BIM, LEAN CONSTRUCTION, & COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY

BIM & LEAN / COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY – If only we could get there!

BEYOND DESIGN, BIM BEGINS WITH 10 STEPS…

1. Owner competency & leadership
2. Life-cycle asset management philosophy
3. Best value procurement
4. Collaborative construction delivery methods (IPD, JOC, …)
5. Mutual trust & respect
6. Common terms, definitions, and data architectures….all in plain English
7. Shared risk/reward
8. Monitoring via key performance indicators (KPIs)
9. Ongoing education, training, & awareness buildling
10. Continuous improvement

 

 

 

 

 

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the integration of disparate competencies, business processes, and technologies to accomplish the efficient life-cycle management of the built environment.

Per the above definition, BIM has not moved from theory to reality to any significant extent. Improving facility and infrastructure construction, management, operations, and sustainability is indeed possible, if Owners provide competent leadership.  

Owners must also recognize the value of collaboration, LEAN management methods, and information-based decision-making.   

The fundamental way in which Owners, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, Building Users, and Oversight Groups interact must change.   The issue is not, nor has ever been, shortcomings in technology.  The vacuum is one of lack of change management skills and lack of overall asset life-cycle management competency.

Asset life-cycle management, as demonstrated in the figure below, requires an integration of business areas and competencies.

The primary driver is actually the construction delivery method.  It is the construction delivery method that contractually defines roles, responsibilities, timelines, deliverables, relationships, and sets the tone for a project from day one.   The construction delivery method can actually REQUIRE COLLABORATION of all participants, right down to the terms, definitions, and information used.

Thus a collaborative construction delivery CONTRACT and its associated OPERATIONS or EXECUTION MANUAL are the detailed road map to completed a significantly higher percentage (90%+) of quality  renovation, repair, and construction projects on-time and on-budget, and to the satisfaction of ALL participants.

Collaborative construction delivery methods such as Integrated Project Delivery, IPD for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for renovation, repair, maintenance, and minor new construction aren’t new.  The both have proven track records spanning decades.

So, why isn’t everyone using collaborative construction delivery methods, and why aren’t 90% of projects delivered on-time and on-budget?   The answer has already been noted… owners are providing the necessary competent leadership, and many players are satisfied with the status quo.

 

 

 

It’s not simply a a learning curve issues,  it’s a culture change.  The multi-party nature, required financial transparency, and sharing of risk and reward is a definite hurdle for many.   Some current owners, contractors, and AE’s, quite simply, won’t be able to make the required transition.

Would it not be nice to stop focusing upon pretty 3D pictures, dated IWMS systems, and other technologies that dictate process and/or embed antagonistic workflows?  As stated previously, technology isn’t the solution, it can however be a crutch, and a problem… if it prevents us from asking the right questions… and dealing with positive change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IWMS is Dead

I find IWMS systems problematic for the following reasons.
First and foremost, IWMS systems typically start as a monolithic application, with expertise in one area.

For example, a software company that built a CMMS system, then decides to add a capital planning module (CPMS) or a space planning module (CAFM), or a project delivery module.

Without appropriate domain expertise the result is a system that does a lot of things in a mediocre manner, vs. an integration of “best in class” solutions.
With the advent of cloud computing,  Owners can easily select “best in class” solutions and simply treat them as “plug-ins” to their private cloud.  Traditional software programs as we have known them are dying, and being replace by applets…think of your smart phone.

The real key is for Owners to develop life-cycle management capabilities.  Owners focus must be upon assuring robust ontology and the adoption of transparent, proven business processes.   Strategic portfolio management, collaborative project delivery (IPD – integrated project delivery, JOC – job order contracting), optimized portfolio operations management, and maximization of available resources must be the mantra for Owners.

Technology is no longer an issue, it’s Owner expertise.   Technology should never dictate process, its role is to support low cost, consistent deployment of organization best practices, and to improve transparency, collaboration, information reuse, and decision support.

Thoughts?

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Efficient Construction Project Delivery – BIM3, Ontology, and Process

Efficient Construction Project Delivery – BIM3, Ontology, and Process

 

Actionable, transparent information, collaboration, and supporting technology are requirements in reaching the goal of more efficient construction project delivery and life-cycle management of the built environment.   While “big data” may be viewed as a buzzword, it is also a necessity as all built environment stakeholders[1] are tasked with “doing more with less”.

 

The cornerstone of big data is a robust ontology.  Ontology is a robust set of terms and definitions and their defined linkages/associations for a specified purpose.   Ontology is a requirement for any robust business process. Any improvement to the current excessive levels of waste within the construction sector is impossible without all stakeholders working with common, transparent information.   One excellent example of an application of common information is RSMeans Cost Data.  Leveraging RSMeans Cost Data as the basis for Owner, Contractor, AE, and Oversight Group activities provide immediate benefits.  Planners, Procurement, Cost Estimators, Program Managers, Engineers, Architects, Facility Managers; virtually all local and global professionals and entities; would be able to track contract, project, and estimate information and get more project done on-time and on-budget to the benefit of the Government, Contractors, Subs, and AEs.

 

Multiple cross knowledge domain competencies and associated robust business process are equally important (See Figure 1).   Of all of these the enterprise application of collaborative construction delivery methods; such as Integrated Project Delivery, IPD and Job Order Contracting, JOC; are important prerequisites on the path toward greater efficiency.  Collaborative and/or “lean” construction delivery methods are not new. They are proven business process that have had decades of field application. Education and awareness, however, is limited in this area. Very few if any Owners have applied these and/or similar “best practices” on an enterprise level, while some have deployed on a local level/site level.

Figure 1

 

Technology is also a core element in that is place an enabling role by lowering implementation costs while also supporting consistent deployment, information sharing, ongoing monitoring, and continuous improvement.

 

Thus the question remains, why has significant improvement in construction efficiency yet to occur on a widespread basis?

The answers are both simple and complex.

1. Owners have not taken a leadership role. They pay the bills and are ultimately responsible for the “end product”, the built environment.
2. Education needs to be changed and improved from higher education throughout all related professional areas.   Focus is required upon fundamental life-cycle management and total cost of ownership business processes.
3. The concept of global oversight with local action must be observed and practiced, along with a cultural shift from ad-hoc, linear, and antagonistic business process such as design-bid-build,   to collaborative methods that involve stakeholders earlier in the decision making process.

 

The culture change is major. Owners. Contractors. And AEs must work together toward common goals, with shared risk/reward, and with the same information.  How many participants are currently capable of doing this?

 

Time for a change?

 

[1] Stakeholders: Architects, Engineers, Contractors, Operators, Building Product Manufacturers, Building/Structure Users, Oversight Groups, Community at Large, Software OEMs.

Why Construction Productivity is Low vs. every other sector.

Construction productivity remains low, if not in decline ( with the exception of an uptick due to the multi-billion dollar federal government “shovel ready”  investments of 2007/8) due to the continued use of archaic, antagonistic, and counterproductive construction delivery methods such as design-bid-build.

Until the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, and Operation – AEC / AECOO – industry adopts collaborative construction delivery methods such as integrated project delivery – IPD, and job order contracting, JOC little with change.

Owners are singularly responsible for the longstanding problems as they lack the knowledge and/or capability and/or incentive to adopt life-cycle management philosophies vs. an outdated first-cost mentality.

Technology is not the issue, it is the refusal of Owners to demand basic, fundamental business process changes as so may other industries have already done.   IPD/JOC and other LEAN business processes are neither new, nor difficult to implement.   Do Owner require a legal mandate to force change?   Personally, I don’t like this solution, however, environment and economic imperatives may force this approach?

Your thoughts?

 

2014 – Owners Need to Step It Up and Get Serious about BIM / BLM – Life-cycle Management of the Built Environment

It’s time for Owners to stop the marketing… Stop hyping their LEED  Silver or “Whatever” Buildings… and actually participate in life-cycle management of the built environment supported by digital technology.   This is the real BIM / BLM  (built-environment life-cycle management) and it’s critical to the financial, economic and mission goals of many/most organizations.

Improved decision making with respect to construction, repair, renovation, operations, and sustainability of the built environment, as well as associated efficient construction project delivery has several basic requirements.

1.   Recognition and consistent implementation of built-environment life-cycle management (BLM) “best practices” relative to business processes, workflows, requisite competencies, technologies, information management requirements, and associated metrics.

2.  Standardized robust terms, definitions, and inter-relationships for all associated built environment practice areas and/or competencies.

3.  A focus upon life-cycle costs vs. first costs in terms finance and environmental impact.

4.  Collaborative project delivery methods and practices such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Job Order Contracting, (JOC), and Public Private Partnerships (PPP) vs. traditional ad-hoc and antagonistic methods such as design-bid-build (DBB) or interim methods such as design build (DB).

5.  Continuous monitoring and improvement.

Owners pay the bills are ultimately responsible for managing the built environment efficiently.  It’s beyond time that many/most Owners get started!

BIM ONTOLOGY – Prerequisite to BLM – Built-Environment Life-cycle Managment

People – Process – Technology are traditionally considered the cornerstones of BIM.  That said, without a robust ontology BIM is virtually impossible.  Life-cycle management of the built environment is not mainstream due to the following factors.

– Need for a a consistent set of terms and definitions as well as associations.  A BIM Ontology enables collaboration and cost effective information creation and ongoing reuse.

– Collaborative construction delivery methods vs. ad hoc antagonistic methods such as design-bid-built.

– Focus upon life-cycle cost vs. first-costs.

Time to Restart, Reinvent BIM … BLM… Built-environment Life-cycle Managment?

If one had to name the single most important aspect of BIM, I would select the project delivery method.   Collaborative methods are a requirement.  They set the tone, establish responsibilities, and determine if/how information is shared (as well as when and the format)… and ultimately determine the success or failure.  The good news is they are not new and they are proven.  The bad is that the market has cultural objection to change and to sharing.   Examples of collaborative methods are Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, Job Order Contracting, JOC, Public Private Partnerships, PPP, etc.

Equally important is a life-cycle view vs. first cost mentality.  This provides true value for everyone and removes the disadvantages associated with low bid.

I have been blessed to be able to work with the largest Owners across all market sectors as well as contractors, subs, and AEs of all sizes.  My focus is upon both the strategic aspects of life-cycle management and tactical implementation supported by technology and robust data architectures. 

As we all know, there’s a lot of dysfunction in the AECOO market,   Folks continue to attempt to reinvent the wheel despite proven business best practices, vendors (especially software) mislead by saying the “do everything”…especially the IWMS folks.  Also the BIM focus has largely focused upon 3D visualization and many don’t even understand life-cycle management, requirements, and/or metrics.

The 3D visualization aspect BIM has little true value at the moment other that pretty pictures, crash detection, and prefabrication (specific material vendors).

BIM is really BLM (built-environment life-cycle management) and therefore must support a as framework of collaborative project delivery.   Many/most current methods and models only support linear and/or serial processes vs. parallel co-existent cycles.

 

A BIM / BLM primary issue that has been largely avoided to date is the lack of a robust BLM (built-environment life-cycle management) ONOTLOGY.     BLM/BIM will continue to be impossible without one.   For starters what is a life-cycle…what are the primary phases…competencies…technologies… metrics…? 
There is a reason BLM/BIM has stagnated… and this is it. 

Is there a BIM/BLM clear mission statement, clear value. proposition,  robust ontology….documented proven business best practices, quantitative metrics… all of these must precede technology. 
Tech is just an enabler for cost-efficient deployment, etc.

Forget “BIM”, and Get on Board with BLM – Building / Built Environment Life-cycle Management

BIM is the life-cycle management of the built environment supported by digital technology.  That said, BIM has been preoccupied with 3D visualization to the extent that many/most feel that Revit, Archicad, et al are all that’s needed to implement BIM.

BLM – Building Life-cycle Management requires fundamental process changes within all participating organizations / stakeholders and the associated integration and use of multiple competencies, processes, and technologies.

Here’s a short list of considerations, features,  requirements, and realizations associated with BLM.

1. A robust ONTOLOGY – While not “sexy”, a clearly defined glossary with robust definitions and associated metrics is the first step. An ontology enables replicable processes, reusable data, information sharing, low cost of decision support, etc. etc. etc.  Enter… OMNICLASS, COBie, MasterFormat, UniFormat …

2. Organizations don’t deal well with change.  Some will succeed, many will fail.

3. Many/most organizations are dealing under an “information scarcity” model, when in reality we are all  in an world of
information abundance.  “Big Data” is here.  Large amounts of data (volume) and it has brought an ever increasing rapid pace of data acquisition, complexity of the data,  structured and unstructured data, multiple data sources.

4. Cloud computing technologies and new storage and indexing strategies are rapidly being developed and deployed to handle volume and velocity of information: Schema mapping, Controlled vocabularies, Knowledge representations, Ontologies and semantic technologies,.

5. Despite the above there remains surprisingly little collaboration within the AECOO sector(s) (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, Owner).  As as result advancements are slow and productivity gains remain elusive.

6. Traditional techniques, processes, and methods…such as design-bid-built, are ineffective/inadequate and giving way to collaborative construction delivery methods such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Job Order Contracting (JOC).

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What is the Single Most Disruptive Force in Construction? and why BIM won’t solve it.

Simple answer…  an industry-wide lack of collaboration, transparency, and shared risk/reward.

Change however is possible IF and ONLY IF Owners, Contractors, and AE’s take the time to understand and implement collaborative construction delivery methods correctly.   Job Order Contracting (for renovation, repair, sustainability, and minor new construction projects) and Integrated Project Delivery (for major new construction), are examples of readily available, proven solutions to the construction sectors lack of productivity and legacy of legal disputes.

Fundamental change in how construction industry players perform business must occur.  That said, not everyone will be able to, or wish to, participate.   Excellence in both education and execution are requirements for the transition.

JOC and IPD share the following characteristics:

– Parties that understand and “buy-in” to the processes (not everyone will be up for the task)
– Robust, well-organized cost data (enhanced RSMeans line item cost data with full material, labor, material, and equipment breakdown, supplemented as needed for localized requirements, see http://www.4Clicks.com)
– Shared risk-reward
– Supporting software to assure consistency and reduce deployment costs

Design-Bid-Build, DBB and even Design-Build, DB can’t resolve our industry’s problems. We MUST change.

“Many/most projects are currently done with low bidders, ill prepared, with parties being dragged through the project just to try to get the work done with some reasonable quality. People’s actions are driven in two ways, reward or punishment. There is too much punishment and not enough reward. How many jobs have liquidated damages for delays but how many have you seen that gives a reward for finishing on time or early? We all know that construction is a “risk” business the question is how much risk are we willing to accept for little reward? The issue is achieving and “all for one and one for all” mentality.””  – quoted from a Linked-In discussion

BIM is supposed to be the “life-cycle management of the built environment supported by digital technology”.  Unfortunately, far too much emphasis is being spend on 3D visualization and low level technical “mumbo jumbo”, vs. defining core processes, a robust onology/glossary, and associated sharing of rich information.

Learn or Retire?

Facility Life-cycle Costs: Managing the Built Environment – BIM?

What are Facility/Infrastructure Life Cycle Costs? What is life-cycle management? Is BIM the life-cycle management of the built environment supported by digital technology? How important is a standardized ontology? What are the primary competencies and knowledge domains required to support life-cycle management of buildings and other physical infrastructure? What are the benefits of life-cycle cost management vs. a “first-cost” focus? How important is impartial third party cost data to life-cycle management? How important are collaborative construction delivery method to efficient life-cycle management of the built environment

Answers to the above: 1. The total cost of ownership of a built structure throughout all phases of conceptualization, design, procurement, construction, repair, renovation, adaptation, maintenance, operation, and deconstruction. 2. A process incorporating the ongoing, pro-active management of a built structure in order to best support the organizational mission(s) of the Owner. 3. Yes. 4. Critical.  A robust ontology complete with terms, definitions, and associated inter-relationships and/or data architectures is mandatory in order to achieve efficient life-cycle management of the built environment. 5.  Competency and integration of multiple knowledge domains are required:  Capital planning an management (CPMS) – the ongoing assessment of physical and functional requirements and needs as well as associated capital reinvestment decision support, ongoing routine maintenance (CMMS) of equipment and building components with individual task orders typically under $10,000, space planning and utilization (CAFM), building automation systems (BAS), geographic information management (GIS) and others. 6.  Total lower cost of ownership, enhanced building performance in concert with organizations needs/requirements/goals, enhanced safety, reduced risk, higher productivity … 7. Critical:  Independent third party cost data, such as RSMeans, provided a check and balance vs. external vendors/service providers and internal team activities/requirements. 8. Critical:  Robust, collaborative construction delivery methods such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) for major new construction and Job Order Contracting (JOC) for renovation, repair, sustainability, and minor new construction are integral to life-cycle management.

via http://www.4Clicks Solutions, LLC – Premier cost estimating and efficient project delivery technology and services – JOC, SABER, IDIQ, MATOC, MACC, POCA, BOA …