Retrieve a Fully Merged BIM Model Ready to Use for Maintenance with Forge

NICOLAS REGNIER: So I have everybody-- so I'm Nicholas, a CEO from a data service. And I will animate this classes with Alex.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So, yes. Hi, everybody. I'm Alex, technical specialist with Autodesk, working mostly BIM 360 for everything about collaboration. I'm based in Paris, France, and I also have a structural engineering background. But again, my main focus today is BIM 360 and collaboration, and everything about [INAUDIBLE] 2.

NICOLAS REGNIER: And so we will talk about the many operating and maintenance, operations and maintenance, and I begin here. We will see together how to retrieve a fully merged beam model ready for maintenance. And so I'm really delighted to be with you today.

I have to tell you something. It's my first to go to Autodesk University. The first time we came here. And that's why we came from Paris in France with my partner, Simon. And we come here with a gift for you. Ready?

[LAUGHTER]

We have wonderful news to share with you, because after a lot of RND in Paris, my team managed to develop something already huge-- a technology based on Forge with Autodesk, and you will discover it in a few minutes.

And so I'm here to tell you-- I'm sorry. I'm here to tell you that, in fact, the first era of digitalization in real estate and construction is, in fact, coming to an end today. Welcome today in the new era of digitalization. So what does it mean, in fact, today with this technology we have developed? Its means now, for real estate, no more silos, no more data inaccuracy, no more double data entry between the different actors, from design, construction, to maintenance. And so it will be a really game-changing for our entire industry.

So what does it mean exactly? Imagine a hub between all stakeholders using everybody a common language. Imagine a seamless data flow based on Forge that integrates all disparate building systems, all disparate specialties, like for example, from schematic design, construction, maintenance.

And we are not only talking about construction of design. We are talking about the entire life cycle of a building. We are talking about data management. We are talking about IUT. We are talking about risk analysis. We are talking about all the specialties during the operation and maintenance.

And imagine all this database from each speciality linked with the 3D model. So it's not just a dream now. Today, it's possible. And we provide that platform today. So my company, Data Soluce, and just a few words about what we are doing now. In fact, you have to know about this technology we will discover together just after. We have been-- yes, we are really proud to be a finalist nominee yesterday-- it was yesterday-- with Nicolas Mangon at the AEC Excellence Award.

We won the first prize from DisruptCRE, so for tech in commercial real estate, and we have been nominated best startup in Station F, the world's biggest incubator. So in France, our vision, In fact, is to provide-- thanks to Forge with Autodesk-- assessed platform which transforms buildings into predictable assets.

So we will be about to retrieve data from design guidelines, design construction, to make and to build a predictable asset, which is a building for the maintenance-- to reduce delay cost and raise for all stakeholders. So it's not only philosophy. So I propose you, let us take an example.

So imagine this building at the end of the construction. You are the owner, for example, or the facility manager, and you retrieve a lot of things, in fact. You will retrieve revealed files. You would retrieve technical specification. You will retrieve a lot of data. So I told you we create a link with asset management, with risk compliance software, with IoT.

How is it possible? What is our secret sauce to create a link with all these disparate data and the different software during the operation and maintenance stage. In fact, I propose you to see together a real building in France, a big one. So this one, an office building, a big size, lot of money.

So you probably know that during a project, in fact, you will retrieve-- a project is not only one Revit file. I'm sure you know this. You retrieve a lot of files, Revit files from the different players-- architecture, structural, technical, MEP. You will retrieve the different technical specification.

So to be able-- and, yes, above all, if it's a big building, it will be in different zoning. So you will have, at the end of the day, a lot of data, a lot of Revit files, and so a huge amount of data.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: You're saying Revit files, but it also works with IFCs, right?

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, exactly.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So any kind of file? Almost any kind of file.

NICOLAS REGNIER: You're right. Thanks, Alex. I'm talking about Revit because we are--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: We like when he's talking about Revit.

[LAUGHTER]

NICOLAS REGNIER: But you're right, you can retrieve IFC model, too. So we could change the different logo. So at the end of the day, the owner, the facility manager, will start the maintenance. We retrieve all of this. And so to be able, in fact, to create-- in fact, you need to merge them. You already need to retrieve a fully merged database, ready to use for maintenance.

And so what does it mean? It mean you have to merge every file. You have to merge the data inside every file. And so this is precisely our [INAUDIBLE] with the test series. And I'm really proud today to show you for the first time this technology. So this is my gift. Do you want to see it?

So let's take this example. So you can have hundreds of files. All of these files-- it can be IFC, too. Thanks, Alex. Because you have the IFC too inside. And in fact, you have all the different Revit files merge. And above all, we are able to create a unified database where you can access to all data from all the different Revit files and IFC directly into one fully merged and unified database.

AUDIENCE: So just one question here. What kind of viewer are you guys using? I mean, is this the Forge viewer, the--

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, of course. Our technology is based on Forge. We are part of the Forge ecosystem, and so it is the viewer. And to retrieve, in fact, the different Revit files and the different files of the project, we are using-- and we will see it after-- we are using DOCS 360.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: BIM 360 docs, yes.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Sorry. Yes, BIM three-- and so we create, thanks to Forge viewer you will see after how it works and we are able to retrieve the data from the existing tools. And benefits, you can imagine the benefits are really huge with this technology. You are data-centric. You are up to date between the different stakeholders of the project, and you have an approach across silos.

So here is, in fact, the real digital twin of the building with 3D and graphic data and the entire data of technical spec and data inside the Revit files and a different graphical files. I would like to explain and you to understand that this is OK, in fact, to unlock the full potential of data in our industry for real estate construction.

We have huge opportunity with this. In fact, this is key because you are able to capitalize that off from all your project, and with the power of DOCS, with the power of the different tools for collaboration with Autodesk, you can connect every actor, and above all, with our machine learning technology algorithm, you can use all this data to predict risk cost delay for your project.

And this is where you can change this approach, because this unified database shared and accessible by every stakeholder is the key to the link with everybody. So this is really, again, changing this approach, and so that's why I say to you before, we are now in the era of the predictive building thanks to this free merge database.

So we can-- I'm sure it would change a lot of things in a couple of years, so if you-- I think it's an important moment today and so we will see us in maybe next year in those [INAUDIBLE] to show the different change since this technology. And I propose you to see real use case about this predictive approach, if you are OK?

So we will see how it is game-changing for safety and securities. So we are in operation and maintenance stage, phase of a project. We will see how it can change cost, insurance risks, and maintenance. So we will share together and we will see together these different use case. So we can start for safety security, for example.

So all of this is based on Forge. So you have a water leak detected from this component, so you instantly know the values that you have to cut and how to access to this component. It is possible now because you have the localization thanks to the architecture Revit model. You have the data of the component thanks to the MEP file, and you have how the building is organized with the design guidelines at the early beginning of the project.

So by merging all of these data into a unified database, you are able to create algorithm to understand how all of this is organized and it works. And so you can create like your rules with algorithm to be able to understand this.

So for the cost-- another example here. So as you have all the BIM object merged into a unified database, you can connect it with a cost database. So it means that when you select any component, any room, any zone in your project, you are able to connect it with the different cost of your object and estimate the cost of your project.

For risk and insurance, it's a huge potential, too, and it will be really game-changing for our project during the design of the construction stage. You have linked it with the legal database, with a checkpoint of regulation directly database to database. So whatever is the object you select, you are able to have all the regulatory checkpoint, legal checkpoint, of the regulation.

And it enable you to check the compliance of your building in real time during the design and construction stage. And it will be the same for maintenance. And if the regulation evolve is modified, as you have a fully merged database in the cloud with Forge, you are able to modify it in real time.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: To update it, yes.

NICOLAS REGNIER: And to update it in real time directly into your 3D model and your fully merged model in your Forge, in Chrome.

And let's see it for maintenance, because it unlocked the potential of the data to create a link with facility management software. So for example here, I show you what we did with a [INAUDIBLE]. So this is how you access your project with our Source platform. So the ability to merge model into a unified database.

The different data inside. So this is for legal, and just after you will have the link with facility management software. So this is here. For example, you have this component, the lift--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: The elevator.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Elevator. And so because the dynamic, in fact, is not in the BIM model or Revit file. The data for maintenance for this component is into the facility management software. So as we created a unified database for all the graphic data and the technical specification into Forge, we are able to connect it with this facility management software.

So when you deliver the building, the day just after we are able to-- [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Feed. To feed. To feed.

NICOLAS REGNIER: To feed, in real time, the facility management software. And most important above all, when the facility manager modifies something during maintenance into his tools, his own tools, we are able to re-inject it into the unified model, which is the model of the owner, in fact. So we have in real time, static data for the model, dynamic data for the facility management software. Is it clear, because my English is perfect, no?

[LAUGHTER]

So I hope you understand how it would be game-changing for tomorrow, this ability to merge all the 3D model or the technical specification. So in Europe, we fit it right, so we are already working with a key player in Europe. I founded the company two years ago. And you have to know the different owners, real estate developers, tell us that it was a big pinpoint, this ability to merge everything.

So we federate them into a group, a commission, which is called the Smart Building Alliance. And together we define different principles to be able to structure the time to retrieve, to ensure the owner we retrieve a fully merged and a valuable data, in fact, at the end of the project. So we--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Just can you go back just one second? We have a QR code there, should you have like a QR code app on your iPhone or on your phone. You can scan it, and then should you want to join our US group, you could do it this way.

NICOLAS REGNIER: And in fact, we are federating owners and real estate developers in USA, in America. And so we are funding it in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and New York. So if you are interested to contribute to this group-- and I will show you just after the different principle-- don't hesitate to contact us. And you have a Google form when you scan this QR code.

So we published shutters, this document. So the principle are data belonging to the owner. The digital models are contractual. So the question of a unified digital model, we asked for a contractual link with design guidelines-- it's important-- an integration of commissioning-- we upstream data organization-- and we asked for a link between static and dynamic data, and obviously we are compliant with GDPR.

So these eight principles have been-- it is what we produced with this group of owners, real estate developers, and BIM expert to ensure we are able to produce, at the end of the project, a fully merged and unified database for all the delivery--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Deliverables.

NICOLAS REGNIER: All the deliverables of the project-- sorry. And to ensure that this data will be valuable data for everybody, because data with silos, with inaccuracy, is not a valuable data, in fact. So if you have mistake or inaccuracy between technical specification, between data into your Revit model, and a problem of coherence with design guidelines-- at the end of the day, all these delivery won't be valuable for the owner and especially for a person in measurement stage.

So I propose you to go deeply in detail about this topic. And I will let Alex to explain the different challenge of-- sorry-- we have to overcome in our today's project to make this technology really efficient. So Alex?

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: No. He wanted to-- I don't know why you put another slide here. I already presented myself, so I won't do it twice, right? That doesn't make sense. So silos. Silos everywhere-- that's the problem with today's industry. I mean, that's about planning, design, field execution, facility management, and maintenance.

Basically the sharing of this information for construction phase is siloed because we don't always speak the same language, for those of you who have seen my-- our class like one hour ago, it's all about that, using BIM 360, trying to propose the same language for all stakeholders. So a good way, a good piece of technology-- BIM 360 plus Forge, in this case-- for those workflows and examples--

To propose to people to have the same language and use the same kind of tools so they can speak together better. That's all about that. It's all about that. So silos for planning, design field, facility management, and maintenance. We also have silos for-- oh, I'm pressing that, but we didn't connect it. We also have a very siloed industry in terms of disciplines.

I mean, how many times 3D models are done, redone, rebuilt, re-modified? And this for the architect, for the structure-- architect is here. MEP, structure, architect. And, of course, data can be the difference. You can see here a bill of materials which come from Revit. For every discipline-- and I just did that three of them-- we could, on a real project, we might have 20 or 30 disciplines.

The model data is different for every discipline. So how can we federate that into just one database? Maybe just not one database, but federate databases, so in terms of a user's perspective, it's transparent and seamless. That's the idea of coupling, and you will see it on your next slides, Forge and BIM 360, Super Bowls data service for owners and operators.

Just a quick example here. I prepared a video. I will illustrate this example. So we have a simple air terminal. Nicolas showed you in the previous slides. Where is this object? It could be-- the properties could be in the preliminary spacing planning documents, for example. They could be in the MEP system in Revit, for example.

They could also be in the architectural model, the room, the space location.

NICOLAS REGNIER: In fact, we tried to list precisely all the different localization for this unique object into the entire project and the different deliverable.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Exactly.

NICOLAS REGNIER: And so we tried to list it to be really exhaustive, and this is what we retrieve and what we found.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: This is what we get and sometimes these pieces of information are different. We're talking about the same project, the same-- every other same object.

NICOLAS REGNIER: No links at all.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So this is what we're trying to solve, right? Let me show you a quick video of-- so we have documents. I'm showing your document management, so that's basically built on Forge viewer, right? BIM 360 DOCS. You can have the early stages specification, the pre-design specification. You can have this information in design software, such as Revit.

I'm just clicking here that air terminal and I will have the system name appearing here. Again, I need to make all those things consistent. I could also, just as an owner or-- I don't know, a maintenance technician-- I could use my web browser or mobile apps with BIM 360 to access this kind of information here.

So that's what we call the double view feature of the BIM 360 viewer, which is quite cool because it can mix 3D views, 2D views, interconnected. He was talking about dynamic things. That's dynamic. And you can access the system name, and of course, even filter a bit deeper the different models. So that's on the design side.

Now we are talking about space planning, room space location. We are going back to the architectural models in Revit, or another design software. We also talking about BIM 360. These models can be stored in BIM 360 on the cloud, and through the Forge viewer, they can be accessed and we can see them.

Now I am assigning an issue, so I can interact with data. I can interact with my data on that air terminal and assign a specific status to that issue and have attachments-- maybe documents or drawings-- so I can make that more consistent. This is the contract. That's just an extract from the contract. We've added and linked to the model or the object.

You've seen that video, but we wanted to stress on that. You've seen a piece of this video before. When we are accessing an element here and trying to analyze it, we could connect that to-- and we did it for this customer, for example, in France-- we connected his facility management software. I think it's an in-house software he has. We connected it through Forge to BIM 360.

So everything is federated and seamless and transparent in terms of end user. Of course, that's a picture I took in the hospital to reduce the air tubes you have seen on the other video. But that's quite important. This also comes from the FM, all the codification. So that linking all these-- putting all these pieces together to make something consistent. And this is what they were trying to do.

I keep pressing that on. You want to take this, Nicolas?

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, and just for the previous slide-- so you understand that, in fact, you have, yes, localisation in different way and data delivery. So in fact, the ability to link it into a unified database is really key for everybody-- for the owner, for the facility manager, for the general contractor, for the designer. Everybody at the moment need to have access to this centralized and unified database.

So that is what we built. And so we have created links with DOCS. All the deliverable are delivered into DOCS. And so we are, in fact, thanks to Forge by Autodesk, we are at the center of this ecosystem of all the data and all the actors of the project. And so that's why we are totally developed and our technology, yes, is based on Forge.

And the benefits are important, because you can have access anywhere, anytime, and you have the link with your unified database and the different software from the different actors. Thanks to the cloud, you are able to update in real time. This is really important.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Access from anytime and anywhere. That's just a tricky question here. That's why you made the choice of the clouds. You are fully cloud, right?

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, we are natively based on cloud and Forge because, in fact, it's the only way to federate everybody into a unified database and in real time. So if you are not cloud, in fact, you are dead, because the data flow will be will be stopped if you have seen the web. If you have a problem in your data flow at one time, it means that your data won't be up to date, so no value. No value, a database not up to date is no valuable.

So we-- do you want to add something?

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: No. In conclusion, I wanted to ask you for you at Data Soluce, what are the next steps? And I kind of have an idea. Now they're perfectly integrated with BIM 360 solutions, BIM 60 DOCS. You know that's-- even that's a very fast evolving solution. About every two weeks, we bring features into this world, and we have very specific features for design, coordination, maybe site management.

So what are the next steps for you guys? Are you are you thinking of integrating those APIs for JPIs into your solutions?

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, exactly. In fact, we have a lot of big change with Jim Quanci, who is in charge of the ecosystem of Forge. And so we will, yes, develop together new features and we will create links, yes, with Forge and for the different specialities, in fact. So every field, like you-- so example of compliance of risks with insurance of cost.

So all the different stakeholders will be able to develop, in fact, Forge API and specific features for each, yes, each feeds and each specialties.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Sounds good to me. So we can take a few questions maybe.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, we are--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: If we still have time, of course--

NICOLAS REGNIER: For your attention. Yes?

AUDIENCE: My question is about the data-- the output is only as good as the input, and I'm looking at these models that you have and they're clearly beautiful and well-made. I've been doing structural management and the models that we see are rarely as fully developed, and I just wonder how you guys-- are you counting on the industry catching up in terms of producing these great models, all the stakeholders along the way. Those are my questions.

NICOLAS REGNIER: No, it is. I'm just repeating the question for the recording. So basically you say that models are not as-- have not as a very good quality, I would say, and they cannot be used the way they should. AUDIENCE: Or accuracy.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Or accuracy.

AUDIENCE: They don't keep up with the construction and they fall behind and now you're output isn't as good what they started.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Can you say a few words about very early stages planning, the program?

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Yes.

NICOLAS REGNIER: That's very important, I think.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: You are talking about inaccuracy between the versioning of the--

AUDIENCE: No what I'm talking--

NICOLAS REGNIER: And in fact, the key, so it's a huge spend point, no? And so that's why, in fact, we federated owners at the beginning of the project. And the key, in fact, is to structure the design guidelines and the data from these design guidelines. And that's why we federated the owners, the real estate developers, around that time management plan, in fact.

And it was quick, but you added the map of the eight principles. These principles become, in fact, compulsory from the owners for everybody. It's the key to ensure this unified database will be up to date and you will have a seamless data flow. It is the key. So design guidelines with a good, strict duration and an organization around the data, really strict and from the owners, because it is the only actor with the early beginning of the project.

And we will to retrieve all the data at the end. So if these actors is not-- how do you say in English?

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Evolved.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Evolved a lot into this beginning and the end. In fact, your BIM approach won't be valuable for nobody, in fact.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: But we explain them that they need to be involved in the beginning of the project to be able to have at the end-- for their facility management, maintenance, and as built models-- to have the right information. If they're not involved in the beginning of the project with specific BIM charts, people sitting around the table-- I like to give that example-- a lot of people sitting around the table and agreeing on what they will deliver. That's complicated.

NICOLAS REGNIER: So I assured you, , because we saw on these are main principles, but you have a lot of details after. So I will send you the content of the document. And you will understand in more details what they did.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: They have another question there.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes?

AUDIENCE: I actually have three questions.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Let me take my pen.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: It will cost a lot. It will cost a lot.

AUDIENCE: So question number one, what sort of maintenance man in your system doesn't connect you, specifically doesn't connect, or could connect to maximum. Two, is there--

NICOLAS REGNIER: We have proof of concept, yes.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: With Maximo, IBM Maximo--

NICOLAS REGNIER: With owners, yes.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So they have a proof of concept of connection to IBM Maximo for facility management.

NICOLAS REGNIER: In fact, when you think about it, facility management software only a database with an object, not necessarily a BIM object or a Revit object, but an object that will be needing maintenance and that are associated action to make the person or cost or different-- but it's only a database.

So if you are able to create a unified database with all your Revit files, it's nothing, in fact, to connect them once, and after it will be linked.

AUDIENCE: Second question I have--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So just to understand, you would like to have the viewer in IBM Maximo?

AUDIENCE: No.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Sorry. You have to care about silos.

AUDIENCE: The Maximo folks would want the building to approve the information before it gets pushed from data in Forge to Maximo. Is that something that's working?

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: You could have access to the info from Forge into another system like Maximo before the final transfer of the data from the models to the FM system. Yes, you could do that. Yeah.

NICOLAS REGNIER: I think we have to focus on the value of this. In fact, what do you need, in fact? You need that the 3D model, what I call the static data. So you take this light with its technical specification, its graphical 3D representation. It's what I call the static data. Dynamic data link about this light is into the facility management software.

So what is important is when you have a modification of the data into the facility management software to Maximo or another one, it's important to be able to re-inject it and to keep the link between the static and dynamic data. So what is exactly your real problem about this, because it's kind of mapping, in fact.

AUDIENCE: Really what it comes down to is [INAUDIBLE] and people who want to make sure they have a level of control for new information that comes into this.

NICOLAS REGNIER: So approval--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So you could do that with BIM 360. We just have released a new approval feature last week, document and model. But that's quite new, right? That's what we presented in our previous class.

NICOLAS REGNIER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH].

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: That's it, the approval workflow.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Yes, the approval workflow, yes--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: So we could use BIM 360 for approval before, of course, sending it and make it final into the final for one day into the facility management system.

NICOLAS REGNIER: So this spot is for the static data, as a graphic model, 3D model. But the data inside into Maximo, I suppose the facility management software has its own approval--

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Yeah, but that's another story.

NICOLAS REGNIER: Workflow for the data about maintenance. So what is important is to manage this, yes, for approval. But for the Revit files and the IFC files, it will be throughout DOCS. Yes?

AUDIENCE: For your real time collaboration or your connection from static and dynamic information in Forge, are you using web posts to keep the one that is not accurate from the other, or is one pinging to get notification as changes happen there-- how are you making those real time? How are you using web posts is really the question I kind of wanted to ask.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: That's a very technical question. I think that you might want to go to your development teams for that. To be honest, I don't think they use web hooks yet. Since that's quite a new feature, I think he has a few months, right? Before the summer, something.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE].

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: Yeah. I don't believe they use web hooks with their--

NICOLAS REGNIER: Technology.

[LAUGHTER]

I pass it to you. Sorry.

ALEXANDRE MIHALACHE: But, yeah, I propose you would be-- you can provide the email and you guys can stay in touch. You can bring more info to that question. Any other questions? Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your--

[APPLAUSE]