Blog:
The secret to soft landing success
Since the introduction of frameworks like Soft Landings and Government Soft Landings (GSL), a persistent gap remains between digital construction and digital operations. This gap can hinder operational efficiency, delay the deployment of operational technology and prevent building owners from fully realising the benefits of their investment. However, this gap can be bridged with a Digital Soft Landings Manager.
Introducing the Digital Soft Landings Manager
The evolution of the traditional Soft Landings and GSL frameworks focuses on the seamless transfer and operational use of data from construction through the entire lifecycle of a building. This is what we call the ‘Digital Soft Landing’.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of Digital Soft Landing, we encourage you to read our previous blog post, Bridging the ‘Digital’ Gap Between Construction and Building Operations, which provides an introduction.
The key to delivering this new standard in digital handover is the Digital Soft Landings Manager. These digital experts complement the implementation of Soft Landings throughout a project’s lifecycle. This involves engaging stakeholders early, aligning digital deliverables between stakeholders in delivery and in operation, facilitating the uptake of data into operational platforms and processes, and maintenance of the data.
Why is a Digital Soft Landings Manager essential?
Currently, asset owners are doing all the right things in procuring good information, with clear Operational Information Requirements (OIRs) and Employer’s Information Requirements (EIRs) in place. Contractors are also delivering 100% compliant data by project completion. Yet, post-construction, this information is often archived or used merely as a static record. Why? Because operational teams may not fully understand what’s in the data, how to use it or how to maintain it.
The Digital Soft Landings Manager plays a critical role in minimising the gap between a building’s design and its actual performance. This is crucial for improving user satisfaction, ensuring value for money and facilitating collaboration among stakeholders. They ensure that buildings are not only well-designed and properly commissioned but also managed effectively to meet the needs of occupants and deliver on sustainability and efficiency targets.
Who appoints the Digital Soft Landings Manager?
The Digital Soft Landings Manager should be appointed by the asset owner or end client. They contribute to the development of the Information Requirements and set the delivery milestones, ensuring these are aligned with the operational team’s needs. During the project, they work closely with all key stakeholders to ensure the availability and accessibility of information.
The impact of not having a Digital Soft Landings Manager
Without a Digital Soft Landings Manager, much of the hard work done during construction, such as delivering an Asset Information Model (AIM), isn’t fully realised. Operational technology takes longer to deploy, as the data vendors could use is either unavailable or not presented in a format they understand.
Operational teams usually need to deploy Building Management Systems (BMS), Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) platforms and services like cleaning and maintenance planning before the project is completed. If they don’t have the necessary data available, they can struggle to extract it from outdated 2D plans or inconsistent data sets. Without a clear data transfer process, this can lead to inconsistencies in space and component naming, causing misalignment between asset data (from construction) and performance data (from operation). A Digital Soft Landing Manager can ensure that operational technology is deployed faster and with greater accuracy, reducing inefficiencies and costs.
An asset owner’s investment in digital models, like BIM, doesn’t end with project completion. The true value comes when these models are actively used in managing the building over its entire lifecycle. A Digital Soft Landing Manager ensures these models are maintained in a format that remains useful to building managers and operators. They can also ensure they have accurate, coordinated data for deeper analysis and AI applications in the future.
Want to learn more?
Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll explore the specifics of the Digital Soft Landings Manager role and how they can revolutionise the way we approach building handover and operations.
Get in touch to learn more about how our Digital Soft Landings Managers can enhance your project.