CC2311

Construction 

Computing 

WWW.CONSTRUCTION-COMPUTING.COM 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 

VOL 19 NO 06 

Enterprise resource planning 

Are we getting ahead in the cloud with ERP? The Hammers 2023 

Celebrating the winners of the 17th 

annual Construction Computing Awards 

Connected design & construction 

DBM Vircon and AECOM collaborate on Hong 

Kong International Airport mega project 

Infrastructure intelligence 

Bentley's Year In Infrastructure 2023 

explores current and future AI trends 

@CCMagAndAwards

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CONTENTS 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 

CONTENTS 

CONNECTED DESIGN 10 

Hong Kong International Airport was already a 

mega project. With a major expansion planned, 

DBM Vircon's expertise in construction 

modelling was required to work alongside lead 

engineering firm AECOM 

THE HAMMERS 2023 18 

Celebrating the best of the construction, the 

17th Annual Construction Computing Awards 

were held this November in London. Discover 

this year's winners inside 

IMMERSIVE DESIGN REVIEWS 26 

Launched at the recent Autodesk University 

2023, Autodesk Workshop XR has been 

created to facilitate design collaboration on 

projects using Extended Reality 

INFRASTRUCTURE INTELLIGENCE 28 

The focus of Bentley's 2023 Year in 

Infrastructure conference, besides honouring 

the illustrious finalists, was advancing the 

cause of infrastructure intelligence, with specific 

reference to future AI trends 

NEWS.................................................INDUSTRY NEW.........................................................................................................6 

• CADS LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF SURVEYING • SKETCHUP VIEWER FOR METAQUEST 2 

SOFTWARE FOCUS...........................ASSETTAGZ......................................................................................................12 

• ASSETTAGZ DELIVERS COMPREHENSIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT USING BARCODES, QR CODES AND RFID TAGS 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................ARE WE GETTING AHEAD IN THE CLOUD?.....................................................14 

• DO CLOUD-BASED ERP SOLUTIONS DELIVER WHAT THEY PROMISE? 

SOFTWARE FOCUS...........................ARCHICAD 27 AND BEYOND...........................................................................16 

• GRAPHISOFT FINISH THE YEAR WITH A SUBSTANTIAL NEW VERSION OF THEIR FLAGSHIP SOLUTION 

CASE STUDY......................................REDSKY AND BIG RED CONSTRUCTION........................................................20 

• BIG RED CONSTRUCTION IS IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND BOOSTING COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT CONNECT 

SOFTWARE FOCUS...........................CABINET OF CURIOSITIES...............................................................................23 

• VECTORWORKS 2024 UPDATE 2 INTRODUCES PARAMETRIC CABINET DESIGNFEATURES INTRODUCED IN 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS......................TRIED AND TESTED.........................................................................................24 

• TRIMBLE CONSIDER WHETHER IFCS ARE NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER 

SOFTWARE FOCUS...........................PAYAPPS............................................................................................................31 

• PAYAPPS, WINNERS AT THIS MONTH'S HAMMERS AWARDS, HAVE ACQUIRED WEBCONTRACTOR HOLDINGS 

TRAINING MAP...................................AUTODESK TRAINING.......................................................................................32 

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

INDUSTRY FOCUS.............................UPPING YOUR GAME........................................................................................34 

• BENTLEY'S CLAIRE RUTKOWSKI CONSIDERS THE HUMAN ASPECTS OF ACCELERATING CHANGE MANAGEMENT 

November/December 2023 3

COMMENT 

Editor: 

David Chadwick 

(cad.user@btc.co.uk) 

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(mark.lyward@btc.co.uk) 

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John Jageurs 

john.jageurs@btc.co.uk 

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or any resulting effects 

Comment 

A measure of intelligence? 

by David Chadwick 

Icame across this quote on my 'go to' 

political website: "If you value 

intelligence above all other human 

qualities, you're going to have a bad time". 

It's very relevant as intelligence is 

featuring highly on most platforms just 

now and occasionally, I hope, here as 

well. This is in reference to artificial 

intelligence and whether everybody's job 

are on the line as a result of it. 

AI has featured in several articles 

recently, and I would take issue with the 

second assumption, as the current use of 

AI within the industry concentrates on the 

effective use of information, assisted by 

the increasing complexity and 

inventiveness of human developed 

algorithms, that take advantage of the 

vastly more powerful computer systems at 

our disposal. A bit of a mouthful, but the 

point is that humans are still required to 

interpret and act upon the results of AI 

data manipulation, and that is based upon 

their experience and knowledge of the 

industry (and a bit of human intuition). 

So will the latest iterations of AI - Artificial 

General Intelligence, or AGI - which can 

'teach' themselves to think, prove to be 

more insightful, or are they merely an 

extension of AI? Returning to the original 

quote, it doesn't take much intelligence to 

work out which jobs are most vulnerable. 

Most fall outside the construction industry, 

for example, and consist of repetitive jobs, 

replicated easily with simply defined 

requirements. Construction consists 

mainly of physical activity and the on-site 

management of construction teams. 

Real time interventions may be required 

at any time for a multitude of issues, 

making it a 'hands on' job, and it will still 

need input from experienced 

professionals to make instant decisions. 

The complex mass of supporting 

information, engineering change orders, 

cost management and scheduling also 

relies on a connected web of individuals, 

each of them reacting individually on 

behalf of their teams and the success of 

the whole project. Who is going to be 

responsible for tasking the 'Artificial 

Intelligence' with the job of overseeing all 

of that? 

There is a role for a greater reliance on 

the intelligence driving a project, though, 

highlighted at the recent Bentley Systems 

Year in Infrastructure Conference in 

Singapore. The huge amount of 

information that is amassed to support a 

project raises both opportunities for all 

stages of the construction process, but 

also raises questions about which 

information is useful, and how it is used. 

Infrastructure intelligence was therefore a 

feature of Greg Bentley's Keynote speech 

at the conference, and was followed by a 

technical session which featured Bentley 

experts and users, who spoke about the 

management of structured information 

using digital twins and AI, and its practical 

application in some very interesting case 

studies - outlined elsewhere in this issue. 

November is also the traditional time of 

year for The Hammers, the 17th 

Construction Computing Awards. It was a 

lively event, held at the Leonardo City 

Hotel in London, with excellent 

entertainment - and some well-deserved 

winners, of course. The projects submitted 

for the awards this year covered a wide 

range of complexities, originality and 

technologies and were a delight to read 

and judge. We will also be featuring some 

of them in future issues of the magazine. 

You will find a full round-up of this year's 

winners further on in this issue. 

Hats off also to the Lighthouse Club 

Construction Industry Charity, whose 

CEO, Bill Hill, spoke about the heartache 

behind some of the industry's worst 

statistics - the effect of the job on worker's 

mental health. 

4 November/December 2023

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COURTESY OF TONO MIRAI ARCHITECTS

INDUSTRY news 

CADS LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF SURVEYING 

With nearly 40 years' experience, 

measured surveying 

specialist CADS has witnessed 

enormous advances in 

the technology it uses to gather 

and present data. However, it's 

the most recent innovations 

which the business believes 

are most beneficial to the architects, 

contractors, estate managers 

and other property professionals 

it provides with survey 

data, plans and models. 

"The role of the surveyor to 

map the physical world is 

largely unchanged - but technology 

is transforming the 

accuracy, integrity and power 

of the data and deliverables we 

provide," says Iain Tubby, Survey 

Services Manager at 

CADS. In the most recent 

advances, AI is being 

employed through algorithms 

which analyse enormous quantities 

of survey data to identify 

patterns, eliminate errors and 

fill in gaps. 

"Our clients need to make 

design decisions based on our 

survey deliverables quicker 

than ever, and it's the rapid 

advance of geospatial tools, 

laser scanning, drones, software 

and AI which are empowering 

us to support this faster 

and more cost-effectively than 

ever," adds Iain. 

Just a few decades ago, a 

large group of surveyors would 

arrive on site and manually 

gather measurements, before 

returning to the office to prepare 

the information and present 

it to project managers in 

plans and drawing formats. 

Today, laser scanners gather 

millions of points of data in a 

day, and geospatial instrumentation 

allows complex physical 

measurements to be collected 

using GPS satellite signals 

from the GNSS (Global Navigation 

Satellite System). Both 

can be instantly integrated with 

other information to create a 

near real-time view of a site 

quicker than ever. 

"Technology is becoming 

faster and smaller, so we are 

continually able to unlock new 

potential from solutions such 

as mobile LIDAR scanners, 3D 

modelling and drone photogrammetry. 

Integrated with 

AI, we can extract incredibly 

detailed information - without 

the need to risk surveyors 

climbing ladders and roofs!" 

states Iain. 

"We've already found the benefits 

of AI to be significant, 

improving productivity by providing 

powerful real-time data 

interpretation. However, we're 

confident this only scratches 

the surface of the benefits it 

can help us deliver to our 

clients," he adds. 

www.cadsonline.com 

TEBIN JOINS THE REVIZTO PARTNER NETWORK 

Revizto has announced a 

new partnership with 

TEBIN, an independent international 

engineering and construction 

consultancy. Effective 

January 1st, 2024, TEBIN will 

become a Valued Revizto Partner, 

providing sales, training, 

and customer support across 

Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, 

Czechia, Croatia, and Slovakia. 

"We are delighted to welcome 

Aleksander Nikitin and 

his team to the Revizto family 

as a reseller," said Sascha 

Kuehner, Director Central 

Europe, Revizto. "Both Revizto 

and TEBIN are aligned in 

Powered by Stable Diffusion, 

Graphisoft's new Archicad 

AI Visualizer is a world-class AIdriven 

image generation tool 

that creates detailed 3D visualisations 

during the early design 

stages thanks to a simple user 

interface that is optimised for 

architecture and interior design. 

Graphisoft's Adaptive Hybrid 

Framework technology enables 

the fast and high-quality delivery 

of new capabilities and the 

integration of innovative technologies, 

like AI, in the company's 

solutions. "Our Adaptive 

Hybrid Framework approach 

lets us quickly and effectively 

integrate innovative technologies 

like the AI Vizualizer into 

our tech stack. This is just the 

first example of how we can 

integrate it into new capabilities 

inside our software," said 

Zsolt Kerecsen, VP of Software 

Success at Graphisoft. 

building better together. This 

partnership will significantly 

expand our reach and bring 

the benefits of Revizto to a 

wider audience." 

TEBIN boasts a strong background 

in engineering and 

construction, contributing to 

diverse multidisciplinary projects 

globally. Skilled in BIM 

technologies, their team understands 

the challenges and 

opportunities associated with 

BIM implementation, employing 

BIM & VDC standards and 

continually learning from leading 

tech partner companies. 

www.revizto.com 

VISUALISING ARCHICAD DESIGNS WITH AI 

The Visualizer is integrated 

into Archicad, so no additional 

purchase is necessary. Users 

create a simple concept model 

in Archicad then, using text 

prompts or a few descriptive 

words, such as 'a modern 

office with wood surfaces,' 

generate any number of 

refined design variations - without 

creating detailed models 

for each. The tool produces 

design alternatives in the early 

design phase by adding 

details, context, and ideas to 

the original concept. 

The interface is easy to use, 

and prompts and results are 

optimised for architectural and 

interior design workflows. 

Users can specify image sizes, 

vary the number of iterations to 

speed up image generation, 

and edit the prompt strength 

for more precise results. 

https://youtu.be/ZkgOtamXvVs 

6 

November/December 2023

VISIBILITY 

CONTROL 

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customer support

INDUSTRY news 

NIMA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE SPRINGS BACK 

Following the success of its 

inaugural event this 

November, nima is already 

planning its first virtual conference 

for the new year. Coming 

to a screen near you in 

April, the nima Virtual Spring 

Conference 2024 will focus on 

maximising the value of data 

for better whole-life outcomes. 

This will be the virtual 

event to further empower the 

digital transition of the global 

built environment. 

Trimble has launched 

SketchUp Viewer for Meta 

Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro and 

Meta Quest 3, a powerful, 

immersive way to view and 

present 3D SketchUp models 

in VR. It enables interior 

designers, architects, engineers, 

and construction professionals 

using a Quest VR 

headset to engage colleagues 

and clients in experiential 

design reviews for more 

informed decision-making and 

collaboration on the go, in the 

office, or on site. 

With SketchUp Viewer for 

Quest, both technical and nontechnical 

users can experience 

designs in an immersive environment 

without the need for 

complex controls or powerful 

desktop machines. In contrast 

to traditional architectural representations 

that may be difficult 

for clients to understand, 

You can register now for the 

nima Virtual Spring Conference 

at the link below and receive 

all the latest updates. Details 

of the full agenda, speakers 

and networking rooms will be 

available soon. The nima Virtual 

Spring Conference 2024 will 

once again be free to attend, 

and all of the talks from the 

2023 Conference are available 

to watch on demand at the 

conference website, below. 

nimavirtualconference.com 

FREE SKETCHUP VIEWER FOR META QUEST 2 

VR enables architects and 

designers to showcase their 

designs and convey design 

intent by enabling the client 

walkthrough and experience 

the design in a true-to-scale 

environment. 

In addition to native SketchUp 

tools, the Viewer includes features, 

such as tabletop and 

presentation modes, that offer 

architects and designers multiple 

ways to present their 

designs. With tabletop mode, 

users can walk around the 

SketchUp model and view the 

design as a virtual scale 

model. Presentation mode can 

be used to curate a client's virtual 

walkthrough, complete with 

a simple user interface and 

easy-to-use controls. SketchUp 

Viewer for Quest is a free application, 

available to all users. 

www.sketchup.com/ 

products/sketchup-viewer 

A PARTNERSHIP FOR PART L COMPLIANCE 

Gleeson Homes and Zutec 

have partnered to digitise 

Gleeson's quality control 

processes, which includes multiple 

forms and checklists for 

Quality Assurance inspections, 

as well as Part L Photographic 

Evidence. This will help Gleeson 

maintain standards in quality 

and meet regulatory compliance, 

while bringing structure to 

process and providing complete 

data visibility plot to plot, 

and project to project, helping 

deliver more on-site efficiencies. 

Since June 2023, all housebuilders 

in the UK with new 

developments now have to 

provide mandatory photographic 

evidence to the SAP 

Assessor to prove that work 

and materials used in new 

homes comply with updated 

energy efficiency requirements 

that reduce carbon emissions - 

outlined in Part L, or Approved 

Document L, Appendix B. 

Implementing Zutec's Part L 

Photographic Evidence solution 

across 82 sites earlier in 

the year, this was the first 

step in digitising Gleeson's 

Quality Control Plot Book, 

providing the ability for teams 

to update and submit as-built 

Buildings Regulations England 

Part L (BREL) reports to 

assessors for approval and 

faster plot completion. 

As part of its Quality Management 

Solution Suite, Zutec's 

Part L Photographic Evidence 

solution allows users to capture, 

store, share and manage 

geo-located photographic evidence 

and supporting documents 

required for the as-built 

BREL report. Spec'd to meet 

requirements of the Part L 

Building Regulations framework, 

the solution ensures 

users on site can capture the 

right quality photos with the 

right information. 

Using Zutec's field app, photos 

can be captured and submitted 

to an assessor for sign 

off, speeding up process and 

bringing building information 

together in one place to 

remove the complexity of gathering 

evidence and submitting 

for approval. 

Aligning its internal process 

and working with Zutec, Gleeson 

has now configured, digitised, 

and sequenced multiple 

forms and checklists, including 

its build stage and customer 

care forms as part of its Quality 

Control Plot Book. Bringing 

everything together in one 

place, ensures all on and off-site 

teams are working to the same 

process and have structure to 

inspections by following consistent 

practice and workflows. 

By standardising its quality 

process, Gleeson can track 

progress, analyse reports, and 

have an audit trail of work done 

and inspections completed by 

who and when. 

www.zutec.com 

8 


05-07 March 2024 / ExCeL, London 

05 - 07 March 2024 ExCeL, London 

what will you 

take a stand for? 

Driving Collaboration and Innovation for a 

Sustainable Built Environment at the sectors 

most influential, large scale exhibition and 

conference. 

Join us at 

Futurebuild 2024 

Futurebuild is more than an event; it’s a call for action. It’s a platform to 

engage and collaborate, and a stage for debate. It’s three days of education 

and dissemination of knowledge, and a showcase of innovation. 

Take a stand for a better built environment. 

www.futurebuild.co.uk

CASE study 

Connected design & construction 

Hong Kong International Airport, built on reclaimed land, was already a mega project. With a major 

expansion planned, DBM Vircon's expertise in construction modelling was required to work alongside 

lead engineering firm AECOM 

Since its opening in 1998, Hong 

Kong International Airport (HKIA) 

has grown to become one of the 

busiest airports in the world. In 2018, the 

airport served 74.7 million passengers, 

handled 5.1 million tonnes of cargo and 

accommodated 427,725 air traffic 

movements. With more than 120 airlines 

connecting to over 220 destinations 

worldwide, HKIA is a leading international 

and regional aviation hub. 

To meet future air traffic growth, the 

Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) 

has embarked upon a major development 

project which will transform HKIA into a 

three-runway system (3RS), from the 

existing two-runway system (2RS). 

The project, with a reported capital 

expenditure of $18 billion USD, eclipses 

that of the original airport mega project, 

becoming Hong Kong's largest ever 

infrastructure spend. Once complete, 

HKIA will be able to serve an additional 30 

million passengers annually. With the land 

reclamation recently finalised, work on the 

above ground infrastructure has 

commenced and it is expected that the 

new 3RS will be fully operational around 

the middle of this decade 

The 3RS project is more than a new 

runway. Its scale is almost equivalent to 

building a new airport next to the existing 

one. The project involves reclamation of 

approximately 650 hectares (~1600 

acres) of land directly north of the existing 

airport island. 

A key element of the project is the Third 

Runway Passenger Concourse, which will 

encompass more than 280,000m2 of floor 

area, 57 new aircraft parking positions, 

and an apron. The aircraft concourse 

comprises 23,861 tonnes of steel sections, 

with 79,374 individual main pieces of steel, 

generating 74,103 connections. 

To illustrate the sheer size and scale of 

this aviation mega project, if the concourse 

structure was to be stood vertical, it would 

be 785m in height - making it one of the 

'tallest' buildings in the world. 

Along with this bold new upgrade, the 

AAHK knew that an equally bold execution 

plan was needed in order for them to 

achieve their objective. They wanted to 

move away from the traditionally staged, 

siloed mentality that is usually associated 

with major infrastructure projects. 

With the scale of this initiative and the 

very tight schedule constraints, they 

needed an innovative approach to 

construction that would enable them to 

maximise productivity through improved 

project workflows. 

As a result, the AAHK engaged DBM 

Vircon, a premier construction modeling, 

detailing and digital engineering company, 

to work alongside the lead engineering 

firm, AECOM. At an early stage, it was 

mandated that these teams work 

collaboratively, utilising a buildable 

information modeling software to develop 

3D models with millimetre accuracy. In 

addition, the use of a common data 

environment was required to coordinate 

the enormous amounts of data that would 

need to be securely managed. 

A CONNECTED DESIGN 

WORKFLOW 

This type of project delivery is a new 

approach, particularly for a project of this 

size. As such, DBM Vircon in close 

collaboration with AECOM turned to 

Trimble to help connect stakeholders 

across each phase of the project with 

digital construction solutions like Tekla 

Structures and Trimble Connect and 

through the development of collaborative 

workflows to improve team productivity. 

For example, instead of using traditional 

2D drawing deliverables, the project 

engineer, AECOM, exported parametric 

analysis geometry from their engineering 

wireframe software, Rhino. This was 

passed directly through Grasshopper into 

the Tekla Structures model share 

environment, using Trimble Connect, 

where both AECOM and DBM Vircon 

could easily collaborate. Future updates to 

geometry could then be pushed into the 

shared model via scripting. The 

engineering team used these shared 

models for design verification and to 

produce their planning documentation for 

statutory approvals. 

Change management controls were also 

critical once Rhino geometry updates 

were no longer possible due to thousands 

of steelwork connections being added to 

the models. Careful tracking of piece 

movements were required if steel was 

found to be misaligned or needed to 

move. Again, Tekla and Trimble Connect 

were used to enable these functions and 

this process to be carried out. 

Another innovative solution developed by 

the DBM Vircon team was the use of 

Parametric Custom Components in Tekla, 

a way of automating adaptive connections 

between steelwork parts that adjust to 

changes and their new conditions. A key 

challenge to this structure was the 

concourse roof featuring a subtle 

whaleback curve. While the geometry is 

10 


CASE study 

similar along the length of the building, it 

was different enough that each bay of 

steel was slightly dissimilar to the next. 

DBM Vircon was able to take these 

varying parameters of ever-changing 

geometry, steel sizes, plate thicknesses, 

welds and bolts quantities and develop 

these parametric custom components, 

complete with engineered checking data, 

to control over 60,000 (82%) of these 

connections. A huge time saving as the 

geometry evolved. 

With 23,861 tonnes of steel in the roof 

and façade structure and 79,374 main 

pieces of steel within the seven different 

Tekla models, the heavy use of 

parametric custom components enabled 

DBM Vircon to rapidly connect geometry 

that would otherwise have been 

extremely repetitive and time consuming. 

Likewise, connections that were required 

to change due to design updates could 

be updated on mass, far quicker than 

updating manually created ones as in a 

typical process. 

A custom set of these connection 

parameters were exported from Tekla to 

Excel, allowing AECOM to rapidly check a 

set of parametric connections covering a 

wide range of variables. This ensured 

consistent output of modelled 

connections over having to individually 

check many manually applied 

connections. DBM Vircon achieved ratios 

in some models of 100 parametric 

components controlling 10,000 

connection locations. 

THE RESULTS 

"As fabrication has been progressing, a 

number of benefits have been identified," 

said Rick Sheldon, Project Manager at 

AAHK. The collaborative process required 

DBM Vircon and AECOM to work to a 

coordinated program, resulting in AAHK 

having a much clearer understanding of 

the status of the structural steel design, in 

particular the connection designs, and the 

Architectural construction detailing. This 

provided far greater clarity and certainty 

with the tender quantities. 

The transparency afforded by AAHK's 

access to the information in Trimble 

Connect provided greater certainty with 

tender quantities, resulting in reduced risk 

during the tender process. The process 

basically eliminated the usual requirement 

for significant RFI's post award as AECOM 

addressed these prior to tender. It is 

believed this will also considerably reduce 

the potential for any delays claims. 

A more complete set of structural 

information was provided to the tenderers 

- the extent of steelwork (including often 

neglected secondary steelwork) and 

more specific structural connection 

details required of the Tekla model, 

resulting in reduced risk for the delivery of 

the entire project. 

The collaborative processes developed 

by DBM Vircon and AECOM for the 

design stage extended into the 

construction stage, with a slightly 

modified version of the design workflow, 

used by the contractor, incorporating 

changes in the Tekla Model. These were 

required by the contractor's erection 

phase analysis consultants for end point 

analysis related changes and required 

pre-cambers, the steel fabricator for his 

fabrication preferences and also the 

various subcontractors for the MEP 

services, roof and façade subcontractors 

for their brackets and secondary 

steelwork fixings. This is also being 

managed through Trimble Connect." 

"We're extremely proud of the teamwork 

and collaboration displayed by all project 

stakeholders, particularly in the wake of 

the major disruptions and dislocations 

caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," said 

Simon Schmitt, Business Manager at 

DBM Vircon. AECOM, DBM Vircon and 

their mutual use of Tekla Structures and 

Trimble Connect played a major role in 

enabling this collaboration. 

"Trimble Connect allowed for a fully 

transparent and traceable 3D platform 

where all project stakeholders could 

collaborate seamlessly, regardless of their 

physical location. It offered a reliable 

solution for information transfer and 

tagging of ToDo's in the model which was 

an integral part of how the engineering 

team completed their checks of the live 

3D detail model environment where the 

approvals took place." 

Watch the animation video demonstrating 

some of the automated processes here: 

https://youtu.be/UVqg2Mkg3o0 

www.dbmvircon.com 


SOFTWAREfocus 

AssetTagz 

David Chadwick looks at the 

role of AssetTagz in delivering a 

comprehensive asset 

management solution using the 

ubiquitous barcodes, QR codes 

and RFID tags 

This is the age of the QR code. From 

supermarket reward cards to 

downloading apps for train and plane 

tickets, online payment apps and much 

more, the ability to waltz through boarding 

gates and turnstiles, access store special 

offers, and pay bills gives smartphone 

users a magic wand that serves to simplify 

most commercial transactions. With the 

bulk of the population walking around with 

these devices in their hands the 

convenience of digitally uploading a wodge 

of personal information at every access 

point far outweighs the fact that every 

transaction, bit of travel, and preference is 

being recorded and used to update your 

personal profiles and influence future offers. 

That raises a couple of problems for some 

members of the public. The first is the 

disinclination or inability of some sections of 

society to avail themselves of the 

technology, and the second is the 

uncontrolled proliferation of apps used by 

private companies, such as car park 

operators, which exacerbate the issue. 

This is a personal view of course. 

Having downloaded four airline 

and two train operator's apps 

in the last couple of months, 

I am delighted with the 

convenience and ability 

to streamline my 

journeys through an 

app, or by 

presenting a QR 

code whenever 

required. The 

sheer amount of 

information processed by each was no 

more than I would have already provided, 

and it enabled two-way communication 

between myself and my supplier. 

Furthermore, using bilateral 

communication, I was kept up to date with 

scheduled timings and possible delays, 

and changes to boarding gates and more. 

ASSETTAGZ 

This is all old news to AssetTagz though, a 

company that has been using similar 

technology to identify, optimise, and report 

on a wide range of construction assets 

since its formation in 2008. Instead of being 

perceived as a personal imposition, the 

ability to access and manage huge 

amounts of information generated to 

optimise and control an asset of any size is 

vitally important to manage its efficiency 

and rein in costs. 

QR codes weren't so ubiquitous in 

AssetTagz' early days, when RFID devices 

were used on major projects to monitor the 

operation and condition of a massive 

network of water pipes, pumps, and 

pumping stations in the southern regions of 

Africa. This vital bit of infrastructure used 

the information captured and relayed by the 

devices to maintain a freshwater supply to 

millions of Africans. 

Since then, the company has developed 

its expertise globally, embracing new 

technologies and extending its capabilities 

within and beyond the construction industry 

to provide a comprehensive platform that 

integrates the mass of information available 

from ERP systems like Oracle, SAP and 

12 


SOFTWAREfocus 

COINS and their back-office processes. 

True to its name, AssetTagz utilises 'tags' 

- RFID, unique barcodes or QR codes for 

every bit of equipment, component or 

material used in a construction project, 

linking them to the appropriate 

application and processes. Personal 

data, such as qualifications, employment 

details and rates of pay are uploaded as 

QR codes and scanned at the 

commencement of each task, linking the 

data to the task, the asset under 

inspection, and any materials used. 

AssetTagz has developed the links to 

deliver a total solution covering all elements 

of the asset management process, from 

health & safety compliance to material 

procurement and invoicing, and covers risk 

management, crime prevention, costing, 

waste reduction and other issues, 

facilitating full transparency throughout. 

'Tagging' using RIFD or QR activated 

mobiles initiates bilateral communication 

between contractors and employees and 

their working processes. 

To give a simple example, when running a 

scheduled maintenance task, an employee 

can establish the exact date and time it was 

performed, what equipment and 

maintenance supplies were used, with any 

pertinent readings or results recorded and 

uploaded to the project cloud. Asset 

managers are immediately updated with 

progress of the work of specific teams, or 

on the overall state of asset management 

throughout the building, using specifically 

designed dashboards. The results can also 

be archived and retained in the event of 

litigation arising from any asset 

management failures. 

SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE 

With every employee seamlessly linked to 

the cloud the security of data is paramount. 

AssetTagz prioritises the use of secure data 

encryption and strict access control, 

creating a secure environment for all asset 

management needs and reducing the risk 

of data breaches. 

The sheer variety of taggable products 

within the industry, covering simple 

consumables to large mining and 

construction equipment, makes demands 

on any data gathering devices and 

platforms, especially when asset 

managers rely on them for compliance. 

AssetTagz has addressed this by advising 

clients on the options and suitability of the 

tags they are using, ensuring that their use 

is integrated within an overall asset 

management strategy. 

A major issue within the construction 

industry is the growing incidence of missing, 

stolen or broken assets. Using AssetTagz' 

comprehensive asset tracking system, 

contractors can optimise resource 

allocation, avoid unnecessary purchases or 

replacements and extend the life of assets 

with optimised, planned preventative and 

reactive maintenance activities. 

INTEGRATION WITH ERP 

Apart from the indisputable benefits of 

seamless data flow between ERP systems, 

back-office operations and frontline delivery, 

eliminating needless and error-prone data 

entry, AssetTagz also dispenses with the 

vast amount of transaction paperwork 

generated on site by creating chains of data 

with auditable asset histories. 

With accurate and up-to-date information 

readily available, asset data can be 

consolidated to provide asset managers 

with a holistic overview, enabling them to 

improve resource allocation and 

compliance, reduce downtime and 

enhance overall productivity. 

AssetTagz now delivers its solution 

worldwide, using its dispersed network of 

experts to advise and configure solutions to 

address asset management in construction, 

mining, oil & gas, local government, and 

security services. 

LEO LION GROUP 

There is another string to AssetTagz' bow. 

The company is part of the Leo Lion Group, 

the driving force behind the Leo Lion 

Foundation (formerly the COINS 

Foundation), set up by COINS founder 

Larry Sulivan. The Foundation utilises the 

profits of business to help disadvantaged 

people worldwide, giving them a 'hand up' 

instead of a 'handout'. 

To date, over 150,000 people have 

benefited from the charity. As a result of the 

work carried out in Africa in the company's 

early days, a large number of projects are 

up and running, engaging in long-term 

partnerships with carefully selected NGO's 

and Charities where their values align with 

the leadership. Organisations are supported 

with funding and broad business acumen. 

Leo Lion uses the same business acumen 

to lead its own companies and social 

enterprises whose equity and profits are 

reinvested into social projects. Visit their 

website, below, to see the projects they are 

involved in, which seek to help change the 

way the world thinks and acts on poverty, 

disability and injustice. 

Leo Lion has also initiated an innovative 

start-up competition called 'The Future of 

Capitalism', which will run across the next 

five years, and which awards $5m of 

investment each year. 'The Future of 

Capitalism' aims to fund tech start-ups 

that are passionate about making both a 

commercial and a social impact. Exciting 

opportunities await with influential 

partners such as Barclays, Royal Bank of 

Canada, The University of Texas and 

Warwick University. 

www.leolionfoundation.org/ourwork 

www.futureofcapitalism.tech 

www.assettagz.com 


TECHNOLOGYfocus 

Are we getting ahead in the cloud? 

We appear to be driving headlong into cloud-based ERP solutions - but do they deliver what they 

promise, or can we still run construction on-premise? 

The construction software market has 

changed. In fact, as of 2023, 94% of 

businesses and enterprises are now 

using cloud-based services in one way or 

another. Despite this, you wouldn't be 

alone in asking the question "Should my 

construction ERP be hosted on-premise or 

in the cloud?". After all, this is a critical 

business decision. 

Within construction management, your 

ERP software forms the backbone of your 

business' operational day-to-day. This 

makes the decision on whether to host 

your ERP on-premise or in the cloud 

pivotal, shaping the way your construction 

business manages resources, plans 

projects and, ultimately, achieves success. 

So, to accurately answer this question, it's 

important that we take a look into the 

benefits of both forms of ERP software 

hosting: cloud-based vs. on-premise. 

UNDERSTANDING ON-PREMISE 

SYSTEMS 

On-premise systems entail hosting your 

Construction ERP software on local 

servers within your organisation's physical 

infrastructure. The long-standing benefit 

of this approach is the high 

degree of control 

and 

customisation it brings to companies, 

allowing for tailored configurations to 

meet specific business needs. 

Companies can fine-tune every aspect of 

their ERP environment, from hardware 

specifications to software integrations, 

ensuring a seamless fit with existing 

operations. This level of customisation 

empowers organisations with unique or 

complex requirements. 

The downside however, is that these 

on-site hosted systems usually require 

huge amounts of upkeep both 

financially and in 

terms of 

14 



labour. On-premise ERP systems can cost 

companies over 30% more than cloudbased 

systems due to initial 

implementation and server costs, as well 

as ongoing IT support, maintenance work 

and even update implementation. 

Whilst historically, compliance with 

industry-specific standards and regulations 

is facilitated by on-premise solutions, 

some cloud-based ERP systems are now 

offering this also. This can be a critical 

factor for construction businesses bound 

by strict regulatory frameworks, such as 

the recent Part L regulation updates 

requiring more visibility across the 

construction industry than ever before. 

THE POWER OF CLOUD-BASED 

CONSTRUCTION ERPS 

The rising star of construction management 

software, cloud-based ERP software 

revolutionises the way construction 

businesses manage their operations, 

offering a range of business advantages 

that can significantly enhance efficiency 

and scalability. Some of today's best cloudbased 

ERP systems leverage the power of 

leading cloud systems such as Microsoft 

Azure to host your company's data and 

infrastructure on secure remote servers. 

In recent years cloud-based ERP 

systems have continued to innovate and 

improve, and construction companies all 

over the globe have shifted their 

construction management software over 

to cloud-hosted alternatives. 

This begs the question: why should I 

host my construction ERP on the cloud? 

Research shows that 21% of companies 

that implemented cloud ERP technology 

saw an improvement in profitability over 

a two year period. Meanwhile, only 5.4% 

of companies using a traditional onpremise 

ERP system reported any 

improvement in ROI. 

For businesses both new and old, we are 

always looking to grow. Cloud-based ERP 

systems by design are capable of growing 

with the success of your business, 

providing unparalleled scalability. Cloudhosted 

solutions allow you to 

seamlessly expand your business' 

resources, accommodating growth 

without the need for significant 

hardware investments. This 

elasticity is particularly advantageous for 

construction companies that experience 

fluctuating workloads, embark on 

ambitious projects, or see regular 

expansion through the likes of acquisitions. 

For a company's day-to-day, cloudbased 

ERP systems can significantly 

improve operational efficiencies. Through 

accessible remote work capabilities, 

teams can securely access critical data 

and applications from any location on any 

device. All project and company 

information is immediately uploaded and 

shareable to the wider team, allowing 

contractors to share orders, variations and 

defect instructions in real-time with 

subcontractors. Tmesheet information can 

also be accrued automatically and 

provided to operatives, site administrators 

and back office teams without delay. 

By building your business on one singleplatform 

you enable a single source of 

truth that fosters cross-team collaboration, 

enabling all project stakeholders, 

irrespective of their physical location, to 

work in tandem, ensuring seamless 

project progression. 

The most important factor for any 

business, though, is how cloud-based 

ERP systems can unlock revenue to be 

redirected to other critical areas of your 

business. Traditional on-premise hosting 

models often involve significant capital 

expenditure on hardware, maintenance, 

and IT personnel both at the initial 

implementation and ongoing maintenance 

of the system. 

Cloud-based solutions, on the other hand, 

operate on a subscription-based model, 

where businesses pay for the resources 

they use. This not only reduces upfront 

costs but also provides a predictable, 

manageable expense structure. 

Maintenance and updates are handled 

by the cloud service provider, alleviating 

the burden on internal IT teams. This 

ensures that the ERP system is always upto-date 

with the latest features, security 

patches, and performance 

enhancements, without requiring manual 

intervention. 

IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT ERP 

SOLUTION FOR YOU 

It's essential to recognise that one size 

does not fit all. Striking the right balance 

between these two solutions hinges on a 

nuanced understanding of your 

organisation's specific requirements and 

operational context. For organisations with 

a strong emphasis on customisation and 

control over their IT infrastructure, onpremise 

solutions may hold particular 

appeal. They provide the latitude for 

tailoring the ERP environment to precise 

specifications, aligning seamlessly with 

unique operational workflows. 

On the other hand, cloud-based 

solutions offer unparalleled scalability, 

accessibility and even profitability. If your 

construction business operates in an 

environment characterised by fluctuating 

project volumes or relies on a dispersed 

workforce, the cloud can provide the 

agility necessary to meet these demands. 

COINS ERP, THE LEADING CLOUD- 

HOSTED ERP SOFTWARE 

Built for the construction sector, Access 

COINS ERP is the leading end-to-end 

business management solution in the UK. 

Helping you manage risks, save time and 

increase profitability, Access COINS ERP 

is built and hosted on Microsoft Azure, the 

leading cloud for businesses. 

Unlike other ERP systems, The Access 

COINS construction cloud is an entirely 

construction-specific software built for the 

specific operational and regulatory needs 

of construction companies. 

Ready to transform your construction 

business? Arrange a demo with our 

specialists today to see the software in 

action and learn how Access COINS ERP 

can transform your construction business. 

Search Access Construction to find 

out more. 


SOFTWAREfocus 

Archicad 27 and beyond 

It has been a busy year for Graphisoft, but they have rounded it off by releasing a substantial new 

version of their flagship solution 

We're all kids at heart, and with 

Christmas fast approaching we 

are full of anticipation and excited 

about what lies ahead. You can't blame 

Graphisoft for pandering to those instincts 

then with the release of their Public 

Roadmap, giving us some clues about 

what lies ahead before releasing a 

thoroughly tested product. 

The danger, though, is that the final 

delivery might be a bit underwhelming - 

but that is not the case here. Archicad 27 

was released at the Building Together 

event in early October in Budapest, and 

the final item was launched within the last 

week or so. But more on that later. 

It has been an active year for Graphisoft, 

ramping up the output from their Budapest 

HQ and delivering a whole series of videos 

providing detailed tutorials for Archicad 

users and case studies from Graphisoft 

clients, all delivered within the overriding 

theme of Building Together. They have also 

ramped up their learning programme - 

Graphisoft Learn - which we covered in the 

last issue. 

The recent release of Archicad 27 has 

provided further evidence of their 

commitment to enhancing the design 

platform as a staple of the industry, 

focusing on improving its accessibility, 

functionality, and ease of use. 

ARCHICAD 27 

As usual, we are a bit overwhelmed with 

the full range of features Archicad 27 

delivers, so we have chosen to focus on 

the ones we think users and readers will 

find most useful. Chief amongst these 

must be the new Design Options. 

Previously, if you wanted to explore 

different versions of your model, you had 

to create different layer sets. However, 

because they retained links to the model, if 

they are not carefully handled when the 

layers are set, they cause problems when 

viewing each design option. Handling 

multiple files was a hassle and hardly 

worth the effort. 

Now, working from the base BIM model, 

you can explore parts of a project, working 

with customers to explore different floor 

layouts, façade elements and so on, using 

the Design Options manager to create 

duplicate design options and 

combinations, and then using Archicad's 

free-form shape and morphing tools to 

create masses linked to just that option. 

A second option can then be created 

from the first using the same process, 

duplicating model elements, adding floors, 

changing room shapes, etc., and a third 

Design Option and more. Using the 

Design Option palette, you can switch 

between each until you fin one that suits 

the client's brief. 

The chosen option can then be 

embellished further, creating floorplans 

and sectional diagrams and dragging and 

dropping in additional elements. A new 

folder can be created in the element 

attributes palette - an additional feature 

that allows variations on element attributes 

to be attached to the design option - 

speeding up the design process further 

and making it accessible to the team 

member assigned to develop the option to 

completion. 

Project Attribute Management ensures 

that the structure follows the BIM execution 

16 


SOFTWAREfocus 

plan and allows new attributes to be 

created. It is also easier to find now with 

the new Smart Search feature, which can 

be used to configure the layout of attribute 

columns. Design development even 

includes the ability to set up dynamic 

distances, so that attributes can dictate 

how close one element needs to be set 

apart from another. 

Graphic Override enables users to 

manage rules and combinations better 

and in this instance, to highlight every 

design option to be able to compare them 

with the main model, and custom furniture 

can be created using Archicad's improved 

GDL Editor, customising elements as 

required. Overall, it's the most significant 

enhancement of Archicad 27 and 

considerably more detailed than I can 

cover here. 

REVIT CONNECTIVITY 

Archicad 27, released in 2023, sharing files 

with Revit 2024! Confusing when you 

consider the latter was notorious in the 

past for incompatibilities between different 

versions. The IFC for Revit 2024 Model 

Exchange Tool optimises Revit models for 

exchange with Archicad 27, and RFAbased 

family files containing data models 

can be imported directly into Archicad and 

treated as native objects - but I suspect 

Archicad developers work overtime to 

ensure that the process works both ways, 

allowing models to be exported as RVT 

geometry for comparison purposes, or as 

a reference. 

REALISTIC RENDERING AND FBX 

Physically Based Rendering delivers 

much improved visualisations. 

Combining indirect and ambient lighting 

in a scene enables renders to create soft 

shadows, simulating lighting conditions 

that occur naturally. The effects can be 

made even more appealing and lifelike 

by simulating a material's physical 

properties and behaviours to produce 

more realistic textures. 

Native AR and VR connections can also be 

employed to enhance client presentations, 

allowing the import and export of industrystandard 

FBX files to create Augmented 

and Virtual Reality walkthroughs or 

panoramic tours of projects. Used within 

design reviews, the bidirectional UI enables 

annotations and modifications to be synced 

back to the Archicad model, keeping it as 

the single source of truth. The Enscape 

connection has been updated too, allowing 

real-time visualisations to map Archicad 

objects to any high-poly Enscape asset. 

Enscape, as a high-value application, is 

restricted to Graphisoft Subscription, 

Forward, and SSA users. 

ARCHICAD AI VISUALIZER 

AI is fast becoming an essential feature of 

evolving applications. In Graphisoft's case, it 

features in Archicad 27's AI Vizualizer, an AIdriven 

image generation tool that can create 

3D visualisations during the early design 

stage, which can optimise architecture and 

interior design. It uses Graphisoft's Adaptive 

Hybrid Framework, introduced last year, 

which simplifies the integration of 

Graphisoft's varied technologies within a 

design solution, to integrate the AI Vizualiser 

into the tech stack. 

Integrated within Archicad, AI Vizualizer 

works much the same way as AI does in 

text creation or art. Users can create a 

simple concept model in Archicad and 

then, using prompts, suggest ways in 

which they would like the model to 

develop: a modern office with wooden 

surfaces, a conservatory with windows on 

three sides, and so on. You can create as 

many basic design variations as you like, 

to which you can add further details, 

context, and ideas using the same tool. 

It's easy to use and optimised for 

architectural and interior design 

workflows, and the 'prompt' feature can 

be optimised to control the AI iterations, 

calculations and, consequently, image 

generation. A great concern with the AI 

generation of unlimited data is its 

potential saturation of the public sphere 

with the material you have asked it to 

create. Graphisoft has already considered 

this and secures developers' intellectual 

property rights by storing the images 

produced on local computers. 

AI Vizualizer is available to all architects 

and interior designers who want to explore 

the future of architectural visualisation - 

and provide feedback on their experience! 

Márton Kiss, Vice President of Product 

Success at Graphisoft, said, "We want this 

tool to be tested in the real world by real 

users where they need it most - early in the 

design process when exploring designs 

and communicating with clients." 

Users only need a valid Archicad 27 

license and NVIDIA GPUs or Apple Silicon 

chips. Although optimised for the 

international version, the tool is available 

only in English. For more information and 

to download Archicad AI Vizualizer for 

macOS and Windows, visit: 

https://graphisoft.com/solutions/innovation 

/archicad-ai-visualizer 

AND THE REST? 

We don't even have room this issue to talk 

about BIMx, BIMcloud, DDS, and the rest of 

the Graphisoft portfolio. There's plenty of 

meat there too, as Graphisoft continues to 

expand their ability to offer a full design, 

engineering, and MEP solution, 

emphasising sharing architectural models 

and ideas with professionals throughout the 

industry and their clients. Watch this space! 

www.graphisoft.com 


2023 awards 

Sponsored by: 

@CCMagAndAwards 

Striking success at The Hammers 2023! 

As lively, entertaining and informative as ever, the 17th 

Construction Computing Awards have just been held at 

The Leonardo City Hotel in London. I have been trying to 

recall where the first awards ceremony was held all those years 

ago and have narrowed it down to either Lord's Cricket Ground or 

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium! 

The construction industry has come a long way since then, and the 

changing categories at the 2023 awards reflect that, with finalists 

and winners that span the very latest technologies now being used 

within the sector. And we have more to look forward to on the 

horizon, as the 'Company to Watch' and 'Innovation of the Year' 

categories promise to extend current trends well into the future. 

The industry is certainly evolving, but we can't afford to lose 

sight of the basic requirements, such as the ability to keep track 

or manage the huge amount of information that we now produce. 

Hence the increasing sophistication of construction, project and 

financial management software, integrated within comprehensive 

cloud-based solutions that now provide most of the industry with 

real-time status, reporting and decision-making possibilities. 

Many of the projects being judged by the Hammers panel this 

year reflected this trend, as does my decision to award AssetTagz 

with the Editor's Choice award. Other worthy winners on the night 

included DBM Vircon and AECOM winning Collaboration Project 

of the Year for the Hong Kong International Airport mega project, 

featured elsewhere in this issue, Graphisoft winning BIM Product 

of the Year for Archicad, and Zutec, who won Innovation of the 

Year for their platform to support Part L Photographic Evidence. 

Alongside the evening's celebrations and entertainment there was 

also time to reflect on the challenges facing those working in the 

industry too. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Club Construction 

Industry Charity, spoke to us about the effect the job can have on 

many worker's mental health, with an alarming number of 

construction workers now struggling with mental health issues. 

The focus for the future must now surely be about people - 

whether it's skill shortages, recruitment, or health & safety issues - 

as much as it is about sustainability and meeting net-zero targets, 

and the rapidly changing infrastructure requirements. 

Congratulations once again to our 2023 winners and runners-up. 

We are extremely grateful to all the companies that nominated 

products, put forward projects and supported the awards this year. 

Thanks to you all, and we look forward to seeing you next year. 

David Chadwick 

18 


2023 awards 

2023 AWARDS WINNERS 

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Zutec: The platform to support Part L 

photographic evidence 

ONE TO WATCH COMPANY 2023 

Winner: IDEA STATICA UK 

DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Trimble for Connecting Britain's Biggest Nuclear 

Power Station 

BIM PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2032 

Winner: Glider Technology for 40 Leadenhall Street 

COLLABORATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: DBM Vircon with AECOM for Hong Kong 

International Airport 

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Payapps for Streamlining Construction 

Applications for Payment 

AR/VR PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Bentley Systems with iLab for the ITER Nuclear 

Fusion Project 

SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: AtkinsRéalis with Esri ArcGIS for Meeting 

biodiversity net gain legislation 

TEAM OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Cadventure for The Cadventure Collaboration 

Community 

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: 4PS Construction Solutions Ltd for 4PS Construct 

THE HUMAN FACTOR IN FOCUS AWARD 2023 

Winner: Causeway Technologies for A biometric solution 

for Tamdown 

BIM PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Graphisoft for Archicad 

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 

2023 

Winner: Vectorworks for Vectorworks Architect 

COLLABORATION PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Bentley Systems for ProjectWise 

DOCUMENT AND CONTENT PRODUCT 


Winner: Newforma for Newforma Project Center 

ERP SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Access Construction for Access COINS ERP 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 


Winner: Elecosoft for Asta Powerproject 

ESTIMATION & VALUATION SOFTWARE 


Winner: RIB Software for CostX 

CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE 


Winner: RedSky ERP 

ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: IFS UK&I for IFS Cloud 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING APPLICATION 


Winner: Trimble for Tekla Structural Designer 

GEOSPATIAL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Esri UK for Esri ArcGIS 

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Trimble for Viewpoint Field View 

CHANNEL PARTNER OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Symetri 

EDITOR'S CHOICE 

Winner: AssetTagz 

CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE PRODUCT 


Winner: Bentley Systems for SYNCHRO Construction 

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Revizto for Phone App 

COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2023 

Winner: Access Construction 


CASE study 

Project Connect standardises 

site management at Big Red 

Construction 

Big Red Construction is using RedSky's Project Connect construction software solution to improve 

efficiency and boost collaboration across the business. 

Main contractor Big Red 

Construction started working 

with RedSky in November 2021 

and went live with Project Connect 

three months later. In summer 2023 

RedSky asked Big Red's Steve Dearing, 

Head of Business Systems, to talk 

about the difference Project Connect 

has made. 

"When we first approached RedSky, it 

was with a view to tightening up our 

document control practices, to make 

life easier for the guys on site," said 

Steve. The demo was great because we 

were able to see for ourselves just how 

user-friendly the system is. It's easy to 

navigate, too - that was a big factor 

because some of our team members 

have better IT skills than others. 

"I wanted an intuitive system that 

everyone would be able to use. RedSky 

suited our business better than 

everything else on the market. The 

pricing structure was very 

straightforward and clear, too. It's 

probably one of the simplest we've 

seen. There were no catches or tricks in 

the small print." 

IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT 

Having purchased RedSky's Project 

Connect construction software solution, 

it was time to get going with the 

implementation. The RedSky team 

supported Steve throughout the 

process: "We originally booked a couple 

of online sessions a week, to work on 

building up our site diary document and 

the toolbox talk process. It was all very 

hands-on and I learned a lot. 

"As the weeks went on, I was starting 

to book fewer sessions because I was 

able to get on with things myself. But if I 

20 


CASEstudy 

ever forgot something or was struggling 

to get to grips with an aspect of the 

system, I'd contact RedSky and would 

always get a very swift response. I can't 

speak highly enough of RedSky's 

knowledge and expertise. They often 

came up with good ideas about how to 

do things differently." 

DIGITISING EXISTING FORMS 

One of the things that excited Steve 

most about his initial RedSky demo was 

seeing how easily he could convert Big 

Red's own site forms into digitised 

versions. Before RedSky, at the start of 

a project a Big Red administrator would 

gather the forms that would be needed 

and print out multiple copies of each 

one, to keep in folders for use on site. 

Typically, the paper forms covered site 

activities like investigations, excavations 

and inductions as well as health and 

safety forms relating to things like 

RAMS, equipment and hoists. 

Thankfully this laborious, 

environmentally unfriendly practice has 

been abandoned in favour of RedSky's 

more efficient, digitised approach. 

"We have built up a library of around 

20+ digitised forms and add to it 

whenever we need to," said Steve. 

"Admittedly the first few forms took me a 

while to complete, but now I can create 

a simple form in under an hour. 

"Setting up a new form on RedSky is 

actually a relatively simple task. It's just 

a case of inputting headings, project 

names, dates, job numbers and so on. 

Based on my experience, before setting 

up a form, it's well worth spending 

some time thinking carefully about what 

people may want to know about the 

project in the months and years to 

come - that might prompt you to insert 

additional fields so you can analyse 

them at a later date. 

"Once the digitised form has been set 

up on RedSky, the overall look and 

layout are just the same as they were 

on the paper document, so it won't take 

your teams long to adjust." 

SPEEDY ACCESS TO REAL-TIME 

INFORMATION 

All data on the system is digitised, 

securely stored and logically ordered. 

That's particularly important to Big Red 

because the company is going through 

a period of rapid growth. 

"When we joined RedSky we had just a 

couple of projects on the go," said 

Steve. "The site offices had wall-to-wall 

lever-arch files stuffed full of 

documents. And no matter how good 

we were at filing paperwork in a logical 

way, locating a document was often like 

finding a needle in a haystack." 

Two years down the line, Big Red's 

business has grown considerably. It 

currently has over 10 major live 

projects, lasting between six months 

and two years. The record-keeping 

requirements have of course ramped up 

accordingly, yet everything's completely 

under control on the document 

management front. Steve said: "Now 

that our project documents are 

maintained digitally on RedSky and 

stored automatically, we can locate any 

document in seconds. A few clicks and 

we're there!" 

That rapid access can certainly come 

in handy, according to Steve: "Let's say 

there's a health and safety incident on 

site involving the incorrect use of 

equipment and the user says they never 

received the necessary training. The site 

manager can quickly uncover the facts 

of the matter by checking the training 

records - and the equipment inspection 

records - on RedSky. 

"Or it could be that a visitor says they 

don't need to do the site induction 

because they did it a couple of months 

ago. Within a couple of clicks on 

RedSky, the site manager can access 

the visitor's digital record. If this 

confirms that more than six months 

have elapsed since the previous 

induction, the visitor will have to repeat 

the induction." 

External audits are now simpler, 

speedier and less stressful too. "Before 

RedSky, if an external auditor asked to 

see a particular record from three or 

four months ago, the chances of finding 

it quickly would not be high," said Steve. 

"But now we just search using the fields 

on the system and can access the 

record immediately." 

The site offices are no longer rammed 

with files full of paper because most 

project documents are now digitised 

and stored securely on the system. 

According to Steve, on a 12-month 

project a Big Red site would now have 

around 3,000 fewer paper documents. 

He added: "Often the hardest thing 

about finishing a big project is sorting 

out all the documents and arranging 

their long-term storage, which of course 

comes at a financial cost. We no longer 

have that problem. Everything is 

securely stored digitally on RedSky and 

can be accessed easily as required." 

STANDARDISED APPROACH 

BOOSTS SITE EFFICIENCY 

Project Connect is now being used in 

the same way across all of Big Red's 

large sites, every day. This standardised 

approach is proving very handy for new 

joiners wanting to get up to speed with 

company practices. It's also useful for 

anyone who moves to a different Big 

Red site or works on several sites, 

because they know what's expected of 

them wherever they are based. 

The primary users are the 

management team: senior site 

managers, project managers, 

supervisors and health and safety 

managers. Steve said: "Once I've set 

up 'the front end' of a form, the users 

fill it in digitally. The system 

automatically saves the completed 

form and stores it as a record. There's 

no additional effort needed. 

"Site diaries are a good example. On 

some large sites we have three or four 

supervisors. Before RedSky, they would 

fill in their diary on paper or email the 

details to head office. But each now fills 

in a diary on the system for their 

particular area of ownership and 

responsibility - that could be external, 

internal, first fix or second fix. It's much 

more efficient: everything's on the 

system in the same format and nothing 

gets lost. 

"Many supervisors open their digitised 

diary at lunchtime and fill in what's 

happened on site so far that day, 

including notes about site conditions 

(including the weather) and time- 


CASEstudy 

stamped photos of progress made on 

different work activities. They usually go 

back onto the system at around 4pm, 

to add more details and tidy up the 

form. It's then saved automatically as 

the daily site record." 

Sites are busy places with many 

different work activities taking place at 

the same time. It's impossible to 

remember everything, but the system 

can help, according to Steve: "Let's say a 

site manager has a nagging doubt about 

when a task was completed. All they 

need to do is check the site diary, where 

they'll find a note or a time-stamped 

photo that will put their mind at rest! The 

site diary is also useful if ever we need to 

know what a particular subcontractor 

was working on and when." 

EXERTING TIGHT VERSION 

CONTROL 

On complex construction schemes, it's 

vital that everyone's working with the 

most up-to-date and accurate 

documents. Reliance on outdated 

drawings can cause major problems 

because they may include incorrect 

measurements or obsolete design 

features - errors that risk causing costly 

rework and delays. They may even 

compromise the structural integrity of 

the building, as well as the safety of 

site workers and future occupants. It's 

serious stuff. 

Thankfully, out-of-date drawings are 

not something Steve has to worry about. 

He said: "Project Connect is the 

receptacle for all project information. 

Everything's in one place. A contract 

manager can go to the Construction 

Phase Plan on any project and be 100% 

confident that what they see on screen 

is the latest version. This removes 

uncertainty and saves a lot of time. 

"If a drawing hasn't been checked for 

revision against the system, it's not 

guaranteed to be the latest version, so 

they'll need to double-check the version 

number. That tight revision control of 

drawings has been great for us. We 

also use the system to do high-level 

comparisons between drawings, either 

on screen or printed off on giant 

sheets. The system flags up any 

differences between the two 

documents, which means we don't 

have to waste hours poring over 

drawings, playing 'Spot the Difference'. 

We can also use the system to 

compare two Word documents." 

DASHBOARDS HELP TO KEEP 

PROJECTS ON TRACK 

Each Big Red site has a project 

dashboard that can be viewed by 

authorised users. "The project 

dashboard is a great tool that helps to 

keep projects moving along," said 

Steve. "It provides prompts for regular 

tasks like completing the daily site 

diary, the monthly equipment 

inspections or the bi-weekly toolbox 

talks. If there's not a '1' showing on the 

dashboard, everyone can see that the 

task has yet to be completed. It's 

simple, but effective. 

"Contract managers with responsibility 

for several projects love the dashboards 

because they can access high-level, 

real-time information remotely on their 

laptop, tablet or smartphone. All 

dashboard data links to the master data 

for the project, so they can drill down to 

the detail if needed, including the very 

latest site diaries, induction records 

and accident reports. 

"Everything's recorded and stored, 

ready for retrieval at any time from 

anywhere with internet access. The 

days of emailing site diaries to multiple 

recipients are long gone - if people 

want to look at a diary and are 

authorised, they can access it for 

themselves on RedSky." 

IN CONCLUSION 

Summing up the impact of Project 

Connect on the business, Steve said: 

"The RedSky system has enabled us to 

standardise our processes and 

records across our sites. We no longer 

waste time tracking down lost 

documents because everything's on 

the system and can be accessed in 

seconds. Collaboration on a site 

project - and between projects - is 

much simpler because everyone is 

tapping into the same source of 

information truth. Project Connect has 

streamlined our work processes and 

given us access to real-time data. It 

has made us more efficient." 

When asked what he would advise 

anyone considering Project Connect, 

he said: "Get a RedSky demo and see 

what the system can do. We've put it to 

very good use in our business." 

1 - Read the case study online 

2 - The Ultimate Construction 

Collaboration Solution 

3 - About RedSky Project Connect 

22 


SOFTWAREfocus 

Cabinet of curiosities 

Following fast on the heels of the Vectorworks 2024 launch, Update 2 introduces numerous new 

features. Here we focus on one that aptly demonstrates a different facet of the software 

Annual software releases by the 

main architectural software 

developers are often followed by 

regular updates, adding further 

enhancements to an already generous 

helping of new features. It's also helpful 

for us, as it saves us having to cram a 

long list of enhancements into a single 

article, allowing us to select an 

interesting feature and expand on it at a 

later date. In this case we are focusing 

on the improved Parametric Cabinet 

design feature, accompanied by an 

excellent YouTube video which takes 

users through the whole process. The 

write-up and vid come courtesy of a 

blog that Carter Hartong, Content 

Marketing Specialist for Vectorworks, 

produces that highlights features of 

Vectorworks software for its users: 

https://blog.vectorworks.net/endlesscombinations-new-parametric-cabinet-tool. 

PARAMETRIC CABINET DESIGN 

Designing the perfect interior can be a 

daunting task. There are so many elements 

to consider, from the layout to the materials 

used. But with the parametric cabinet tool 

in Vectorworks 2024, creating your client's 

dream space just got easier. With just one 

tool, you can unleash your creativity and 

design endless combinations of custom 

base, wall, and tall cabinets. Plus, you can 

choose from a wide range of cabinet 

configurations from popular catalogues. 

The Parametric Cabinet tool is located in 

Vectorworks 2024’s Furniture and Fixtures 

toolset. To start creating your cabinets, you 

can choose from standard placement 

modes or from two dynamic placement 

modes. With these you can quickly lay out 

an entire kitchen, bathroom, or any other 

space in need of cabinetry. 

FLEXIBILITY OF TEXTURES AND 

MATERIALS 

The enhanced feature offers a wide range 

of possibilities when it comes to materials, 

allowing you to personalise your 3D 

attributes. Whether you prefer to organise 

your design by class, texture, or material, 

the choice is yours. 

The Parametric Cabinet tool also lets you 

override textures on a cabinet's interior 

faces and the exterior and back sides. This 

gives you endless options for 

customisation. Each element can be 

tailored to your liking, from the individual 

sides to the interior and even the shelves, 

enhancing the visual appeal of your design 

and adding depth and character to your 

virtual creation. 

With the ability to report material 

quantities, you can also keep track of how 

much material you are using for your 

cabinet, helping you plan and estimate 

your project's cost with greater accuracy. 

2D ATTRIBUTES 

Just as you have flexibility with the textures 

and materials of your cabinets, you also 

have a ton of choices when it comes to 

your cabinets' 2D attributes too. By using 

separate Classes, you can highlight specific 

details and features of each cabinet type. 

For example, you can choose to emphasise 

the swing and toekick in top/plan views, 

providing a comprehensive representation 

of the cabinets' functionality. This level of 

customisation not only enhances the visual 

appeal of the design but also helps in 

accurately documenting the intended 

information to clients or builders. 

So, whether you're working on a residential 

or commercial project, the option to set 

separate classes for cabinet components 

can greatly enhance your design process. It 

allows for clear communication, precise 

detailing, and ultimately, the perfect design 

that meets the unique needs and 

preferences of your clients. 

The information attached to your 

parametric cabinets also gives you the 

option to create 3D views in addition to 

your top/plan and section views, giving you 

a wealth of ways to present your designs. 

MORE CATALOGS AND CABINET 

OPTIONS 

You can choose from more manufacturer 

catalogues when designing since the 

Parametric Cabinet tool provides more 

parameters for each part and more 

customisable options, such as Aristokraft, 

mentioned in the latest software update. 

Whether you're looking for sleek modern 

designs or timeless traditional styles, our 

manufacturers catalogues now offer an 

even greater variety to choose from. 

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS TO 

UPDATE 2 

Further enhancements to Vectorworks 2024 

with the new update will be of particular 

interest to both architects and landscape 

designers, as they improve the visuals and 

organisation of BIM workflows. Landscape 

designers, will also benefit from enhanced 

Site Model functionality, with improved 

documentation of site changes, enhanced 

cut/fill behaviours and improved handling 

of surfaces on site models and stability of 

site modifiers. 

Vectorworks Architect and Landmark 

users will also benefit from IFC 

improvements that make BIM collaboration 

easier, with default settings for windows, 

doors, ramps, grid lines and columns. 

With even more to come, including the 

new Live Mode for the Omniverse 

Connector tool, and improvements to the 

Structural Members auto-join behaviour, 

there is ample material for another in-depth 

focus in the magazine in the new year. We 

will also highlight further videos as and 

when they become available. 

In the meantime you can get an in-depth 

look into the functionality of the Parametric 

Cabinet tool with this Vectorworks video: 

https://youtu.be/sPq-9f9CSdY 

www.vectorworks.net 


TECHNOLOGY focus 

Tried and tested 

IFCs have been around for quite some time for data exchange and are now just one of several common 

standards. Here,Trimble consider whether IFCs are now more important than ever 

We all know about IFCs. But why 

are they so important from an 

interoperability, communication 

and longevity point of view, and how can 

we as an industry ensure that we are 

benefitting from their true value? Here, 

Duncan Reed, Business Development 

Manager at Trimble explores this issues. 

IFC (Industry Foundation Class) can be 

defined as a common standard for data 

exchange. In many ways, IFC is an 

enabling technology, facilitating effective 

collaboration and communication on a 

project, as well as providing longevity 

and protection. In an industry where 

there can be many different software 

packages and products being used on 

a single project, IFC allows a rich data 

exchange that can be easily shared 

between teams and is able to be 

opened and viewed using any 

application, regardless of the original 

proprietary software. 

As well as aiding effective coordination 

between project teams and partners, IFC 

is also just as important from a longevity 

perspective. When it comes to the more 

complex and large-scale construction 

and civil engineering projects, such as 

Hinkley Point C in Somerset, they can 

take years to deliver, from the initial 

design, engineering and concept design 

phase through to on-site construction, 

handover and operation. Given the 

speed at which technology is advancing, 

it is critically important that trusted, 

immutable data is still accessible to any 

party who is starting work on the latter 

stages of such mega projects, perhaps 

five or more years after the initial 

construction models were issued. 

It's all about futureproofing the file and 

its data. Imagine you have a model file 

from version 1.1 of a software, but you are 

now on version 4.3 of the same software 

package. Can you still open the original 

file? We only need to look at the transition 

from floppy discs (remember those?) and 

CDs to memory sticks to the cloud to see 

how storing and transferring data has 

changed in just a couple of decades. 

That said, while the principal value of 

IFCs sounds great, it isn't without its 

challenges. In many ways, organisations 

on a project shouldn't need to talk about 

IFC; it should just happen smoothly in 

the background as the default exchange 

process. Just like if you were to take a 

photo on your smartphone and wished to 

share it with a friend; you don't have to 

think about reformatting it in order to 

send it via text, or WhatsApp, or 

Facebook Messenger. Similarly, if you 

were to send a photo from an iPhone to 

a Samsung, for example - two devices 

with different operating systems - you 

don't have to do a conversion process, it 

just happens. 

We should be at the same point when it 

comes to sharing BIM model files, 

automatically sending and transferring all 

data as an IFC. After all, interoperability 

and communication are essential. 

However, as an industry we are not yet 

quite at this point, with all software 

vendors on different journeys and at 

different stages when it comes to IFC 

data exchange. 

While most software products will 

enable you to exchange and convert 

data via IFC, the rules and scope of the 

schema mean there are limits as to what 

can be exchanged 'out of the box', so to 

speak. There are various nuances within 

the IFC schema and, as a result, it is 

always best to test the exchange process 

to ensure the data required does move 

24 



across successfully - for example, if 

wishing to share custom components 

from Tekla Structures. There is always the 

flexibility to add additional fields to the 

IFC schema to resolve these potential 

issues, so long as exchange parties 

agree on these definitions. 

Understandably, when the primary 

purpose and value of IFCs is 

communication, coordination and data 

exchange, the potential for data loss is a 

concern. However, another obstacle 

facing the true and total use of IFCs on 

an industry-wide scale is the age-old 

hesitation and concerns around data 

ownership and data security. Some 

people simply do not want to share their 

models and its data with third parties - a 

mindset that will take some work and 

time to change. 

At Trimble, we've always promoted 

taking an open platform approach to 

BIM, understanding the importance of 

software and data interoperability. A 

great example of this in action is Quadri, 

our cloud-based platform for civil 

infrastructure projects. Quadri allows 

design teams to collaborate in near real 

time, enabling multiple people, 

stakeholders and disciplines to work on 

the project together, all using different 

modelling platforms. 

By avoiding vendor lock-in, project 

teams can share and exploit data in 

different software and technologies, 

enabling them to get more out of the 

data and gain better insights, in turn 

leading to greater project outcomes. 

Trimble's commitment to open data 

workflows also extends to our 

membership of buildingSMART 

International, where we are part of the 

Strategic Advisory Council. We meet 

regularly to develop and execute on the 

core mission and values of the 

buildingSMART International community, 

jointly working towards a truly connected 

construction industry. 

Working with other members, we're 

proud to help shape the future of the 

industry by providing critical guidance, 

feedback and input in developing the 

standards and solutions for the built asset 

industry. A great example of this is 

Trimble's support for the development and 

implementation of the IFC4.3 schema, 

covering infrastructures and civils. 

We know that in the construction 

industry and its marketplace, people will 

always use different software solutions 

for different things - and that's okay. 

What's important is that this doesn't have 

a detrimental impact on communication 

and coordination. 

Moving forwards and as we progress, 

it's clear that greater adoption is still 

needed from across the industry if IFCs 

are to be used to their truest potential, 

ensuring effective interoperability and 

full data exchange across the lifecycle of 

an asset. 

www.trimble.com 



Immersive design reviews 

Launched at the recent Autodesk University 2023, Autodesk Workshop XR has been created to 

facilitate design collaboration on projects using Extended Reality 

Autodesk Construction Cloud 

(ACC) is Autodesk's principal 

collaboration tool for designers, 

engineers and project teams. It 

provides them with a 'single source of 

truth' by enabling them to share 

information in real time and helps keep 

projects on schedule and within budget 

by keeping teams aligned. 

ACC comprises three main elements: 

Autodesk Build for managing 

construction drawings, RFIs and 

submittals, Autodesk Takeoff, which 

enables estimators to perform 2D 

takeoffs and generate quantities from 

3D models, and Autodesk BIM 

Collaborate, to handle clash detection, 

and manage design collaboration and 

model coordination. 

The capabilities of ACC were further 

expanded with the introduction of 

Autodesk Workshop XR at the most 

recent Autodesk University. Autodesk 

Workshop XR is an immersive design 

review workspace, integrated with 

ACC, which facilitates interactive 

design reviews for architects, 

engineers and other disciplines within 

the construction industry. 

Working with Meta technology, 

Workshop XR enables teams to review 

3D models and their data from 

anywhere, providing more effective and 

efficient design reviews in real time, and 

can be used with Meta Quest 2, Meta 

Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 3 headsets. 

WORKSHOP XR 

Aimed mainly at the planning and 

design stages of a project, Workshop 

XR enables dispersed teams to walk 

through models on a one-to-one basis, 

thereby gaining a spatial understanding 

of a project and how it will come 

together. It also gives teams the ability 

to track issues and catch errors before 

the project goes to the construction 

stage, reducing rework, cutting out 

waste and providing more informed 

design decisions. 

Workshop XR provides a dynamic 

virtual workspace, specifically designed 

to streamline AEC collaboration using 

Virtual Reality headsets, allowing teams 

to explore every aspect of their designs 

with other team members, or even their 

clients. 3D models of any size, hosted 

by Autodesk Construction Cloud, can 

be directly accessed, allowing users to 

access any detail and analyse any 

aspect of the design, with project data 

being streamed directly from ACC into 

Workshop XR. 

Autodesk believe that Workshop XR is 

the most accessible and connected 

virtual workspace for AEC design 

reviews. Besides providing access to 

the model from other construction 

professionals, it allows future occupants 

to walk through their unbuilt spaces and 

point out non-technical issues, such as 

manouvering wheelchairs through 

constricted spaces in hospitals, or 

construction elements blocking views 

from parts of the stands in sports 

stadia. Modifications can be made on 

the spot, updating the associated data 

within ACC. 

Where several solutions to problems 

become apparent, Workshop XR can be 

used to run simulations through 

different scenarios to select the most 

effective, or to analyse the effect of 

external factors - noise pollution, 

environmental hazards and other 

sustanability issues. 

Extending this further, as projects 

move towards the construction phase, 

Workshop XR can be used to analyse 

construction issues, using feedback 

from project managers to pinpoint 

areas of concern, for example the siting 

of temporary structures to facilitate 

construction such as cranes and safety 

barriers, and the supply and removal of 

materials and waste. 

EXTENDED REALITY 

Workshop XR combines virtual reality 

(VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed 

reality (MR), combining digital 

information with live (context captured 

data) information and virtually any form 

of associated data within ACC, 

providing fertile ground for detailed 

analyses of increasingly complex 

models and fundamentally changing 

how people interact with their data and 

one another. 

26 



An immersive 3D experience offers 

accurate depth and spatial perception in 

a virtual, interactive environment, 

enabling designers to generate creative 

and innovative solutions and make faster, 

clearer decisions. Autodesk Workshop 

XR provides a hybrid approach to design 

reviews; where teams can review projects 

together, in-real time via their desktop or 

virtual reality. 

ORIGIN OF WORKSHOP XR 

Successful start-ups IrisVR and The 

Wild, who pioneered the use of realtime 

immersive technology to 

collaborate using VR for the AEC 

industry, were founded in 2014 and 

2017 respectively. In February 2021, 

The Wild acquired Prospect, Iris VR's 

flagship product, choosing to combine 

forces to best serve the AEC industry 

and beyond. 

They both worked on a shared vision 

to shape the future of immersive 

collaboration for teams, developing the 

two revolutionary products together. 

Knowing that there would be an 

increasing need for AR and VR 

technology advancements within the 

AEC industry, Autodesk acquired The 

Wild in April 2022 to develop an XR 

design review solution for AEC teams. 

Describing how it will benefit the industry, 

Nicolas Fonta, senior director & general 

manager, XR at Autodesk, said "Workshop 

XR will transform how architects and 

building engineers plan and review 

projects. Most building projects that go 

over budget do so because issues are 

discovered once construction has begun. 

We've heard many customers share the 

challenges of reviewing designs across 

dispersed teams. 

"We're excited to see what the AEC 

industry will achieve when equipped 

with Workshop XR. Facilitating more 

effective and efficient design reviews 

will have an impact beyond client 

satisfaction; it will bolster innovation for 

the future of our homes, communities, 

and workplaces." 

The contribution from Metra is, as you 

would expect, also significant. "Meta's 

collaboration with Autodesk brings our 

collective vision for the future of work to 

life," said Jamie Keane, director of 

product at Meta. "Meta Quest headsets 

and Meta Avatars offer a secure 

connection to Workshop XR that takes 

on a new dimension of collaboration 

and presence. This immersive 

experience transforms the way teams 

work by boosting creativity and 

expanding the possibilities of what can 

be achieved." 

STANTEC 

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable 

design and engineering, has been 

using an early access version of 

Workshop XR to facilitate and improve 

their design reviews, with a widely 

distributed workforce. "Autodesk 

Workshop XR has added incredible 

value to how we collaborate," said Jon 

Matalucci, BIM/VDC manager at 

Stantec. "Our employees are based in 

over 400 locations and Workshop XR 

has brought teams together in a 

workspace that is realistic and 

approachable. We can work in parallel 

with each other, share the same 

information in a common data 

environment and, as a result, we are 

more efficient at problem-solving. 

"Workshop XR allows our team to work 

smarter and focus on delivering the 

best projects to our clients. This will 

benefit our customers' bottom line-and 

the planet-by driving better design 

decisions, reducing waste and rework 

costs, and cutting down on team travel." 

www.workshopxr.autodesk.com 


CONFERENCES 

Infrastructure intelligence 

The focus of Bentley's 2023 Year in Infrastructure conference, besides honouring the illustrious finalists, 

was advancing the cause of infrastructure intelligence, with specific reference to future AI trends 

The choice of Singapore for Bentley's 

Year in Infrastructure (YII) conference 

was mightily endorsed by the Island 

itself, an inspiring example of the power of 

Infrastructure Intelligence to create and 

run a modern and beautiful city, and yet 

one of the greenest cities in the world. It is 

also significant in that most of the 

nominees in the accompanying awards 

event come from the Asia/Pacific region - 

some 90 out of 302 companies from 51 

countries, presenting projects in 

infrastructure engineering. 

Infrastructure Intelligence was the principal 

theme of the keynote speech by Greg 

Bentley, CEO, who highlighted the strength 

of the industry which is surging ahead 

globally, galvanised by the advancements 

in digital engineering, but battling against 

an overstretched capacity, with an 

estimated 10% shortfall in available 

experienced workers, leading to a backlog 

in engineering projects worldwide. 

Efficiency gains, said Greg, were still 

being achieved, though, with digital 

innovations such as ContextCapture and 

reality modelling being principal 

components of the presentations from the 

awards finalists, and construction 

modelling becoming an infrastructure 

engineering norm, with AI twin platforms 

being credited by a majority of the finalists. 

The conference, Greg suggested, was also 

an opportunity for the world's press to meet 

with the foremost practitioners in the 

infrastructure industry to report, promote 

and multiply the adoption of the latest 

technologies worldwide. 

Greg was joined on stage by Dr Victor 

Khoo, Director of Survey and Geometrics at 

the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), who 

said that they were proactively adopting 

Bentley's infrastructure engineering to solve 

the challenge of rising temperatures in the 

region, using digital twins to cope with the 

increasing need to adapt to global 

warming, and to improve the efficiency of 

the SMRT metro system and other 

infrastructure assets, 

Bentley's Assetwise linear analytics 

solution is the basis of SMRT's Decision 

Support System, which optimises the 

frequency and necessity of maintenance 

scheduling, thereby saving maintenance 

resources whilst improving the efficiency of 

the service. The metro enables this by 

bringing together all available engineering 

technology data to analyse and understand 

the rail infrastructure, leveraging the value 

of infrastructure engineering. 

The Singapore Public Utilities Board also 

uses Bentley's OpenFlows Darwin genetic 

algorithms and input from pressure and 

volume sensor behaviour patterns to 

predict and localise water system 

anomalies, and thus buffer dangerous 

wasteful leaks. Using the latest digital 

innovations and acoustic signal analysis, 

the resulting intelligence is available in 

near real time. 

A CAVEAT ABOUT AI 

AI technology, however, promises more, 

including the use of Microsoft's GiTHub, 

and Generative AI, Bentley's co-founder 

Keith Bentley has become an avid convert, 

adopting the technology to advance his 

own productivity, but also to assess and 

adopt the undoubted benefits of AI, from 

software engineering to infrastructure 

engineering. With AI being used to 

generate a significant proportion of the 

routine code and documentation and test 

case generation, Keith reported that GitHub 

Copilot has significantly improved his 

enjoyment of the work. 

Whilst Keith benefited from the adoption 

28 


CONFERENCES 

of open source code utilised by GiTHub's 

Copilot, he was acutely aware of both the 

need to retain proprietary control of some 

of the more specific coding, and to ensure 

that clients data remained secure, 

resulting in Bentley setting up a three-part 

perpetual commitment to responsibly 

steward client data. 

ACCELERATING INFRASTRUCTURE 

INTELLIGENCE 

Extending the focus on Infrastructure 

Intelligence much further, the follow-on to 

Greg's keynote was a panel presentation 

which looked at how infrastructure 

intelligence can be developed further to 

address other issues within the industry, 

such as the very real shortage of engineers, 

designers and skilled tradespeople, and 

the drive towards greater sustainability. 

Led by Bentley's Chief Product Manager, 

Mike Campbell, who described the 

development of digital twins from its earliest 

inception in Bentley way back in 2011 and 

the investment in the development of the 

IoT platform, leading up to the introduction 

of Bentley Infrastructure Cloud last year, the 

panel outlined ways in which companies 

were now able to do more with less, 

lowering design costs and delivering better 

quality projects sooner. 

His theme was taken up by Henry 

Okraglik, Global Director Digital 

WSP Australia, accompanied by Lori 

Hufford, Vice President, Engineering 

Collaboration, Bentley Systems. Henry is 

responsible for developing WSP's 'digital 

maturity', and he described how going 

digital is fuelled by people, processes and 

technology - three elements that WSP was 

able to bring together. 

WSP rolled out a pilot project to 

modernise a system with complex, solid 

structures and basic network drives, 

making it difficult to access and share data 

which was not to scale - aiming to 

encourage greater use of ProjectWise and 

to standardise processes, centralise 

document repositories, and improve 

version control. Their team can now 

visualise data better and collaborate in real 

time with a linear flow of data across all 

platforms, with Infrastructure Cloud 

enabling them to improve both planning 

and construction tracks. 

Henry illustrated WSP's approach by 

describing how the company handled the 

transformation of a container and freighthandling 

port in Northern Australia, 

requiring them to seamlessly collaborate 

across multiple disciplines, and all stages 

of the project. Aiming to get trucks off the 

road to reduce road congestion and onto 

an existing rail network, build a new rail 

terminal, and boost efficiency, WSP 

employed ProjectWise and iModel to 

facilitate collaboration between WSPs 

engineers, contractors and port officials. 

A second project involved the removal of 

100 plus level crossings from a rail line 

which divided a community. This involved 

much more than just removing the gates, 

and included upgrades to the rail network, 

train stations and tracks, plus the reduction 

of safety risks and additional congestion. 

WSP used Bentley's Open Bridge module, 

iTwin, Synchro and a tranche of other 

products, and have calculated that they 

were able to reduce modelling time by 60% 

and increase productivity by 25%. And 

because they were able to use precast and 

prefabricated components for the job, they 

also reduced their carbon footprint by 

about 30%. 

CREATING DIGITAL TWINS IN 

MICROSTATION. 

A digital twin, Mike Campbell explained, is 

an inherently structured way to federate 

information from lots of different systems, 

unlocking the data and files. It can also be 

the foundation for quickly applying AI and 

machine learning. Bentley's vision, he said, 

is that wherever you use Bentley products 

to design, build, operate and maintain an 

asset or infrastructure, digital twins can be 

automatically and transparently generated. 

Hence the next stage of Bentley's iTwin 

strategy, allowing designers and engineers 

using iTwin capabilities to automatically 

create digital twins during the design 

process, referencing the context in which 

designs are created. The first Bentley 

application to deliver this functionality is, of 

course, MicroStation. 

To lay out what MicroStation will deliver 

from next year, Suzanne Trierscheid, VP, 

Modelling and Facilities Engineering at 

Bentley Systems, explained how a 

dramatically improved workflow will 

automatically create a digital twin during 

the process, enabling users to interact 

more effectively with real time data. 

Instead of project team members having 

to exchange large data files and so on, they 

can work together to solve complex 

problems and develop solutions, using the 

new MicroStation workflow generated 

digital twin. They won’t have to sift through 

long lists of reference files either. Instead 

they can use the 'compare version' feature 

for pending design changes, using an 

intelligent assistant to navigate design 

changes. The iTwin powered workflow 

facilitates peer-to-peer interactions and real 


CONFERENCES 

time feedback loops directly within 

MicroStation. 

Enabling iTwin to work together with 

ProjectWise within Bentley Infrastructure 

Cloud provides the highest level of 

application integration with Bentley's Open 

applications, managing workspaces, 

reference files and design standards. 

Suzanne explained how it worked. 

Checking files back into ProjectWise, the 

digital twin will automatically be updated 

with the latest changes. Also, when a 

design is approved for the next stage, the 

associated digital twin will also 

automatically update with all the latest 

changes and the file metadata. Limiting the 

dependency on human interaction will save 

time and reduce errors. 

Although these features won't be available 

till next year, Suzanne said that MicroStation 

2023 contains exciting new capabilities, 

such as new geospatial designing context 

capabilities. Enabling real world conditions is 

now possible using MicroStation geospatial 

integration, using Esri Arc/GIS mapping and 

image service. This provides real time 

updates, improves visualisation and precise 

locations natively in MicroStation. 

ACCELERATING INFRASTRUCTURE 

INTELLIGENCE 

Using iTwins to unlock synergies across all 

Bentley products is already advancing 

Infrastructure Intelligence. Bentley's Chief 

Technology Officer, Julian Moutte explained 

how Bentley intends to extend the process 

further using AI. Using products 

empowered by digital twins creates a rich 

source of aligned data, ready to be mined 

and used for insights. AI is all about 

automation - the automation of repetitive 

and mundane tasks. Microsoft nailed it, he 

said, with the term copilots. AI will not 

replace people but complement their 

activity with automation to unlock 

productivity gains. 

AI is not new for Bentley, 

as some of 

its products have been using the 

technology for a couple of years - such as 

monitoring solutions, computer vision and 

machine learning for predictive 

maintenance. Some of Bentley's clients are 

also utilising the technology, like Collins 

Engineers, a finalist in the Year in 

Infrastructure Awards, who use AI and 

digital twins to augment asset inspection, 

to find and record cracks in Robert Street 

Bridge for Minnesota DOT. 

Another example is Phocaz, a company 

that catalogues roadway features such as 

lanes shoulders, the location of crosswalks, 

traffic signals and utilities from CAD 

drawings for more than 80,000 miles of 

road managed by the Georgia Department 

of Transportation. 

To manually extract the data from 1000s of 

drawings and visually inspect them would 

have taken countless hours, Phocaz 

estimated. However, using ProjectWise 

powered by iTwins enabled them to 

incorporate feature detection with spatial 

referencing. Their forecasts went further 

though. Using a novel iTwin technique to fill 

in gaps between the models, they were 

able to create an AI agent that can virtually 

drive along the lanes in the digital twin by 

detecting the centre lines, enabling them to 

create a comprehensive digital 

representation of the road network. 

Can we go further still and generate 

designs and drawings using AI? Julian said 

that there is enough past data that can be 

reused, providing insights into the design 

that can be used to assess future 

performance and explore alternatives. That 

would enable junior engineers to benefit 

from past experience or seniors to leverage 

their experience in new ways. 

The latest iterations of AI can use 

transformers which understand human 

language to leverage the data and 

understand and create drawings 

automatically based on users inputs. Using 

widely available data, though, creates 

ownership issues, as Greg explained earlier. 

That is why Bentley is working on creating a 

copilot that assists engineers in drawing 

upon an extensive portfolio of design, 

analysis and simulation tools that still respect 

basic engineering principles - a foundation 

where AI doesn't need to learn infrastructure 

engineering from scratch, but already knows 

the rules of the physical world - along with its 

constraints, local codes and surrounding 

context. In short, to create and train an AI 

model that understands infrastructure like 

the most professional engineers. 

Would that include the ability to automate 

drawings, which can consume 30% to 50% 

of project development costs? Certainly, said 

Julian, who showed an iModel where AI was 

used to detect model views using a base 

model view and generate a number of 

alternates based on selected criteria, with 

the correct annotations and project 

documentation. He finished his presentation 

by saying that they were still in the early 

phases of R&D in AI, but it is already helping 

designers create better designs, faster, and 

improving the quality of deliverables. 

What's next, Mike Campbell asked, AI 

construction monitoring agents to ensure 

designs comply with sustainability 

requirements? He concluded that 

accelerating infrastructure is a never-ending 

journey of discovery, learning, 

advancement and continuous 

improvement. The best way of accelerating 

infrastructure intelligence within your own 

company is to get your data ready for AI. 

www.bentley.com 

30 


SOFTWAREfocus 

Payapps 

Payapps, winners of the Cloud Computing category at this year's Construction Computing Awards, 

have enhanced their offerings in the construction payment management field with the acquisition of 

WebContractor Holdings 

In an industry not noted for its adherence 

to prompt payment schedules - and 

which is also facing rising costs and 

disappearing profit margins - the efforts of 

Payapps, established in 2014, in 

streamlining and simplifying payments to 

subcontractors has already benefitted over 

40,000 customers worldwide. Their 

influence is going to expand further, 

following its acquisition of WebContractor 

Holdings, a UK based construction 

software company, similarly focussed on 

subcontractor applications for payment. 

Payapps, with offices in the UK and 

Ireland, America, Australia and New 

Zealand, is already processing payments 

of over £40 billion per annum. The 

acquisition of WebContractor Holdings will 

enable the company to provide even 

greater value for its' customers. As a cloudbased 

application, Payapps optimises the 

management of contractors' and subcontractor's 

finances by leveraging the 

information available within aproject team's 

distribution channels. It brings main 

contractors and sub-contractors together to 

expedite applications for payment and 

certifications, retentions and variations. 

The software works as a stand-alone 

application or with other leading 

construction, project management, ERP 

and financial applications perhaps already 

being used by the contractor, providing a 

simplified accounting solution that reduces 

input errors, keeps easier track of all 

transactions, and eliminates disputes. 

Payapps has been purpose-built to be 

used by commercial managers, contract 

administrators, CFOs and company 

Accountants, and directed at main 

contractors and subcontractors, keeping 

data consistent and producing fast and 

accurate applications for payment. 

Managers can therefore spend more time 

on projects instead of chasing, correcting 

and managing paperwork. 

Payapps is designed to cut the time it 

takes to assess and certify applications for 

payment in half, and to keep track of 

payments against project budgets, stay 

compliant with security of payment 

legislation and minimise disputes with 

subcontractors. 

Subcontractors and sole traders can also 

use it to make accurate applications for 

payment, see the status of all applications 

and get faster certification. They can also 

manage both approved and unapproved 

variations and retentions, ensuring that 

nothing is missed, and improving their own 

business cash flow. Variations are 

accurately reflected from main financial and 

project management systems for complete 

transparency and accuracy, and can be 

managed within or outside the application 

or payment cycle. 

Retention funds across an entire project 

ensures that nothing is missed once a 

project is complete, and retention funds 

can be invoiced in full. 

ELIMINATING PAPERWORK 

Users can discard error-prone 

spreadsheets, handwritten forms and other 

documents, which can easily be lost or 

damaged, and instead use standard 

applications for payment, with a single 

submission from any connected device. 

Payapps increases payment application 

visibility so you can see where all 

applications for payment are at in real-time, 

meaning you don't need to waste time 

chasing up payments with phone calls and 

emails or looking for misplaced paperwork. 

Payapps can also be used to reduce risk 

and improve UK Construction Act 

compliance. Payapps provides a central 

document repository for all compliance 

documents, such as licenses and 

insurances, as well as evidence and 

supporting documents, comments, 

modification reasons and images to backup 

applications for payment. 

The application will send reminders and 

help users to meet submission and 

certification deadlines, and auto-generated 

payment schedule documents facilitate 

accurate and timely payments. A detailed 

history of individual applications for 

payment with timestamps provides an 

accurate audit trail, reducing the risk of 

payment disputes. Subcontractor 

document compliance is ensured with 

verification required for application for 

payment submission and certification. 

Commenting on the acquisition, Geoff 

Tarrant, Executive Chairman of Payapps, 

said, "The WebContractor platform and 

highly complementary ream will strengthen 

our offering to further meet the needs of the 

UK and Irish markets." His words were 

echoed by Dan Nichols, CEO of 

WebContractor, who said, "I am excited by 

the opportunity for WebContractor and our 

contribution to the evolution of Payapps." 

SETTING UP PAYAPPS 

Payapps is fast and easy to install, 

enabling users to be up and running very 

quickly. It can be set up to run with 

unlimited users and multiple entities, 

projects, and even currencies in a single 

account. It is fully secure too, with different 

permissions assigned to specific sections, 

optional single sign-on and multi-factor 

authentication. Detailed reports are 

available using individual or custom 

dashboards, and range from Retention 

Ageing, Compliance, Contract Summary, 

Variations by Project and Applications for 

Payment by Project. 

www.payapps.com 


YOUR GUIDE TO 

5 

7 

3 

1 

2 

21 

22 

23 

24 20 25 26 

27 

29 

SCOTLAND 

FIFE 1 

GlenCo Development 

Solutions 

Contact: Jack Meldrum 

Tel: 01592 223330 

Fax: 01592 223301 

jackm@glenco.org 

www.glenco.org 

ACMK 

ABERDEENSHIRE* 2 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 

info@symetri.co.uk 

www.symetri.co.uk 

ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQSTX 

Larbert 3 

30 28 

19 

15 11/16 

6 

13 

17 

9/10 

18 

12/14 

*Location guide 

not 100% accurate 

TMS CADCentre 

7 Central Park Avenue 

Central Park 

Larbert 

FK5 4RX 

Tel: 01324 550 760 

info@tms-scotland.com 

www.tms-scotland.com/autodesk 

ACELHNO 

IRELAND 

DUBLIN 5 

Paradigm Technology Ltd 

Contact: Des McGrane 

Tel: +353-1-2960155 

Fax: +353-1-2960080 

dmcgrane@paradigm.ie 

www.paradign.it 

ACMGKL 

SOUTHWEST 

NEWBURY 6 

RWTC Ltd 

Contact: Richard Willis 

Tel: 01488 689005 

Fax: 01635 32718 

richard@rwtc.co.uk 

www.rwtc.co.uk 

A M 

N.I 

BELFAST 7 

Pentagon Solutions Ltd 

Contact: Tony Dalton - Training 

Services Manager 

Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355 

Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355 

tony@pentagonsolutions.com 

www.pentagonsolutions.com 

ACDEGKL 

TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY: 

AUTOCAD AND LT: 

AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING: 

AEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS: 

3D MODELLING $ ANIMATION 

AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE: 

FM DESKTOP: 

GIS/MAPPING: 

REVIT: 

VAULT FUNDAMENTALS 

AUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

J 

VISUALISATION: 

AUTIDESK CIVIL: 

INVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL: 

NAVISWORKS TRAINING: 

PRODUCT UPDATE COURSES: 

INVENTOR PUBLISHER: 

GOOGLE SKETCHUP: 

CHARACTER ANIMATION: 

AUTODESK SIMULATION: 

FACTORY DESIGN SUITE: 

AUTOCAD ELECTRICAL: 

K 

L 

M 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

X 

For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact: 

Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk

SOUTH/EAST 

HERTFORDSHIRE 9 

Computer Aided 

Business Systems Ltd 

Contact: Gillian Haynes 

Tel: 01707 258 338 

Fax: 01707 258 339 

training@cabs-cad.com 

A C D E K H 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 10 

Causeway 

Technologies Ltd 

Contact: Sue Farnfield 

Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134 

Sue.Farnfield@causeway.com 

www.causeway.com 

A C D E K 

BERKSHIRE 11 

Cadpoint 

Contact: Clare Keston 

Tel: 01344 751300 

Fax: 01344 779700 

sales@cadpoint.co.uk 

www.cadpoint.co.uk 

A C D E K 

ENFIELD* 12 

TRAINING 

BERKSHIRE 16 

Mass Systems Ltd 

Contact: Luke Bolt 

Tel: 01344 304 000 

Fax: 01344 304 010 

info@mass-plc.com 

www.mass-plc.com 

A E F 

HAMPSHIRE 17 

Universal CAD Ltd 

Contact: Nick Lambden 

Tel: [44] 01256 352700 

Fax: [44] 01256 352927 

sales@universalcad.co.uk 

www.universalcad.co.uk 

A C M E K H 

MILTON KEYNES 18 

Graitec - Milton Keynes 

Contact: David Huke 

Tel: 01908 410026 

david.huke@graitec.co.uk 

www.graitec.co.uk 


CAMBRIDGE 19 

THE NORTH 

MANCHESTER* 20 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




NEWCASTLE* 21 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




YORKSHIRE 22 

Graitec Bradford 

Contact: Isobel Gillon 

Tel: 01274 532919 

training@graitec.co.uk 



NORTH EAST 23 

Graitec - Durham 


Tel: 0191 374 2020 




LANCASHIRE 24 

QUADRA SOLUTIONS 

Contact: Simon Dobson 

Tel: 01254 301 888 

Fax: 01254 301 323 

training@quadrasol.co.uk 

www.quadrasol.co.uk 

A C M K 

YORKSHIRE* 25 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTH YORKSHIRE 26 

THE JUICE GROUP LTD 

Contact: Sarah Thorpe 

Tel: 0800 018 1501 

Fax: 0114 275 5888 

training@thejuice.co.uk 

www.thejuicetraining.com 

A C D E K R 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




SOUTHHAMPTON 13 

Riverside House, Brunel Road 

Southampton, Hants. SO40 3WX 


Tel: 02380 868 947 




CONTRAL LONDON* 14 

Symetri Ltd. 

Tel: 0345 370 1500 




OXFORDSHIRE 15 

MIDLANDS 

NOTTINGHAM 27 

MicroCAD - Nottingham 


Tel: 0115 969 1114 




NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 28 

AIT Spatial Ltd 

Contact: Philip Madeley 

Tel: 01933 303034 

Fax: 01933 303001 

training@aitspatial.co.uk 

www.aitspatial.co.uk 

A C D E F G K L 

BIRMINGHAM 29 

CHESHIRE 30 

Excelat CAD Ltd 

Contact: Vaughn Markey 

Tel: 0161 926 3609 

Fax: 0870 051 1537 

Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com 

www.ExcelatCAD.com 

B N 

Man and Machine 

Contact: Robert Kenny 

Tel: 01844 263700 

Fax: 01844 216761 

training@manandmachine.co.uk 

www.manandmachine.co.uk 

A D I J M N O P Q X 

Armada Autodesk 

Training Centre 

Contact: Steven Smith 

Tel: 01527 834783 

Fax: 01527 834785 

training@armadaonline.co.uk 

www.armadaonline.co.uk 

A D E M K H

INDUSTRYfocus 

Upping your game 

Claire Rutkowski, Bentley's Senior Vice President and CIO 

Champion, considers the human aspects of accelerating change 

management in the construction industry - particularly important in 

the drive towards increasing involvement with AI 

Change is always hard. One of the 

traits of an effective leader is the 

ability to drive change through 

teams and organisations. Great leaders are 

students of change management models 

and know how to explain the why, clearly 

state the value of the change, get people 

on board, and communicate. This 

approach works well when the change is 

relatively obvious, such as an organisational 

change or the implementation of new 

processes or systems. But what do you do 

when change is constant? 

Claire has expanded her role within 

Bentley Systems to serve as the 

company's engineering services strategy 

and partnerships advisor, leveraging her 

extensive engineering background to 

advocate for CIOs and other CxOs at 

engineering firms, acting as a bridge 

between Bentley and its engineering 

accounts and aligning technology 

solutions with the unique challenges faced 

by the industry. 

Her role has now become more 

important than ever. For years, advances 

in technology have been accelerating the 

pace of change. Artificial intelligence in all 

its forms has cemented this constancy of 

change, and current change management 

practices won't be enough. As leaders, 

Claire says, you must up your game - and 

building resilience is a great place to start. 

Constant change creates anxiety for 

teams and colleagues, worrying about 

whether AI technologies will make their 

function redundant and if they will lose 

their jobs, or how they are going to keep 

up. It is overwhelming, leading to burnout 

and disengagement. As a result 

productivity inevitably decreases, but 

building resilience can help people remain 

to engaged and excited about the future, 

rather than being scared of it. 

Building resilience starts within, though. 

You cannot help your team be resilient, 

confident and engaged unless you feel that 

way yourself, and there are many methods 

to achieving this. First, be positive. Try to 

think of constant change as a constant 

opportunity, not a constant threat. Think 

about how your company and your team 

can leverage AI and other technological 

advances to create new revenue streams 

or eliminate low-value, repetitive activities 

that few like doing anyway. View change as 

something to be embraced. 

Second, invest in yourself. Learning 

something new feels good. It gives us a 

new challenge and a new skill. Whether 

you take some courses on AI, practice 

with it, or simply watch some YouTube 

videos, learning about and engaging with 

innovative technology can help reduce 

the fear factor. 

Third, be sure to monitor and proactively 

address your mental health. A 2022 study 

by the US Surgeon General raised some 

alarm bells in this regard. The study states 

that 76% of respondents reported at least 

one symptom of a mental health 

condition, 81% of workers will be looking 

for workplaces that support mental health 

in the future and, most concerningly, 84% 

of respondents said that their workplace 

conditions had contributed to at least one 

mental health challenge. 

Once you focus on the positive, investing 

in and taking care of yourself, it is then time 

to help those around you. There are lots of 

ways you can improve the resilience of 

your team and support them through the 

changes already underway - and the 

undetermined changes yet to come. 

First, you need trust and respect to build 

resiliency in others by being genuine and 

authentic. People can easily spot artificial 

feelings, which creates doubt as to 

whether we mean what we say. Be 

forthright, even when it means saying, "I 

am not sure what will happen, but we will 

figure it out together." 

Second, be a good coach. If you are 

visibly positive, your team will be too, 

increasing their resilience in times of 

change. “We will get through this 

together” is a powerful phrase. Not only 

does it imply that you are one team, and 

will all work through whatever it is, but it 

also implies that things will all work out. 

Third, be straight with people. If people 

know that their leader is always honest 

with them, even when the news is not 

great, then they will not be worried about 

whatever the next surprise might be. This 

situation eliminates a host of distractions 

and lets people know you respect them. It 

also means setting clear expectations and 

providing very timely feedback if 

something is going off track. 

Fourth, be sure to clearly articulate your 

vision and strategy - and repeat it often. 

People are more resilient and able to deal 

with change when they understand what 

is happening and how it fits into the 

bigger picture. 

Fifth, make time and take care to explain 

the why of decisions. People can read too 

much into things if they do not know why 

something is the way it is, which can 

create more fear, uncertainty, and doubt. 

Leading in the age of AI and constant 

technological disruption means that you 

will need to use these steps and strategies 

repeatedly, as well as constantly checking 

in on yourself, and your team members, to 

make sure everyone feels supported and 

engaged. Only then will they bring their 

best selves to work every day, and only 

then will they thrive, driving organisational 

success in the process. 

www.bentley.com 

34 


SAVE THE DATE 

AWARDS CEREMONY 

7TH NOVEMBER 2024 

CENTRAL LONDON 

www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk 

@CCMagAndAwards

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