output and adapting to future changes sustainably.
Regardless of the tools used, a united, passionate team is the backbone of success. As a team, we embrace innovation, encourage collaboration, and together, are building a better future!