Newforma Development Oxford Cambridge Milton Keynes

An exclusive editorial from Newforma – our Partner for the up and coming Cambridgeshire Future Development Plans Conference: 

 

Humanity as such is only as efficient and successful as its ability to collaborate. Without it, we would be right at where we have started as a species.
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That being said, the idea behind projects such as the Cambridge-Oxford-Arc is a great one: Sharing knowledge, skills and information on a big scale can multiply people`s productivity and speed up progress massively. Major science and technology hubs like Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford combining their efforts and working towards a common goal, will help and further develop everything in between and around them, bringing improvements to the whole region.

When it comes to the positive aspects of collaboration, things are no different in the AEC industry, especially these days. Increased project complexity, due to new digital technologies, higher requirements in quality and standards or the notorious shortage of available labour, demands more thorough and careful planning than ever before. Collaboration can be the key for tackling the many challenges, that architectural practices, engineering firms and construction companies are facing in this fast-paced environment.

But in the same way the Cambridge-Oxford project really is a concept that enables the right infrastructure for resources and information to be bundled and exchanged, collaboration in the AEC industry also requires such a concept. Or a system, that finds a way of breaking up the individual data silos in form of involved companies (or even inside said companies), to enable information to flow and flourish, making the most of its value. But most digital workflows for storing and managing data only have limited capabilities to properly support transparent information exchange, which results from their very nature.

EDMS systems or CDEs define themselves as centralised data hubs, holding all project-related information and feeding other systems with distinct APIs, controlled by one entity. Now, the advantages are found in the very way of encompassing all files and documents in one platform, that also disrupts the principle of transparency, accessible data to project partners and improved workflows. Very much as if Cambridge would move all its knowledge into Oxford (or vice versa), for it to be confined in one space, but only being able to access it via a certain, restricted ways and processes. With Oxford not being able to quickly find information in their new, extensive data set due to inconsistent cataloguing of too much data, or it`s inability to track, which information the Cambridge staff really is receiving when accessing it, can cause chaos and high inefficiency.

The alternative is collaborating within a system that, instead of locking project information up, makes it accessible in one centralised interface and provides tools to then modify and share it, tracking everything along the way, of course. Or in other words: Project information management. It covers the 3 core essentials of successful AEC collaboration in the digital era.

  • Tracking project information:

Ever since 2004 the amount of data that accumulates in just a single construction project has multiplied by factor 65*. With more and more software solutions on the market the amount of drawings, plans and models being produced, sent back and forth, revised and updated, is every-growing. The convenience of having easy access to tools for every cause, can become a (data) nightmare, especially when thinking about storing and sharing those files to potentially hundreds of project members in several locations. In this complex, confusing environment it is essential to know, who did what and when, and also why. For two reasons: To be protected from potential litigation when another company claims to never have received a certain document, which lead to expensive construction errors or delays. And for teams to be aware of each other’s actions and progresses for optimal project managing.

  • Managing files and data the right way:

When being asked a certain project-related question or solving a distinct problem, it is vital to be able to quickly access the right files to get all information needed. Otherwise decision-making becomes a risky undertaking. How efficient a data storage system is can quickly answered by the question, how long it really takes to find exactly an email or a certain document in a pool of thousands. Minutes? Hours? The faster a question or a request can be answered, the quicker the whole operation gets. But why can project information management be so fast? It uses the same principle as modern search engines, indexing all information within a certain document or file, making it searchable within seconds. And with the right system found information can also be processed and passed on right away, shared with an individual, a group or a whole team, all in one go.

  • Project Context:

A piece of paper containing words and sentences is a document full of information. But what AEC professionals are often less aware of is that the information attached to this document can grow or even multiply. Showing the piece of paper to a room full of people adds the information “shown to a room full of people” to the document, creating context around it`s original content. Systems such as Newforma Project Center have become increasingly efficient with visualising the relationships between information and users, enabling them to see the whole picture and supporting precise decision-making.

There are more aspects to consider, when looking at the ideal way of managing data within the AEC industry. Historic project data for example. When considering how long construction projects can last, collaboration is not only vital between currently existing members, but also with people, who have left a project a while ago. With professionals moving on to other jobs, they mostly leave years of communication and data behind. Being able to easily access this data, even years after their departure, can save days and even weeks of people`s valuable time and a lot of hassle. The same goes for projects, which have been completed years ago. Most companies struggle with accessing archived data, for a lot of them haven`t had proper systems in place back then. But what happens if there is a dispute regarding an older project? An AEC firm needs to be able to mitigate it`s risk indefinitely.

Both Oxford and Cambridge have long flourished on their own, housing major science and technology centres, providing world-class education and research for the whole planet. Neither of them need their environment to survive. In the same way that AEC companies have been successful for decades, without using project information management. But for taking things to the next level, progress and change need to happen, especially in times of digitisation. And it all starts with a new way of thinking. About the Oxford-Milton-Keynes-Cambridge area. And about how design and construction companies manage their most valuable asset: their project information.

 

Newforma are the programme partner for our Cambridgeshire Development Plans Conference on the 6th March – where over 150 delegates will come together to network and hear from speakers including South Cambridgeshire Council, Cambridge City Council, Endurance Estates, Taylor Wimpey and L&Q Estates.

Click here to register for the event.
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