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TECHNOLOGY focus AIMing off-centre Following on from the AIM discussion with Mervyn Richards in our last issue, David Chadwick underlines the issues that have to be confronted to create a viable AIM solution The secret to installing an effective asset information model (AIM) or computer aided facilities management (CAFM) solution to handle the day-to-day running of your premises lies in the second acronym. Before the computer can do its job, however, Asset Managers have to roll their sleeves up and work out exactly what they want, and why, prior to looking at some of the ready-made solutions on the market. It's a complex business running a building which is going to be around for considerably longer than it took to design and construct it. That means identifying the processes and the equipment that need to be maintained, the employees needed to do the work (along with their skills and work rates), running costs, the need for external contractors and maintenance schedules, contractual and legislation compliance, and much more. Then you need to ascertain what information you need to manage that process, and whether some of the software that you may already be using - such as CMMS (computerised maintenance management systems) can be integrated into a new CAFM. As we discussed in our last issue, much of the information that you need is already available in the project information management database - the PIM. The computer is there to assist you, but you need to know what information you want before you can use the PIM to help you create your AIM - or to specify the custom job that a chosen CAFM provider needs before they can help you set up your system. They can set the list of requirements that they need to operate your facility, but they rely on you to request purely the information you need. PIM VERSUS AIM Seems straightforward enough. The problem is that there is a huge amount of information available, and not all of what we need for the construction phase can be used for facility management as that has different priorities. Most articles online are from CAFM solution providers who promote the benefits and the downsides of not using one. I have found none that clarify how you extract and transfer the data that you need across to an AIM solution. It's a complex process for a single component. To give you an example, to install a CH boiler in a building an MEP company would specify the capacity and thermal output of the boiler, lay out the fuel pipes to feed it and the pipework leading from it to the radiators, etc. The construction 3D model is used to route the network through the building, avoiding immovable objects and other components, using tools like clash detection to do so. The documentation accompanying the boiler deals with equipment sizes, fitting instructions and the bolts, flanges and other bits and pieces needed to install it. An Asset Manager is not interested in most of that, but rather in commissioning and maintaining the boiler at specified intervals. In order to do so they need user manuals and diagrams to guide the maintenance team. They might also be interested in its output, as the data could form part of the building performance analysis as an aid to optimising energy usage and carbon emissions. If the boiler doesn't perform to spec, or is not powerful enough for its role, and a replacement has to be commissioned, then the task falls back to the original supplier or their replacement to consult their, probably, archived PIM to update the building model, which is then used subsequently to update the AIM data. Transferring data from a PIM to an AIM for every component that is included in an AMs maintenance schedule - heating, lighting, plumbing and other equipment - is a huge task, and can only be accomplished using some form of filtering and mapping of data from one to the other, enabling the whole process to be automated - which is where the computer comes in. This needs to be done by data migration specialists, experienced in identifying what needs to be transferred and in handling problematic data , so that they can build a data migration strategy to profile, map, clean and, if necessary, transform the data to ensure that it reaches the AIM solution 22 September/October 2022
TECHNOLOGY focus both accurately and intact. The building of the AIM will also be further complicated if a number of sensors are being used - perhaps to provide the facilities for a digital twin of the project, for example - creating a super CAFM that constantly monitors the IoT and updates the AIM database. But this is a facility that is not yet available, as it would require the data to be provided in different standards by different members of the supply chain. Would the information actually be in the PIM or would it be compiled once the sensors and their software solutions are installed on the AIM solution? THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURACY Having extracted what you need from the PIM, assembled it in a secure, single source cloud-based environment, instead of being stored in different locations, on separate document management systems, or even, indeed, on personal storage devices, it needs to be accessible in realtime to everyone in your team that needs to use that data, and not to treat cloud-based storage as just another storage device. Drawings, models, documents and schedules, etc. need to be quickly available and simple to find. Managing and updating the information held in the AIM is a priority for the Facilities Manager. Poor documentation practices will result in maintenance teams working on outdated and superseded information, impacting on the building's efficiency by extending downtime spent on repairs whilst maintenance engineers scramble to find up to date information. Much worse, it could create unnecessary compliance risks. Rules and procedures need to be put in place, and everyone must be made aware of the importance of updating documents, including small upgrades and whenever new equipment is introduced. The accuracy of the information is paramount. Originally it was intended that the information that was required for the AIM CAFM system was to be delivered using COBie. It was assumed that serial clients would already have a CAFM system in place and all they needed to do for their Asset information Requirement was to look at that CAFM system and extract a list of requirements. COBie is a major problem, however, because each client's Asset Manager, would have to compile their requirements and produce a project specific COBie template. A comment raised at a recent international group meeting suggested that you need to compile this very carefully so that you only buy the slice of pizza you need rather than buying the whole pizza. BUT WHO OWNS THE DATA? The Asset Manager might have control over the AIM and the information it contains, but the source of that data remains the intellectual property of the companies supplying it. It's not just a storage issue. The building model is the intellectual property of the originators of that information, which, because of its nature, is multidisciplined. If you want to add an extension to the building, it can't be done without reference to the original 3D models and whoever holds the data. The MEP system supplier, for instance, must ensure that the building and its contents comply with current building standards and regulations by informing the Asset Manager when new compliance requirements are put in place. The responsibility for handling information needs to be defined, and is everyone's responsibility, whether it concerns Government policies, methodologies, documentation standards, CAD applications and file formats templates, version control and, most importantly, checking and approval procedures for publishing up-to-date information. This may also require the renaming of the files to show ownership during the AIM period, with appropriate audit trails for new fire regulations, called the Golden Thread - as recommended by Hackitt's Building Safety Bill which introduces the concept as a tool to manage buildings as holistic systems. This allows people to use information to safely and effectively design, construct and operate their buildings across their lifecycle - even after ownership has changed hands. And we haven't even discussed standards, such as ISO 19650, BS EN ISO 19650, BS EN ISO 19650, the National Annex or the BIM Framework, which suggests in the latest BIM 'mandate' that projects in the UK should be compliant with their guidance document. Or, indeed, whether they are even ISO compliant - or part of a global standard! September/October 2022 23
Page 1 and 2: CAD User SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 VOL
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 CON
Page 5 and 6: SUPERCHARGE YOUR WORKFLOW Model wit
Page 7 and 8: VISIBILITY CONTROL ACCURACY CONSTRU
Page 10 and 11: SOFTWAREfocus A fluid situation Hig
Page 12 and 13: AWARDS Sponsored by: Autumn is upon
Page 14 and 15: INDUSTRYcomment The confusing world
Page 16 and 17: CASE study Keeping New Zealand on t
Page 18 and 19: INDUSTRYcomment Retrofit for purpos
Page 20 and 21: SOFTWAREreview Archicad 26 Graphiso
Page 24 and 25: TECHNOLOGY focus Fabricate smarter
Page 26 and 27: SOFTWARE focus Vectorworks 2023 The
Page 28 and 29: INDUSTRYcomment Is BIM delivering t
Page 30 and 31: TECHNOLOGYfocus Net zero targets -
Page 32 and 33: YOUR GUIDE TO 5 7 1 2 3 21 22 23 24
Page 34 and 35: SOFTWAREfocus A world of visualisat
Page 36: STAY FOCUSED, DESIGN MORE. With pow

CU Sep-Oct 2023

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