CU1711

CASEstudy
software interoperability, classification,
data validation and verification, CDE,
data integration and modelling
standards.
This was also the first fully digital
project undertaken by the Willmott Dixon
site team, who were taken through a
number of internal training sessions,
including viewer training for Viewpoint for
Projects, so that they could learn how to
access and interrogate the models on
site, interrogation data enabling them to
validate specification and performance
data. They were also allowed to
participate in clash resolution and 4D
workshops.
Viewpoint for Projects is used
extensively now at Willmott Dixon, even
from pre-construction and the concept
design all the way through to
construction, so that a common theme
is developed on site with the delivery
team, allowing the company to "work in
a common data environment when
we're delivering projects and BIM Levels
1 and 2", according to James
Henderson, Senior Design Coordinator
at Willmott Dixon.
FIELD VIEW
The Tablet based application Field View
from Viewpoint was used extensively on
the NCHSR project, providing the latest
project information to project team
members on site, and enabling them to
manage a number of associated
construction processes more efficiently,
including things like Health & Safety,
Permits, Quality Delivery Inspections and
Site Diaries.
The supply chain and consultants also
used both Viewpoint applications,
particularly Field View, which enabled
them to manage admin issues on-site
instead of having to leave the site to
respond to emails and hard copies of
project information. Every on-site
revision of project information was
immediately made available on
Viewpoint for Projects, and was therefore
available for the wider, distributed team.
Another useful benefit was that project
teams spent longer on-site, rather than
utilising their time on burdensome
administrative tasks common to paper
based projects.
Field View is particularly useful for
handling snags. As Henderson
explained, "We ran a trial with Field View.
Snags were broken down into two parts.
Initially we tried to deal with snags while
work was taking place on-site to make
the project run more smoothly, using a
quality delivery system, with snags being
signed off as the task is being created.
That created 523 tasks. Alternatively, we
started a snagging process when we got
to the end stage of the job, when the job
is being finalised - identifying just 293
tasks with Field View, and allowing us to
show a 'real time effect' where we work a
lot quicker. In effect we are snag free two
days ahead of handover to the client."
Ben Jowett added that "Instead of going
back to the office to fill out paperwork,
Field View allows delivery teams to stay
on-site whilst carrying out tasks, and a
recent survey showed we were saving up
to 5 hours per person a week."
REDUCING RFIS
Increasing the level of information that
Willmott Dixon requested at each stage,
together with fortnightly coordination
workshops, resulted in a large reduction
in RFIs raised when the M&E supply
chain partner Briggs and Forester came
on board to deliver the scheme on-site.
Willmott Dixon were able to quantify the
numbers of RFIs raised when they
compared a digital project with two
earlier, non-digital projects, and found
improvements of between 59% to 63%.
They weren't able to compare results
from the NCHSR project, as they had not
carried out this type of analysis at the end
of each stage, but they now carry out the
exercise on all other projects, which has
proved very successful for them.
Looking at the success of the project,
Henderson said that working in 3D
enabled them to distinguish the primary
routing path and highlight issues which,
if not acknowledged early on, would
have impacted on the design,
programme and cost of the project. He
added "One of the main benefits of using
the software, in terms of ROI for risk
mitigation, was the site diaries, which
enabled us to record what goes in, in
realtime - so we can go back, as if it was
yesterday, to find out what has and has
not occurred, enabling us to resolve
issues proactively."
Ben Jowett added, "One of the key
benefits for us was the control of access
to information - we work on a lot of law
and order projects and digital
information security is very important,
particularly with BIM. However, I think the
access controls in Viewpoint for Projects
are flexible enough to allow us to cater
for project needs, whilst retaining a
standardised approach. Both products
are very flexible and you can mould them
to what your project requires."
www.viewpoint.com
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