Disrupting Construction – 5D Project Management

Organisations around the world, facing disruption from greater global competition, changing market demands, and accelerated technological advances, recognise the need for robust, customer-centric digital strategies. For many, the successful execution of such a strategy hinges on digital transformation – the integration of digital technology to enhance the customer experience, improve organisational performance, and uncover new opportunities.

A digital transformation can encompass everything from updating IT systems to redesigning both the external user experience and internal processes and technologies. It is an important journey for organisations because it can “fundamentally change the way they will operate in the future to better serve their customers and better manage their employees and to really drive their organisation into a more effective and successful organisation in the future.

Construction has been called the science of the practical. While governmental bodies and designers argue over the limits of the possible, leaders in the construction industry have simply continued to build along the most efficient path. Construction is one of the last industries to embrace digital transformation.

Research shows that on average, organisations waste 9.7 per cent — or £97 million — for every £1 billion invested in projects. With the integration of digital technology in project management such waste will be eliminated.

HD SURVEY AND GEOLOCATION DEVICES:

Digital Transformation has allowed the use of technology with high definition tools to make surveys easy and improve geolocation. The use of drones and aerial vehicles (UAVs) have dramatically improved coverage and image quality. Digital transformation enables HD survey images to be taken and rapidly converts them to simplified images that are easily share with others. On 3D imaging front, light detection and ranging (Lidar) is fed directly into project-planning tools and building information modelling software (BIM). Lidar is deployed along with ground penetrating radar and magnetometers to look at impacts both above and below ground which minimizes the chance of work being stopped or disturbances before work begins in densely populated areas, environmentally sensitive regions, or historical sites. These advanced survey techniques go into the generation of geographic information systems and area maps with overlays of GPS positioning data.

MORE COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT PLANNING:

Digital Transformation ensures more comprehensive project planning with the use of 3D spatial input for BIM. Companies, project managers, and contractors are on the same page on how changes will impact project costs and scheduling. Most of those adopting 5D BIM reporting saw positive feedbacks, with shorter project life cycles and lower material costs. Some governments have mandated the use of these BIM technologies for public infrastructure projects.

DIGITAL COLLABORATION AND MOBILITY:

Digital transformation has sped up decision making and streamlined collaborations. The most instant result have been real time progress reports, accurate risk assessments, detailed quality control evaluations, and better outcomes all around. Digital transformation have eliminated arguments over project completion, the implementation of change orders, and how claims are handled. Real time changes in blueprints, with site photos that can be hyperlinked to construction plans through an application due to digital transformation.

INTERNET OF THINGS (IO) AND PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS:

Digital transformation has improved site safety for workers. Project sites are more congested, which without being careful could leads to accidents. Equipment are more expensive and difficult to repair, which can cause work to be paused unless problems are anticipated and avoided. This is one reason why data analytics based on the new information collected by a host of sensors are critical to safety and performance.

OPTIMIZING WORKSITE PERFORMANCE:

Digital Transformation allows the worksite to be fully optimized.
Digital transformation enables contractors to improve their readiness to cope with whatever the economy throws at them through the following:

• Adopting a higher level of project management strategies, driving company best practices by selecting tools that can leverage a central project data repository, exchange and share template process, support collaborative teams of planners and project managers, and deliver multi-project management insight and reporting.
• Removing the blocks to collaborative working which are created by structural silos inside the business and embracing tools which deliver more integrated views of projects and enable specialists to work with project planners to create truly 5D plans.

Digital transformation has been adopted by industrial sectors for the increased efficiencies it brings. With digital transformation, the construction industry has a real chance to emerge stronger, leaner and fitter and ready for any challenge.