Revizto, a cloud-based integrated collaboration platform, enables all project teams to view project data, regardless of their location, even without the need for wi-fi in the field
One of the most exciting parts of any construction project is the teamwork component. Every person involved plays a unique role in completing their piece of the puzzle that is the final project. Among these teams include numerous disciplines, countless trade partners and a wide range of expertise and technical skill levels. From industry veterans trained on paper to fresh-out-of-college Gen Xers that only know computers – everyone brings valuable experience and unique points of view to the drawing board.
However, there is a caveat. How do you get all of these unique individuals working together in a way that maximises their time and expertise?
These complex teams can lead to some of the biggest challenges. Communication across teams, email servers and technology can lead to the old “telephone” effect. When things get passed around so much without a trackable history, information can get distorted. That can lead to incorrect data transfers and costly errors.
Keeping all of the siloed teams in sync is one challenge, but driving accountability is another – and potentially an equally as important one. Historically, the industry has, in many ways, accepted things as “just the way things have always been”.
We all know that rework is a large part of overall construction budgets; studies have consistently shown that nearly 10% of the average project cost is spent on rework. Money that directly impacts revenue for many teams. Rework leads to teams being over budget and behind schedule. But what is the solution? It is not just about preventing reworks but also about being able to simplify accountability to identify issues early on, quickly assign tasks and track them through rectification.
What is accountability in construction?
Accountability is defined as “when an individual or department experiences consequences for their performance or actions”.
When applied to construction, an additional layer is added – that being all of the interconnected teams involved are impacted with consequences from actions of someone else that may not be on their team. Often times, they may not even be in communication with the individual whose actions are impacting their work.
Historically, fixing this problem was easier said than done. When things were done primarily on paper or the trades were siloed entirely, holding a person or team accountable was nearly impossible.
BIM (and VDC) with the win
With the adoption of BIM/VDC and Integrated Collaboration Platforms (ICPs), things have changed. Issue tracking and task delegation are not just simplified but can easily be monitored with backed-up. Conversations regarding a single task in the project can be revisited with chat history and versioning to understand the decisions that were made and who made them.
These tools help in three high-level ways:
- Centralising communication and history.
- Real-time access to the same version across teams.
- Issue automation and easy task delegation.
A connection must be established to download the relevant information but once that data is downloaded, you have the freedom to access all that data without connection. Once you are connected, updates are automatically synced.
Revizto allows all project teams to access construction and design documents, 2D and 3D models, and issue information. When someone makes a change or an update, all of those impacted can be notified immediately to help track accountability and keep the teams on track.
Here are some of the other top benefits that teams are seeing by leveraging Integrated Collaboration Platforms.
- Save time: No need to switch between tools. Centralise design intent, drawings, models and data into a single platform for digital collaboration, undisputed insight and shared understanding.
- Empower all team members: No special technical skill is required to easily access, explore, communicate and contribute to the project.
- Provide real-time feedback: Manage markups and issues. Understand your team’s project status through completion.
- Keep trades in sync and on task: Monitor progress in the field and access project data from anywhere via a computer or tablet.
- Simplify data flow: Improve how data is presented. Streamline the communication of models, drawings and data to all team members.
- Automate labour-intensive tasks: Streamline accountability and reporting, file versioning, model access and delivery. Enable your team members to focus on mission-critical tasks.
You are not alone in these challenges
These obstacles can be seen within AEC firms around the world. CT Wilson is a third-generation, family-owned commercial general contractor based out of Durham, North Carolina, with construction projects of all types across the region. Revizto recently went on-site to see how they are solving these issues but creating a culture of true cross-team collaboration and driving accountability. Check out this three-minute video to see how they are minimising coordination times by bringing the field and office teams together with a real-time, centralised model and streamline accountability.
Revizto recently released 5.4 with a handful of new updates. See the brief video here.
To learn more or request a demo, visit revizto.com.
Lewis Guy
Construction ISM | EMEA
Revizto
Tel: +44 203 808 9239
Twitter: @revizto
Please note: this is a commercial profile.
