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BIM FacilitatesSmarter MaintenancePlanning and Execution
The Age Of BIM For FM:
BIM offers much more than just the location of your assets in a building, but it does that too. More importantly, though, the use of BIM can help get all stakeholders involved from the start.
In Term Of FM, With a BIM platform, [asset managers] can get involved in the process very early on during the design and construction phase. So they have a voice in what types of equipment will be selected and installed in the building and in making sure all the information and documents are being captured in the right place, time and manner
3D Model + (FM / Asset Information) = 6D BIM FM
6D Definition
BIM & Facility Management
BIM FM or 6D BIM (6D Building Information Modeling) is a term widely in the construction industry which refers to the intelligent linking of a 3D BIM model and its components to all aspects of project life-cycle, asset, and facilities management information..
Using BIM FM facilities managers can effectively explore, track, and manage information using the powerful parametric capabilities and data embedded in the BIM model to analyze space related data, track inventory and lifecycle data and perform cost needs analysis.
Where a model is created by the designer and updated throughout the construction phase, it will have the capacity to become a 6D"As-Built" BIM model that can be delivered to the owner when a construction project is completed. The model will be able to contain all of the specifications, operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals, and warranty information, which is useful for future maintenance. This eliminates the problems that can currently be experienced if the O&M manual has been misplaced or is kept at a remote location. Sensors can feed back and record data relevant to the operation phase of a building, enabling BIM to be used to model and evaluate energy efficiency, monitor a building's life cycle costs and optimize its cost efficiency. It also enables the owner to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of any proposed upgrades.We are proud of the service that we provide for our customers
"Bana Yar Mehraz Iraninan" is delivering major benefits for developers, facilities managers and building owners by linking BIM with facilities management on major projects in Iran.
Using BIM for FM :
- Cost savings at both delivery and operational stages
- Access to real-time, shared asset profiles
- Improved awareness of asset locations
- Relational objects help test scenarios at no cost
- Greater accuracy in measuring spaces
- Improved client satisfaction
- Reduced safety risk
- Greater project predictability and early modification
5 Reasons Why FM is Not Just an “Operational Expense”
This article was featured in the April / May edition of FM Magazine, written by SWG Asia Pacific General Manager, Samantha Fuller.
Ever the underdog despite steadily growing professional recognition; a recent FMA survey found that 54% of executives viewed facility management as an “operational expense” rather than a “conduit for delivery of core business” (25%) or a “value adding service” (21%). High construction and utilities costs combined with increasing job turnover rates mean that board level executives must change their view on FM and recognise the profession for the value it brings.
Identifying workplace trends
With FM covering everything from catering to security, on paper the expense can seem disproportionate compared with other, revenue-generating, departments. A necessary evil, if you will. But behind the scenes the work undertaken is more strategic, driving costs down through data analysis and complex calculations. FM teams deploying sensors on assets are given rich information on performance for predictive maintenance, and can identify trends based on footfall to inform, for example, cleaning schedules. As sensors are not yet commonplace tools, data can also be effectively captured and reported on through FM software. Asset costs (both long and short-term) can be reduced, such as by it calculating the most cost-effective method of maintenance (periodic maintenance, call out or complete refurbishment), and comparing expected vs actual performance to allow engineer intervention before breakdown occurs and the workplace is disrupted. Work can be sent directly to an operative’s mobile device to ensure time is not wasted through paper form collection and out-of-date information.
Reducing energy waste
Despite pledging under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions by 26% by 2030, figures released by the Department of Environment and Energy in December show the country is falling drastically short. Reducing corporate energy consumption in every business across Australia is achievable using technology, either through sensors to detect occupation and turning off heating and lighting automatically, or by integrating the building management system (BMS) with FM software. Through this, underperforming, energy draining assets can be identified for servicing and an engineer automatically dispatched. Further integration with room bookings allows meeting areas and offices to be powered only when in use, restricting energy waste and saving money. Across large organisations even small inefficiencies can converge into substantial performance issues, damaging the environment as well as reducing productivity across the organisation.
Optimising space management
As the government continues to offload its unused real estate, and private companies struggle to find good quality, affordable offices, it’s clear that space management is a prime area for strategic consideration. CBRE surveyed 100 Australian-based multinationals and found 57% planned to hire more staff but only 22% planned to increase office space to accommodate them. The necessary rise of flexible working and hot desking will alleviate some pressure – businesses commonly find that after analysis through space and move management technology, actual utilisation is only around 50%. These tools, generally forming part of a wider FM software system, allows comprehensive plans to be created to project usage and identify areas of inefficiency. Potential layouts can be tested and move plans can be evaluated to ensure any changes cause minimal disruption to occupants.
Integrating FM software with BIM
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is rising in prominence as a cost-saving tool, and despite not being mandated as in the UK, both public and private sector companies are already using it for construction and for the operational phase of the facility. For the FM team, BIM provides the holy grail of data about the building, and when integrated with FM software, produces a 3D image to show asset location, make, model, service history and contract information; greatly improving rectification times and reducing repeat visits. The collaborative nature of BIM, with its unique method of digital data management and sharing across all partners from architect to construction and FM, means the latter now has opportunity to share practical and strategic experience at the design stage to improve a building’s layout and usability, as well as ensure easy access for future asset maintenance.
Improving Workplace Wellness
Finally, FM can be seen as a value adding service through its role in workplace wellness initiatives. Work-life balance is now seen as the most important employee objective, according to consultancy firm Gartner, although we still work on average two months’ unpaid overtime a year. Presenteeism, employees coming to work sick, is costing the economy $34 billion a year. Changes made by the FM team to improve workplace surroundings, from green spaces and healthy catering to bike racks and shower facilities, help keep an organisation’s most important assets healthier, happier and more productive. Despite the costs of these changes, a comfortable workplace can reduce employee turnover and help attract new talent, keeping a business alive and competitive both now and into the future.
This article was featured in the April / May edition of FM Magazine, written by SWG Asia Pacific General Manager, Samantha Fuller.
Ever the underdog despite steadily growing professional recognition; a recent FMA survey found that 54% of executives viewed facility management as an “operational expense” rather than a “conduit for delivery of core business” (25%) or a “value adding service” (21%). High construction and utilities costs combined with increasing job turnover rates mean that board level executives must change their view on FM and recognise the profession for the value it brings.
Identifying workplace trends
With FM covering everything from catering to security, on paper the expense can seem disproportionate compared with other, revenue-generating, departments. A necessary evil, if you will. But behind the scenes the work undertaken is more strategic, driving costs down through data analysis and complex calculations. FM teams deploying sensors on assets are given rich information on performance for predictive maintenance, and can identify trends based on footfall to inform, for example, cleaning schedules. As sensors are not yet commonplace tools, data can also be effectively captured and reported on through FM software. Asset costs (both long and short-term) can be reduced, such as by it calculating the most cost-effective method of maintenance (periodic maintenance, call out or complete refurbishment), and comparing expected vs actual performance to allow engineer intervention before breakdown occurs and the workplace is disrupted. Work can be sent directly to an operative’s mobile device to ensure time is not wasted through paper form collection and out-of-date information.
Reducing energy waste
Despite pledging under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions by 26% by 2030, figures released by the Department of Environment and Energy in December show the country is falling drastically short. Reducing corporate energy consumption in every business across Australia is achievable using technology, either through sensors to detect occupation and turning off heating and lighting automatically, or by integrating the building management system (BMS) with FM software. Through this, underperforming, energy draining assets can be identified for servicing and an engineer automatically dispatched. Further integration with room bookings allows meeting areas and offices to be powered only when in use, restricting energy waste and saving money. Across large organisations even small inefficiencies can converge into substantial performance issues, damaging the environment as well as reducing productivity across the organisation.
Optimising space management
As the government continues to offload its unused real estate, and private companies struggle to find good quality, affordable offices, it’s clear that space management is a prime area for strategic consideration. CBRE surveyed 100 Australian-based multinationals and found 57% planned to hire more staff but only 22% planned to increase office space to accommodate them. The necessary rise of flexible working and hot desking will alleviate some pressure – businesses commonly find that after analysis through space and move management technology, actual utilisation is only around 50%. These tools, generally forming part of a wider FM software system, allows comprehensive plans to be created to project usage and identify areas of inefficiency. Potential layouts can be tested and move plans can be evaluated to ensure any changes cause minimal disruption to occupants.
Integrating FM software with BIM
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is rising in prominence as a cost-saving tool, and despite not being mandated as in the UK, both public and private sector companies are already using it for construction and for the operational phase of the facility. For the FM team, BIM provides the holy grail of data about the building, and when integrated with FM software, produces a 3D image to show asset location, make, model, service history and contract information; greatly improving rectification times and reducing repeat visits. The collaborative nature of BIM, with its unique method of digital data management and sharing across all partners from architect to construction and FM, means the latter now has opportunity to share practical and strategic experience at the design stage to improve a building’s layout and usability, as well as ensure easy access for future asset maintenance.
Improving Workplace Wellness
Finally, FM can be seen as a value adding service through its role in workplace wellness initiatives. Work-life balance is now seen as the most important employee objective, according to consultancy firm Gartner, although we still work on average two months’ unpaid overtime a year. Presenteeism, employees coming to work sick, is costing the economy $34 billion a year. Changes made by the FM team to improve workplace surroundings, from green spaces and healthy catering to bike racks and shower facilities, help keep an organisation’s most important assets healthier, happier and more productive. Despite the costs of these changes, a comfortable workplace can reduce employee turnover and help attract new talent, keeping a business alive and competitive both now and into the future.
Information stored within BIM includes schedules and blueprints as well as asset information such as cost, location, service life, carbon impact, maintenance, spares, re-ordering, substitution, serial number, warranty details and more. This can be an overwhelming amount of data to process, but when integrated with a CAFM system, such as Service Works’ QFM for example, the data can be better managed and be even more powerful.
Integrating BIM with facilities management software systems is the holy grail in terms of better quality and standardised data. BIM provides more reliable information to report to the board, as it can be received, stored, combined with other data and analysed seamlessly. BIM allows FMs to take informed decisions through the whole lifecycle of the facility around areas such as space use, floor planning, equipment and asset maintenance, energy consumption, and cost efficiencies. Such is the holistic nature of the BIM and FM integrated data, problems can be diagnosed quickly and performance predicted resulting in fewer equipment and asset failures. Maintenance engineers can also see a 3D visualisation of the asset and its location, together with all service history and specification, and contract information in advance of a maintenance visit, reducing repeat visits and improving response times.
Integrating BIM with facilities management software systems is the holy grail in terms of better quality and standardised data. BIM provides more reliable information to report to the board, as it can be received, stored, combined with other data and analysed seamlessly. BIM allows FMs to take informed decisions through the whole lifecycle of the facility around areas such as space use, floor planning, equipment and asset maintenance, energy consumption, and cost efficiencies. Such is the holistic nature of the BIM and FM integrated data, problems can be diagnosed quickly and performance predicted resulting in fewer equipment and asset failures. Maintenance engineers can also see a 3D visualisation of the asset and its location, together with all service history and specification, and contract information in advance of a maintenance visit, reducing repeat visits and improving response times.
Improving Facility Management Through BIM Data
Access to building information modeling data provides facilities teams valuable insight, but integrating this data into facility systems is a challenge.
Until recently, building information models (or BIMs) were primarily used by architects and construction firms to streamline the early stages of the building life cycle. Building owners and facility management professionals, however, are increasingly realizing the value of BIM data for building management and automation. In “The Facility Management Handbook”, authors David G. Cotts, Kathy O. Roper, and Richard P. Payant, note that by maximizing the use of BIM data in facility management and building maintenance, owners and building developers can reduce operational costs. The payoff can be significant, since these expenses often represent up to three times the design and construction cost of a building.
So, how can BIM data be used in the world of facility management? Here are few examples:
Asset inventories and registries
Space management applications
Building system analysis
Environmental analysis
Regulatory compliance management
Accurate as-built information for renovation projects
Each year, IMAGINiT Technologies conducts a survey on building information modeling and facility management practices. The 2017 results revealed that building owners are using this data more frequently for facility management purposes. The percentage of owners integrating BIM data into their facility management systems more than doubled, growing from 6.1% in 2016 to 15% in 2017.
Yet, challenges remain. Owners suggested in the survey that the biggest obstacles associated with using BIM data in their facility management systems are: integrating the information into their facility management platform and maintaining this data once it is received.
In addition, data loss is a common problem. Data loss can occur if the information gathered in the model during the design and construction project phases doesn’t include key information needed for the maintenance and operation phases of the building life cycle. For instance, a BIM may include HVAC service or zone information, but it contains no details about the components of that system to import into the maintenance management system. Data loss can also occur if the data isn’t formatted in ways that are compatible with the facility management system. This prevents seamless integration between the BIM and the facility management system.
Overcoming BIM To FM Systems Challenge
The good news is that these challenges can be overcome. Here are three tips for eliminating data integration obstacles and improving building management and automation through better access to BIM data:
1. Conduct a Review of Facility Management BIM Requirements. The best way to make BIM data useful during the operations phase of the building life cycle is to identify upfront what information will be needed by facility management systems. By involving facility management in the initial planning stages of the building information model, it’s possible to bridge the gap and align the stakeholders with a shared goal.
2. Create a BIM Guideline. All stakeholders will follow this guideline during a project, starting from the initial planning stages. Every stakeholder group has its own unique requirements for the building information model. Creating such a guideline upfront ensures that the model development process will go more smoothly. Owners must ask three key questions as they participate in the development of a BIM guideline:
What data do you need? All facility management systems need basic information that begins with room numbers and simple asset information. Additional information will be required depending on the systems your organization uses, and the processes implemented in those systems. Your IT department and those maintaining the facility can help define the necessary data elements. In most cases, BIMs used by facilities are simpler than the design or construction models.
How will you collect it? Facility managers must maintain what was built. This means that as-built information must be collected for the BIM during construction and commissioning. Sometimes, this data does not originate in the building information model. Stakeholders, including the facilities team, must decide how to gather as-built information and store it for building management purposes.
How will it be kept up-to-date? To be most useful, the data in the BIM should be kept current. Remember that buildings change over time. Keeping data current while maintaining history will help facility managers make better decisions.
3. Remember that it’s not “one and done”— data can be added incrementally over time. Naturally, a good starting point is the information that’s needed today for facility management. However, it’s also a good idea to explore what the facility management team would like to know in the future to do their jobs better. This information can support a roadmap for facilities-focused BIM data. For example, your team may initially incorporate asset locations and unique IDs into the BIM. With the right data structure, more asset detail can easily be added to the BIM later.
BIMs can be a great resource for improving building management and automation. To leverage the power of BIM, however, use a structured approach to defining facility management requirements and BIM standards. The reduction in building operation costs can be compelling!
By Peter Costanzo
Access to building information modeling data provides facilities teams valuable insight, but integrating this data into facility systems is a challenge.
Until recently, building information models (or BIMs) were primarily used by architects and construction firms to streamline the early stages of the building life cycle. Building owners and facility management professionals, however, are increasingly realizing the value of BIM data for building management and automation. In “The Facility Management Handbook”, authors David G. Cotts, Kathy O. Roper, and Richard P. Payant, note that by maximizing the use of BIM data in facility management and building maintenance, owners and building developers can reduce operational costs. The payoff can be significant, since these expenses often represent up to three times the design and construction cost of a building.
So, how can BIM data be used in the world of facility management? Here are few examples:
Asset inventories and registries
Space management applications
Building system analysis
Environmental analysis
Regulatory compliance management
Accurate as-built information for renovation projects
Each year, IMAGINiT Technologies conducts a survey on building information modeling and facility management practices. The 2017 results revealed that building owners are using this data more frequently for facility management purposes. The percentage of owners integrating BIM data into their facility management systems more than doubled, growing from 6.1% in 2016 to 15% in 2017.
Yet, challenges remain. Owners suggested in the survey that the biggest obstacles associated with using BIM data in their facility management systems are: integrating the information into their facility management platform and maintaining this data once it is received.
In addition, data loss is a common problem. Data loss can occur if the information gathered in the model during the design and construction project phases doesn’t include key information needed for the maintenance and operation phases of the building life cycle. For instance, a BIM may include HVAC service or zone information, but it contains no details about the components of that system to import into the maintenance management system. Data loss can also occur if the data isn’t formatted in ways that are compatible with the facility management system. This prevents seamless integration between the BIM and the facility management system.
Overcoming BIM To FM Systems Challenge
The good news is that these challenges can be overcome. Here are three tips for eliminating data integration obstacles and improving building management and automation through better access to BIM data:
1. Conduct a Review of Facility Management BIM Requirements. The best way to make BIM data useful during the operations phase of the building life cycle is to identify upfront what information will be needed by facility management systems. By involving facility management in the initial planning stages of the building information model, it’s possible to bridge the gap and align the stakeholders with a shared goal.
2. Create a BIM Guideline. All stakeholders will follow this guideline during a project, starting from the initial planning stages. Every stakeholder group has its own unique requirements for the building information model. Creating such a guideline upfront ensures that the model development process will go more smoothly. Owners must ask three key questions as they participate in the development of a BIM guideline:
What data do you need? All facility management systems need basic information that begins with room numbers and simple asset information. Additional information will be required depending on the systems your organization uses, and the processes implemented in those systems. Your IT department and those maintaining the facility can help define the necessary data elements. In most cases, BIMs used by facilities are simpler than the design or construction models.
How will you collect it? Facility managers must maintain what was built. This means that as-built information must be collected for the BIM during construction and commissioning. Sometimes, this data does not originate in the building information model. Stakeholders, including the facilities team, must decide how to gather as-built information and store it for building management purposes.
How will it be kept up-to-date? To be most useful, the data in the BIM should be kept current. Remember that buildings change over time. Keeping data current while maintaining history will help facility managers make better decisions.
3. Remember that it’s not “one and done”— data can be added incrementally over time. Naturally, a good starting point is the information that’s needed today for facility management. However, it’s also a good idea to explore what the facility management team would like to know in the future to do their jobs better. This information can support a roadmap for facilities-focused BIM data. For example, your team may initially incorporate asset locations and unique IDs into the BIM. With the right data structure, more asset detail can easily be added to the BIM later.
BIMs can be a great resource for improving building management and automation. To leverage the power of BIM, however, use a structured approach to defining facility management requirements and BIM standards. The reduction in building operation costs can be compelling!
By Peter Costanzo