Autodesk Construction Cloud Adds Assets Module, Allowing Teams to Track Project Assets Through Entire Building Lifecycle
Autodesk announced the early release of the BIM 360 Assets module within Autodesk Construction Cloud.
The BIM 360 Assets module enables construction teams to track and manage project assets through the entire building lifecycle – from design through handover – from one centralized location. The new module also gives construction teams increased access to asset data in the field, allowing them to perform commissioning and resolve defects on-site, decreasing the time to operations and ultimately reducing risk. The new BIM 360 Asset module will be included as part of BIM 360 Build subscriptions and generally available starting in mid-June.
BIM 360 Assets can easily track all construction assets such as materials (concrete, wood, drywall), components and equipment (air handling units, pumps, chillers, elevators), moveable equipment (forklift, excavator, concrete buckets) and rooms or areas.
"With the BIM 360 Assets module, we’ll be able to deliver a complete and fully linked archive of all construction assets, streamlining the handover process from construction to operations," said Simon Terroitin, BIM coordinator at EBC, Inc. "BIM 360 Assets will allow us to better collaborate with our clients during site construction and give them exactly what they need right after construction completes. We see this having a significant impact on building client relationships and winning future business."
"The world in which we live today underscores the importance of resiliency, including project and data continuity," said Sameer Merchant, head of research and development for Autodesk Construction Solutions and associate vice president at Autodesk. "For project owners and contractors, this means spreadsheet-based asset tracking must evolve into a single source of truth for all assets, accessible by all teams at any time. BIM 360 Assets will improve both day-to-day workflow and handover, and subsequently become a part of any successful company’s future resiliency program. This is yet another way Autodesk Construction Cloud is helping construction teams efficiently manage the entire building lifecycle with data flowing from design through to operations."
BIM 360 Assets connects asset data management for contractors and owners
Traditionally, assets have been tracked using multiple spreadsheets or paper-based tools, a disorganized and time-consuming process particularly when an asset needs to be accounted for throughout the lifecycle of a project.
When asset data is disconnected from the project and in siloes, asset tracking – such as determining the installation status of an HVAC unit, pinpointing the location of an excavator or scheduling interior finishes that require a long lead time – can be inefficient. This lack of connectivity can lead to scheduling delays, cost overruns, and potential liability if assets are installed incorrectly – not to mention poor client satisfaction when the owner is obliged to assume responsibility during facility management set-up.
BIM 360 Assets provides a user-friendly and centralized location to track all construction assets from planning through to operations.
Key features of BIM 360 Assets include:
- Centralized documentation – Quickly access all asset information including product information such as cut-sheets, certifications, training materials and warranty documents through a centralized repository.
- Connect asset data from quantity take-off – Easily extract asset data directly from the model and import into BIM 360, allowing the office team to track assets in the field and with a bi-directional connection, see progress visualizations in Assemble.
- Integrated field management workflows – Connect assets and commissioning efforts to other field management workflows like documenting defects using Issues and completing inspections with Checklists – all from a mobile device.
- Barcode / QR code scanner – Carry out relevant inspections and ongoing maintenance effortlessly with the simple scan of a barcode or QR code from your mobile device.
- Importing and customization – Quickly populate an asset list from spreadsheets and then easily track when an asset has been specified all the way through acceptance using custom categories, statuses and attributes.
For contractors, BIM 360 Assets offers the ability to align project assets to the model, ensuring all teams have up-to-date information, and also provides a digital trail of what issues have been resolved during installation. These new capabilities also help minimize future risk and litigation by tying a historical record to each asset. For owners, data handover saves significant time and provides an in-depth understanding of changes made to the building as far back as during the design process. For example, an owner will be able to scan a piece of equipment, get a historical record of when it was installed and by whom, have immediate access to documentation and know when maintenance needs to be scheduled.
"At PARIC, we are focused on finding the best enterprise solutions and solving for hundreds of projects rather a single one," said Andy Leek, vice president of technology & innovation at PARIC. "The new BIM 360 Assets module provides a cleaner way to manage equipment sets and other facility components across the entire company. We’ll be able to simplify project set-ups and in turn, decrease miscommunication to eliminate rework and reduce risk at handover."
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