The challenge

One of the key challenges faced during the construction of 40 Leadenhall Street was managing the complex information requirements for a building of this magnitude. In 2016, when the project was awarded to Mace to construct, the term “digital twin” was still relatively unknown. It wasn’t until 2019, with a change in ownership, that the project gained momentum.

The challenge was not just in collecting data but determining the right amount of data needed for operational efficiency without overburdening the supply chain. Resurveying the building could be costly, making it essential to strike a balance between obtaining useful data and avoiding information overload.

Smart buildings focus

Arcadis was then brought on board to formulate a smart building strategy and connect various technologies using Glider’s information management platform, gliderbim®. Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the building’s property managers, would leverage gliderbim® to align operational technology with asset information for new tenants.

gliderbim®, with its ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) process, quickly became the linchpin in managing the complex information ecosystem. Glider facilitated the collation, validation, and structuring of data as a managed service. With over 60 trade contractors onsite, 1,900 models, 31,500 documents, 14 sectional handovers and more than 1,000 maintainable assets, the scale of the project was immense.

The configuration process involved defining asset categories, picklists, model disciplines, roles, and groups, ensuring structured and repeatable data. Templates and predefined rules verified the information, providing an overview of data compliance.

Reporting capabilities

The real power of gliderbim® is in its ability to verify data against a digital plan of works, allowing users to identify incomplete or invalid values. The federated data was stored in a register, ready to be exported in the required format. The platform’s reporting capabilities, coupled with external tools like Power BI, provided comprehensive insights to meet diverse requirements.

At the handover stage, the Project Information Model (PIM) served a different purpose to the Asset Information Model (AIM). The PIM, optimised for construction, was configured into a new workspace for operation and structure for operational efficiency. JLL is able to leverage gliderbim®’s open API to connect the AIM to various operational systems like CAFM, tenant apps, space management, and fault detection and diagnostics.

A solid foundation for the future

40 Leadenhall Street was a complex project, and predicting information requirements in 2019 seemed impossible. How can you predict what data will be required in 5 years by someone who is yet to be appointed to manage the building? By adopting a strategy of maintaining simple but powerful data fields for key components in the information model, the project not only navigated the complexities of construction but also ensured that recipients had the opportunity to fully exploit the data for future operational use. This project has highlighted that effective information management is pivotal in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Discover more

For more on this project, Lucas Cusack shares his insights in this BIM Plus webinar, recorded on 18 January 2024.

WATCH ON DEMAND

40 Leadenhall is also an award winning project:

Construction Computing Awards – BIM Project of the Year 2023 

Building Innovation Awards – Most Innovative Commercial Project 2023

At Glider, we understand the challenges faced by main contractors in meeting the demands of complex handover while managing limited resources. Our fully managed service, powered by the innovative gliderbim® information management digital platform, ensures a consistently smooth and compliant handover experience every time. With an enterprise licence, your connected supply chain will have a familiar and consistent handover platform to work with, reducing friction of use and improving the quality of handover deliverables.

However, perceiving premium services as costly might lead to settling for cheaper but less effective alternatives. Here are five compelling reasons why main contractors should consider an enterprise framework agreement with Glider for their complex project needs:

Economies of scale

Embrace a consistent approach across projects, regardless of their size or complexity. Engaging with Glider under an enterprise framework agreement over tactical project working unlocks the benefits of our structured pricing, best practice sharing and continual improvement. This ensures not only quality enhancements but also cost certainty and working practices that align with industry-leading standards.

Streamlined tech stack management

Large contractors often grapple with disparate software platforms and licensing agreements across project teams, leading to inefficiencies. With Glider’s trusted platform gliderbim® adopted uniformly across multiple projects, you can unify your approach, making team mobilisation and compliance with internal IT standards easier, ensuring a consistent high-quality output every time.

Reduce duplication of effort

Under the agreement, Glider offers comprehensive support, including academy training for super users, self-service options and dedicated strategic account management. This consolidated approach minimises the duplication of effort for internal users and the managed supply chain, empowers project teams and ensures a seamless handover process.

Fully verified and compliant deliverables

Add substantial value to your client by delivering them an integrated asset information model complete with O&Ms, health and safety files, testing and commissioning records, as-built drawings as well as linked 3D models and validated asset information (IFC and/or COBie). With expertise in managing large volumes of data from multiple trade contractors, Glider ensures compliance and delivers assured data for a successful operational soft landing at project completion.

Planning and progress reporting

Through Glider’s platform, main contractors gain access to meticulous O&M management, trade contractor training and performance monitoring. This comprehensive approach ensures precise planning, efficient progress reporting and optimised performance of the project lifecycle through to completion.

An enterprise framework agreement with Glider offers main contractors a strategic advantage by providing a consistent, cost-effective and first-class digital handover management solution. With more than 10,000 active users and a number of award-winning projects under our belt, it’s a pathway to unlocking efficiency, ensuring compliance and delivering unparalleled value to clients, ultimately translating into successful project outcomes for all.

Embrace the power of an enterprise-level partnership with Glider and elevate your project handover experience to new heights.

Find out more

Get in touch to discover how we can help you maximise project success.

Back in May 2023, Stuart Bell was interviewed by Anthony Puma, Digital Payment Expert at Payapps UK. The interview was part of their ‘From Surviving to Thriving’ campaign. During the conversation, Stuart shared his insights into the construction sector.

To kick off the conversation, Anthony asked Stuart about the requirement for digital skills in the industry. Highlighting the industry’s slow adoption of change, Stuart emphasised the pivotal role of people and their need for new digital skills to meet growing demands for Net Zero, energy savings and optimised spaces in the era of hybrid working. As Stuart discussed the challenges hindering the construction sector’s progress, he emphasised the necessity for improved collaboration, communication and a better understanding of clients’ needs.

The conversation delves into the transformative power of digital skills in unlocking the full potential of smart buildings.  And in particular, the crucial role of data-driven decision-making in achieving efficiency and sustainability goals. Stuart addresses the industry’s past hesitancy toward change. He offers his insights into the potential for technology, such as AI and machine learning, to drive innovation when applied strategically.

“From a smart buildings perspective, there’s new demands like Net Zero, energy savings and post-pandemic considerations like hybrid working. A lot of that is driven by data. If you don’t have individuals that understand the need and can articulate their requirements, it’s going to be a real challenge to unlock the value out of that smart building.”

The interview concludes on an optimistic note, with Stuart sharing his predictions for the future of the construction industry, envisioning a landscape where buildings become intelligent, fostering a new era of productivity and efficiency.

Check out the full interview below:

• Compliance

With the introduction of the Building Safety Act, there was a flurry of activity for the 1 October 2023 deadline. We expect to see something similar with the upcoming 1 April 2024 deadline. As the industry navigates the new legislation, we will see a higher priority placed on the golden thread of information. In particular, how this can be captured, accessed and disseminated. Combining specialist building and fire safety consulting services with a data-driven Common Data Environment (CDE) platform will allow businesses to build robust safety cases to demonstrate compliance. It will also provide assurance on the providence, quality and completeness of project and asset information on high risk buildings.

• Security

With a focus on digitalisation, information and cyber security continues to be a primary concern. More companies require their data to be heavily encrypted and flexible for integrations and collaboration. This will add further demands for flexible deployment on client hosting platforms or on-premise hardware. Additionally, ‘in-country’ data sovereign demands (the governments in the UK and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are already following this principle). We also anticipate cyber security professionals to demand more granular permissions that enable individual organisations to work on their discipline or trade data, but restrict their ability to federate this (after all, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts!)

Through our work with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), we have developed the gliderbim® platform to meet their stringent security requirements.

We’ve invested heavily in developing a highly secure platform. As well as being ISO 27001 certified, we are CyberEssentials+ and MoD CyDR certified. These standards meet the UK data sovereign requirements for projects up to the classification of ‘Official-Sensitive’. This means that Major Programmes and Projects (MPP), Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) contractors and other related supply chains can be confident that, when working with Glider, their data is in safe hands.

• Back to basics

As more of the built environment gets digitised, there will be a shift to open and interoperable data exchange formats (e.g. IFC and COBie). This includes a more stringent focus on the quality of information being captured is fit-for-purpose for operation. For complex construction projects, the collation of data for operation and maintenance (O&M), building safety compliance and other statutory deliverables can be improved. When the data is validated at the point of entry against the clients information requirements to ensure it can be exploited and connected to downstream operational systems e.g. CaFM and property management platforms.

This enables a smooth transition at practical completion for operation teams running the building. However, by engaging the asset owner or operational team earlier in the construction project to identify their information requirements, the data can be structured and captured accordingly. We are seeing this soft landings approach happening more on complex projects successfully so we hope this continues into 2024.

Check out how Kier did this and achieved 100% compliance at handover for HMP Five Wells. View Video

• Digital twins

Digital twins are no longer just a concept for the built environment. External factors like rising utility bills, Net Zero measures, hybrid working patterns are all putting extra demands on how the spaces we occupy and use works for us and the wider society. In support of this, we’ve been working with a range of clients to help them achieve their information management goals to lay the foundations and enabling framework for digital twins, providing data-driven insights of actual utilisation and energy consumption and allowing interventions to be made accordingly. This journey starts with good structured data and an information management strategy. Underpinned by an Asset Information Model Common Data Environment (AIM CDE), these will ensure that data about spatial arrangements and maintainable assets from design and construction can be aligned to time-series data from building management systems and sensor networks.

As the industry continues to adopt information management technologies and digitise the built environment, we expect to see much more demand for digital twins linked to specific use cases and outcomes.

We’re looking forward to sharing more about some of the exciting projects we’ve been involved with very soon.

• AI & ML: Embracing new technologies

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will begin to play a more pivotal role in the curation and operation of the digital and real-world built environment. In the last twelve months we’ve seen the impact ChatGPT has had in the short time that it’s been around. We anticipate we will start to see more AI-powered systems helping the industry. From an information management perspective supporting, some of the heavy lifting around legacy data and document discoverability, indexing and automated validation for compliance purposes. These will help to streamline processes and bolster data security and regulatory adherence. Any advancements in these areas will be very welcome.

Spoiler alert! Over the last 12 months our team has been exploring the potential of these technologies and we will have some exciting new functionality being released in 2024.

We’re excited to discover more emerging technologies in 2024 and see how they will be adopted by the industry.

The breakfast event attracted 25 hand-selected industry peers along with the panel which included Glider’s Head of Product, John Adams, Strategic Lead for Asset Management, Lucas Cusack, James Franklin, Digital Construction Lead for Kier Major projects, Matthew Marson, Managing Director at JLL Technologies and Stewart Bailey, Founder and CEO of Virtual Viewing.

Here are the new digital technologies they predict will be the biggest disruptors to the construction industry:

Artificial Intelligence

James Franklin, Digital Construction Lead for Kier Major Projects, believes Artificial Intelligence is the new technology people should look to adopt for future projects. “We have government clients that are increasingly asking us to improve our PMV (Premanufactured Value), so we want to make sure they’re harnessing all aspects of MMC (Modern Methods of Construction). We’ve been doing that on a macro-level with pre-cast MEP modules and risers. It has really worked in bringing that information together as a digital twin for delivery. It is benefitting our digital teams in delivering and we have 360 degrees visibility of the process. We’re also looking at leading a working group with GS1, which looks at how we can adopt barcodes in construction.”

Stewart Bailey, Founder and CEO of Virtual Viewing added, “It’s definitely AI. I was at an architect’s office recently and watched the company produce a piece of building design they had done by scripting. So, some really clever coders had sat there and done this, and I did say to them after ‘wow, what took you two months this year will probably take you five minutes next time.’ So, I’m really intrigued to see how we can try and harness AI.

“We are already running AI across clients’ databases and we have been using machine learning across client’s databases for years. And one of our clients is NHBC. So for asset owners, you can imagine that the wealth of knowledge they’ve got is not the sort of thing that you can just ask anybody to flick through, but AI can.”

Good and bad data

Glider’s Lucas Cusack agreed with the other panel members by adding, “The thing that excites me most is the idea of the Building Operating System (BOS). If you want to do things with AI, you have to give it good information. It’s one thing to filter through fake news and real news. But it’s not intelligent enough to differentiate good data from bad data. It’s all just ones and zeros at the end of the day. It’s really important for asset owners to have a system or a solution to consolidate their data because buildings are losing loads of data and it’s so valuable. British Land has just started using Facilio, which is a great example of a BOS.”

Open source 

In the last few years there have been rapid advancements in smart technologies. John Adams, Glider’s Head of Product, felt the next step is to connect these data sources to get meaningful performance insights:

“There are challenges there that need to be addressed as some things are so expensive they can’t be dealt with, meaning they become an after-handover concern, by which point it’s already too late to do something about it. In my opinion, we’re currently doing an awful lot with sensors, but then they are leading nowhere, with information spread out across all different databases. I think we’re going to see an emergence of connection technologies that put sensor data into visual dashboards. This could come along quickly and people will be able to get a sense of how their buildings perform.”

James Franklin agreed but raised that cost is still a barrier for many. “I would like to see the open source community come out with some stuff. The technology is available to capture the digital worlds, and we need to be able to capture the information there quicker and cheaper. I think the price point is a bit too high at the moment.”

Robotics 

Digital Construction Week included many exhibitors showcasing the latest development in robotics and this was an area Stewart Bailey believed needed investment. “I think we’ve never even bothered to pick up the ball on robotics. I’m showing my age but I remember on John Craven’s Newsround he showed the very first Fiat with a robot welding the seams. At the time I thought ‘wow!’ and that must have been 45 years ago yet we still can’t lay a line of bricks or transport goods to site effectively. So robotics is a hard piece that we need to tackle.”

Fun!

Matthew Marson, Managing Director at JLL Technologies, took a different view. He was keen to see how technology can be used to help make buildings more fun. “We haven’t invested anywhere near enough in fun! When you walk into a building, the foyer is so serious! I would love to see an investment in technology that could provide the building with a sense of personality. I don’t like the idea of mobile apps, because someone looking down at their phone rather than up at what an architect has designed seems like a terrible shame. I’d rather have a building that sings you ‘happy birthday’ when you’re in the lift. Why can’t we have a Downton Abbey where the butler is baked into the software? I would personally love Carson to greet me in the morning!”

We agree with you Matthew! Who wouldn’t love a greeting from Carson every morning?

These are just a few of the emerging technologies that will shape the way buildings may be constructed and managed in the future.

Get in touch

To discover more about Glider’s consultancy services call 0203 8268 001 or email us.

If you want good results, you need good information management. The introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) during the construction phase helps to standardise the way that built environment data and information is created, stored and managed. For asset owners and operators, information management is best achieved through the use of an information management platform that can provide a common data structure, protocols and automated systems. We take a look at how information management benefits asset owners and projects.

Information management platforms and emerging standards driven processes can help with:

• Collating structured Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals
• Establishing reference data libraries for standards, templates and data requirements so data is collected consistently
• Collecting manufactures data structured in a way that can be interrogated. And not just in a pdf format
• Collating new structured data formats about buildings (such as COBie and Brick Schema)
• Creating models of buildings to help you understand what you’re looking at (which works with your data sets)
• Understanding usability data for better usage of the facility

Start with compliance

When embarking on a new information management programme start by looking at what information you have currently. Review your Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) to check whether you are already collecting information that helps you to comply with the Building Safety Act.

Preventative maintenance

A lot of the components in the building will be providing essential information about how efficiently it is operating using sensors. They can be fitted in new buildings or during a refurbishment project and can tell you when they need maintenance.

Data driven estate planning

Working behaviours are changing and evolving since covid. With more people working from home, data can provide essential insights into how a building is building utilised.

Smarter buildings 

Often this is considered too late to be designed into a project successfully. But the information requirements should be collected as early as possible to ensure that smart building technology matches the user (occupier) experience. Putting together user stories will help to understand what you want from the building and how the FM team will use it.

Machine learning

Machine learning can be used to simplify a process and apply some logic to do a job quicker for you. For example, it can interrogate your documents and look for a title, and a signature, and then rename the doc accordingly.

There are some great examples of these technologies being used across building projects and all of them are underpinned by good information.

How do you get there? 

Tick them off one at a time and work through any challenges. We’ve put together the Information Value Chain which helps to break down the process into five steps.

• Define & communicate – What are your information requirements? Go back to your documentation and make sure it aligns with your goals and provides value. If it doesn’t revisit it and trim it down or change it. Give your supply chain templates.
• Collect & verify data – Once you start to collect the data, make sure the information is verified. You can use technology and machine learning to test the information and store it securely.
• Connect & share – The data can then be used in different ways by connecting it to your  CAFM, CDE and other integrations. Connecting the data will help you to work more efficiently and build more insights.
• Analyse & evaluate – With data that’s consistently stored and accessible, you can start to evaluate it and build a better picture of how it’s operating and being used.
• Learn & improve – The data should be evolving as the building does, so take the lessons learned from this project to the next to improve communication, collaboration and delivery.

If you’d like to find out more about information management, take a look at our on-demand webinar ‘The case for Information Management‘.

Traditional projects vs complex BIM projects

Traditional projects typically include a siloed 2D design project, stand-alone specification, hard copy Operations and Maintenance (O&M) handover, and a post-handover survey to create an Asset Register. Complex BIM projects see a coordinated Project Information Model (PIM) to Asset Information Model (AIM) process responding to specific end-user asset owner requirements. As we incrementally build up the AIM, we provide models, data and documents to the client, employer, and appointed parties as the prevailing IM standards e.g. ISO 19650 requires.

It is inefficient for a client and their operational/FM teams to solely receive operational data about their facility at Practical Completion (PC) when procuring digital deliverables from the principal contractor. Soft landing approaches encourage earlier engagement of operational teams. The project delivery team will ensure information being procured has a purpose. Sample data loads can be accessed for trial testing to ensure compatibility with operational systems (e.g. CaFM and BMS platforms). However, it must be understood that creating an AIM adds complexity to traditional trade contractor handover management. Trying to build an information model alongside the built asset can include multiple model and data authors as the project progresses from design through construction to handover (RIBA stage 6).

As part of the BIM process, we must also have Information Exchanges that respond to a client’s Information Delivery Plan (IDP). This is the asset owner’s shopping list. We are seeing more and more clients creating IDPs to help them standardise on mandatory deliverables and procure data to drive downstream decisions. These incremental data exchanges enable asset owners to take decisions progressively through the asset lifecycle. A data rich client is a more informed client!

Verified deliverables and Information Management Platform Adoption

From a handover management perspective, we need to be handing over information that aligns with the client’s requirements. Adopting an Information Management Platform to communicate, capture, validate, manage and store information is essential for the project delivery team.  As is the receiving client organisation. Having a standardised naming convention (for file containers and assets) is central to making sure all collaborating party system information is consistent, and the data can be analysed to drive actionable insights.

This sounds like common sense! But if designers, contractors and suppliers enter the project at different times and give files and asset data different names, information can become misaligned and uncoordinated. Storing this data correctly is essential for clients looking to integrate data into their operational systems.

Smart buildings and Internet of Things (IoT)

A new consideration is the creation of smart buildings. With their IoT sensor devices  producing dynamic data, often channelled through building management and operating systems. Some devices provide connectivity but asset owners must consider how they want to exploit the data and plan accordingly. Information requirements need to be defined with spatial locations and an asset tag system so operational teams can onboard and manage a facility without completing a post-PC room condition survey. Failure to define this means sensors don’t know where they are, and attempts to manage and react to occupancy, CO2 and heat data would be challenging.

The role of the GIIG – defining secure, open and interoperable ways of working

The Government & Industry Interoperability Group (GIIG) is creating an information management framework to support ‘design, construct, operate’ industry digital processes. Glider has advocated this approach with key public sector clients like Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS). When creating a common data model, we must define the use of the information in the model by all stakeholders. By starting with the end in mind and putting it into the information requirements, people with information needs at any stage can create or reference information in line with the common data model.

To support this, a Reference Data Library (RDL) can add the ‘why’ and ‘how’ to these information requests. Requirements will vary depending on asset type, so making sure we are clear on our Information Requirements and how to respond to and validate against these is critical when working on shared projects.

Examples impacting BIM delivery

Instead of the historic ‘give me BIM’ generic requirement boilerplates, the asset information model is designed to meet the client’s organisation and asset information requirements. An example of digital complexity is the COBie or enriched IFC asset register with digital O&M, health & Safety file deliverables. Traditionally, the industry has worked with hard copies but is advancing at pace using a document and data driven approach including adoption of a managed Information Management platform. This platform not only controls the communication and capture of project deliverables, it also acts as a repository for operational teams to manage information relating to the asset as its use changes over time.

At the handover phase, a digital handover drives more immediate benefits. However it must be maintained through the operational phase if this repository is to become the single source of truth. This may include integration with other operational systems like Computer Aided Facilities Management (CaFM) systems (used for planned and reactive maintenance management) where static records and data like manufacturer, maintenance and performance data may change over time and should be updated back in to the asset information model.

Glider is passionate about shaping and powering the digitalisation of the built environment. With our data management software solutions and digital delivery consultancy expertise, our clients can seamlessly share project information and work collaboratively across their supply chain and take control of asset data that enables greater operational insights into the performance of buildings and the wider estate.

Get in touch

To find out more about Glider and how we can solve your complex BIM challenges us on 0203 8268 001 or email us.

What is an Asset Information Model?

An AIM will go through various stages of evolution before it becomes an AIM. It starts its life as a Project Information Model (PIM). This manages the information required to coordinate the design and construction of the asset. It consists of design and construction models, drawings, documentation of all kinds, and data. A lot of this will be created to industry standards of good practice. However, some of it you, as the asset owner, will have specifically asked for. This might be information you need to maintain compliance, aid in operations and maintenance and also satisfy information needs at an organisational level.

• How to use it

Asset owners are sold the idea of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Asset Information Models (AIMs) in the form of 3D models. But 3D models are just the tip of the iceberg. The real value lies in the data and information below the surface. A lot of this data and information is going to help you get your property up and running. The clearer it is and more aligned to your needs, the quicker you’ll be up and running.

For example, if you’ve asked for specific data within an asset register, your facilities manager can populate this within their Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software. They can start running planned and preventative maintenance (PPM) on the day of handover. If you don’t have this information, your Facilities Management (FM) provider might have to spend 3-4 months and £10-15k in labour in surveying the facility. In the end, they won’t record everything they should and equipment isn’t being maintained as per their warranty requirements. Not to mention, after 4 months you’ll have tenants moving in changing things. As a result your £1m AIM is out of date!

That’s just one example. You’ll be onboarding technology such as a Building Management System (BMS), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, room booking, entry controls, energy management and lighting. All of these need specific and standardised data about your building. This includes level names, space names, system and asset IDs and other specs. If this data is either incorrect or incomplete, you risk these technologies being siloed and the data they produce cannot be captured and exploited. If, as an organisation, you wish to capture building data into a data lake for analysis and you’ve not used an Asset Information Model or standards and policies that would maintain one, be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort normalising this data.

• Sharing information

With an AIM in place, you can share key information to the technology vendors prior to handover when they are being installed and commissioned. At handover, they’ll be humming away, all producing data that you can capture and cross analyse, deriving more value. You’ll also have onboarded your Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) platform and Facilities Management (FM) team prior to handover so that the many millions of pounds worth of equipment is being maintained effectively and safely.

You’ll want to do this at a portfolio level. The more data you have, the more power you have. You can cross analyse previously disparate data sets to better run your properties, keep operating costs low, reduce carbon emissions and keep the occupants happy and productive.

• Data Silos?

Currently, most buildings are producing their data inconsistently. It will be named differently, being captured in different, disconnected silos or in some cases, not captured at all! To see the potential value in consistent and aligned data, one only has to look at Tesla and the value they derive from capturing data from 2 million cars on the road. Imagine what the data of the 1 billion+ buildings there are in the world would tell us?

• Digitisation Programmes

With only new buildings benefiting from an AIM, what do we do with the rest? New buildings account for only a fraction of what exists. Most large real estate asset owners are undertaking digitisation programmes. They might have assets that hold a few paper documents as an AIM, compared to new assets that have 10s of 1,000s of documents and data points in their AIM. A good Information Management (IM) strategy will help prioritise the digitisation of information based on the asset owners needs. And a good set of standards and policies will help maintain them and enforce them on new assets and refurbishments.

• Maintenance

Buying an AIM and putting one to use is the easy thing, however most don’t do enough to maintain them. The AIM is a digital asset that needs to be managed by a digital property manager. Similar to the physical asset, which needs to be managed by a property manager.

The absence of an AIM will cost you far more in the long run than the cost of maintaining it. Similarly, not maintaining the AIM that was given to you at the end of construction. And implementing the growing amount of new technologies becoming available is going to be much more expensive.

• In Summary

There are so many reasons to make the case for maintaining an AIM on an asset. But ultimately the asset will become more valuable in the long run. It will be cheaper to run, generate more revenue and be a nicer place to be. If you take care of the AIM, the AIM will take care of the asset.

To find out more, watch our webinar on demand ‘Asset Information Models: What asset owners need to know’.

About the Author: 

Lucas Cusack,  Strategic Lead for Asset Management

Lucas is a digital trailblazer within the built environment industry. He has a well-established career working in Building Information Management (BIM) and the rapidly establishing digital twin market.

In the construction industry, we tend to be so focused on our own industry niches, but by expanding our understanding of how other sectors operate we can collaborate to build smarter.

Our presence at DCW not only gives us the opportunity to showcase our expertise and services with prospective clients but also we get to meet up with our existing clients and other industry professionals. This year was no exception.

Off to a great start

We kicked off the two-day event, by hosting an exclusive breakfast event onboard the Sunborn Yacht. Guests had the opportunity to hear from a panel of speakers. These included Matthew Marsden from JLL, James Franklin from Kier and Stewart Bailey from Virtual Viewing. They discussed the exciting possibilities for technology in construction and its potential to transform the industry, which served as a taster for what they could expect to see and hear at DCW.

Putting the spotlight on BIM 

As well as having a prominent stand, Glider also had the privilege of sponsoring the brand-new Asset Management stage. This new stage helps us to shine a spotlight on the world of asset management and Building Information Management (BIM) and help introduce its revolutionary benefits to a wider audience. We also had two speaker sessions where we had the opportunity to share our insights.

Lucas Cusack, Glider’s Strategic Lead for Asset Management, shared his secrets to how asset owners can build the foundations to their smart building strategy. His session titled ‘Asset information models: Unlocking the value of BIM for asset owners’ explained the ways asset owners can realise their BIM investment’s true potential by enabling compliance, optimised maintenance, operation, less downtime, shorter periods between tenants.

More insights on day 2

On the second day, John Adams, Head of Product Glider, also shared his expertise. His session, titled ‘The Case for Information Management’, made a persuasive argument for the importance of information management in the efficient operation of buildings. Attendees gained a deeper understanding of how robust information management practices can contribute to improved building performance, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency.

John also delivered a presentation on the tech stage. Here he discussed the immense benefits of adopting a data-driven Common Data Environment (CDE) before highlighting the capabilities of gliderbim®. He demonstrated how gliderbim® can effectively support all stages of the asset lifecycle, enabling efficient management and utilisation of valuable data throughout the entire process.

For many, the main stage was the place to be to hear from industry experts about popular topics such as the Building Safety Act and digital twins. Glider secured a speaker session as part of the panel session for the soft-launch of the Smart Building Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work.  This overlay is intended to aid anyone involved in the design of new-build, retro-fit or refurbishment of buildings making Smart Building Technology a key consideration.

Until next year…

In summary, DCW proved to be another triumph. The team at Glider had a fantastic experience engaging with the visionary professionals at DCW 2023 through presentations and networking opportunities. We were also able to gain valuable knowledge about the latest trends and advancements in the industry, as well as meet up with new and existing contacts. Gilder will definitely be back in 2024!

We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who visited the Glider stand or took part in our live events and talks, and we hope that our participation at DCW this year has helped to foster an interest in BIM and its continued role in shaping the built environment.

To find out more about Glider and gliderbim® call 0203 8268 001 or email info@glidertech.com.

Architecture Social is an online platform which hosts content designed to support students and professionals in the architecture industry. Presented by host Stephen Drew, the Architecture Social podcast discusses new and exciting industry topics. These include the impact of tech and AI on the built environment and practical advice such as careers across construction and the architectural technology industries.

As Digital Delivery Managers, Sarah Marshall and Rob Wood are responsible for information management services and project delivery at Glider, focusing on BIM management and coordination, asset information delivery, verification of data, and BIM execution plans amongst other things. Sarah and Rob shared their insights on making the transition from architecture to tech, as well as their experience of working at Glider.

Pursuing a career in BIM

Given that BIM is a specialist sector that many people are not aware can be pursued as a career, Stephen Drew was interested to know Rob and Sarah’s path to becoming Digital Delivery Managers.

Commenting on his career progression, Rob said, “I joined a company called DLA Architecture. I worked there four days a week and studied Architectural Technology at university one day a week. I worked there for six years doing the standard architectural side of things and then I moved on to Arcadis, for the architectural side of the UK business. When I worked at DLA I had used Revit and had a big interest in BIM. So, when I moved to Arcadis I wanted to push Revit and BIM software in general, and really, I pushed myself in that direction because of my interest.”  Rob’s interest in BIM led him to pursue a career in Glider, where he now has an increased focus on asset information management.

Similar to Rob, Sarah worked previously as an Architectural Technologist and had  limited exposure to BIM. Once Sarah came across information management in her role at Ryder Architecture, she wanted to pursue an Information Management based role. Sarah noted, “What enticed me to Glider was learning about and working on things that I hadn’t worked on before. Prior to Glider, there was a lot of BIM Level 2, clash detection and coordination, COBie data, and the verification of that data. At Glider, they were focusing on the asset information management and that was something that was being talked about a lot on the projects that I worked on before. I really wanted to work on the asset information management rather than the initial design phase that I was used to working on.”

Offering his advice to people who are interested in BIM, Rob said, “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. LinkedIn is a great tool. So don’t be afraid to make connections and talk to company directors at companies you’re interested in and see if you can attend BIM events.”

Working at a fully remote company

In addition to the specialist BIM roles at Glider, Stephen was also keen to discuss the progressive company culture. This appears unconventional compared to other firms within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries. Stephen remarked, “One of the things that’s radical to me is that you guys are fully remote. That blew my mind because pre-pandemic, people at traditional architecture firms were either on-site or in the office. You never had this kind of flexibility that Glider offers. What is it like?”

Sarah commented. “Working remotely is one of the things that drew me to the job. Glider were doing it before companies had to because of the pandemic. Glider made a conscious, proactive decision and has been succeeding in working remotely. Our entire team is remote, all the way from Glasgow down to London, and dotted everywhere in-between.” Despite working remotely, there is a strong emphasis on communication at Glider and the team remains connected through instant messaging.

Sarah also added that as the team are fully remote, they plan to meet in person several times a year. The team engage in recreational company activities to get to know each other personally. “Our first away day of the year will be in Birmingham! We’ve done the Bear Grylls adventure in Birmingham before, and the Squid Games in Sheffield. So we do fun activities too!”

As asset information management is a complex process, Glider aims to bring harmony to the digital approach. The goal is to make it as simple as possible for its clients. Glider not only aims to be progressive in terms of its products, but in terms of its company culture.

• To hear the full conversation, watch The Architecture Social livestream.

To find out more about Glider and gliderbim® call 0203 8268 001 or email us.