Asset Information Modell Life-Cycle Management

[Timothy Stahle]

Hi, I'm wondering if there are other Asset Owners in the FM sector that have a solution to the problem with IFC being restricted to only updates of attribute data on objects. For an FM-company managing larger facilities, there will be continuous reconstruction projects. So, when the geometries of the asset's e.g. spaces change, it requires us to have the original BIM-file revised. Since the BIM-file is proprietary (Autodesk, Solibri, Bently etc.) it requires our suppliers to use a specific software. If we were to decide on creating BIM out of our entire Real Estate portfolio of 3.3 million m², then that would require us to decide on which proprietary format to use. Now for the sake of argument if we decided on Revit, then any future reconstruction projects would require us to procure consultants who use Revit specifically. However, here’s the crux, since we’re a government owned organization, we’re not allowed to set procurement requirements that specify use one specific technology as this conflicts with EU competition regulations. This creates a huge barrier to digitalization of the FM sector.  

I know that there are several organizations in Sweden and other countries that are faced with this challenge. Is this a problem in the UK as well? Are there any open-source solutions? Do we need to revise the IFC-standard or the EU regulation? Any thoughts?

Edited September 4 by Timothy Stahle

[ChristopherAbrams]

Timothy, this is a really good point. 

I have shared your question and thoughts will some colleagues and I'll come back to you when we have had a discussion.

Thank you. 

[Rich Draper]

Hello Timothy, at the University of Birmingham within the Estates Office (and other organisations I have worked with/for) we have chosen to not ask for IFC file types. This is something we have been challenged on regularly, however we still see this as being the most appropriate solution to the problems you have outlined. 

Forgive me as I don't know much about the organisation you work at, however, are you bound by legislation to ask for IFC only? We have written in out our BIM Requirements and contracts to ensure the native Revit files (for all disciplines - Architecture, Structure, Landscape, MEP, AV, Civils etc) are delivered to us throughout a project and for final delivery. These are verified, as-built models to a level of precise accuracy. It has taken a bit of time (and not been easy) to get to the point where this is now accepted as the standard delivery mode for the University, but we are there now. 

The argument against this is that we "should be open" - but IFC file types ae not fully stable in my experience, and unnecessary when you "edit" BIM models regularly - as we do without the support of consultants, to operate our estate.

Hopefully this is useful support for you, but also really happy to discuss further. If you operate an education or health estate it may be worth you joining the BIM4Estates group - let me know.

All the best

Rich Draper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-draper-0b06b228/

Edited September 12 by Rich Draper

[Timothy Stahle]

Thank you @Rich Draper, for sharing your thoughts and experience. It's interesting to learn that you decided on Revit for your entire portfolio. For us however, being a government owned organisation, that's not possible. Because we are government owned, we are bound by the EU public procurement regulation which restricts the procuring organisation from specifying requirements for suppliers to only use one specific technology e.g. Revit (or any other technology for that matter). This regulation is supposed to protect competition but poses a problem for the procuring organisation. And because we manage updates of our CAD-library through vendors, we would need to demand specific procurement requirements from vendors to only use the CAD-software of our choice which is not permitted. So, my thoughts are, either the IFC-standard needs changing so that the geometries can be edited, or the EU regulation needs to change because this is a huge barrier to digitalisation in our sector.

What’s the situation in the UK, do you have a similar public procurement regulation?