Unlocking Efficiency: Harnessing Autodesk Platform Services for Automated Innovation & Design Workflows

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: Some of the workflows which we will cover within this presentation may not have been used on the projects mentioned and are purely for educational purposes. Hi, my name is Christopher stock, and I'm the head of BIM operations at Dewan.

GARETH PONMOON: Hello. My name is Gareth Ponemon, and I'm the BIM operations manager at Dewan. In today's agenda. We'll start by exploring how we can unlock efficiency through automated innovation and design workflows. We'll dive into the benefits of Autodesk Platform Services APS and show how it can transform your processes.

We'll also discuss strategies for implementing automation within a BIM environment to enhance overall efficiency. Empowering project teams is key. So we'll cover how providing consistent, reliable information that's easily accessible can significantly improve collaboration. Finally, we'll look at how APS can drive AI augmented decision making, taking project outcomes to the next level.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: So who are we? Let me introduce Dewan, a leading Middle Eastern company with our headquarters in Dubai. With 40 years of multidisciplinary design, Dewan has delivered excellence across its broad portfolio of projects. Technology is at the core of our company's services, empowering us to realize significant benefits and take on prestigious projects in the region. In 2024, we embarked on partnering with Autodesk locally to help bring our ideas to fruition.

New technologies are transforming not just how we create things, but how we use them. In this presentation, we will show you workflows that have become integral components of our digital delivery at Dewan, setting standards for efficiency, collaboration, and innovation in our processes.

GARETH PONMOON: To kick off our discussion, we'll explore the potential of Autodesk Platform Services and digital automation in addressing industry challenges and streamlining workflows. From there, we'll dive into how in-house development tools can transform traditional practices, driving efficiency, productivity, and better decision making throughout the project's life cycle.

In the construction industry, valuable information about how things are designed, made, and used is generated, but it's not always connected. One of our daily challenges is that information and teams are often siloed. Data for us is the keystone. Our clients and the construction industry are increasingly focusing on data. This is where the importance of APS and a developer role within a BIM environment comes in.

Developers are able to provide us valuable back end insight into our data, Autodesk software and other platforms. Having a developer in house has enabled Dewan to break down these information silos between our teams. Using custom APIs and integrations within a cloud environment, you can automate tasks, gain insights through dashboards, ultimately leading to informed decision making. One such tool is Autodesk Platform Services, formerly known as Forge.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: So what is APS? APS powers custom and pre-built applications, integrations, and innovative solutions. APIs and services can unlock design data and connect workflows.

Through Autodesk Construction Cloud, you can access and manipulate project data. Including designs, documents, and models in real time to increase collaboration, transparency and reduce risks.

APIs allow developers to integrate with the ACC platform and extend its capabilities in the Construction Cloud ecosystem. With custom or pre-built integrations, you can run automation scripts in the cloud.

APIs design and make anything. custom applications enable designers and engineers to automate repetitive tasks, boosting efficiency, freeing up time for creativity. With APIs, complex workflows can be streamlined, giving real-time insights directly in the design process. By automating, we allow teams to quickly test multiple iterations and bring ideas to life faster.

APIs also enhance collaboration by seamlessly integrating data across platforms, improving accuracy, and enabling better decision making. The ability to automate and integrate data allows us to extend the reach of BIM, giving architects and engineers the ability to design with unprecedented speed and precision.

This slide highlights the versatility of Autodesk Platform Services, or APS, for developers, who can build to-- sorry. Let's go back. One slide, Chris-- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The ability to automate and integrate data allows us to extend the reach of BIM, giving architects and engineers the ability to design with unprecedented speed and precision.

This slide highlights the versatility of Autodesk Platform Services, or APS, for developers who want to build custom APIs. There are three main areas where APS can be leveraged. APS enables seamless integration with ACC, allowing for enhanced data management, automation of workflows, and real-time collaboration across project teams. With custom APIs, you can extend ACC's functionality to meet specific project needs, including websites.

Developers can create standalone desktop applications that interact with Autodesk's ecosystem through APS. This allows for unique functionality and tools tailored to specific tasks or workflows, integrating BIM data and enhancing project efficiency.

APS can also be used to build add- ins for existing Autodesk software, such as Revit or Navisworks. Each of these areas empowers developers to create solutions that are highly customized.

GARETH PONMOON: At Dewan, we've established a department dedicated to research and development and the exploration of synergies amongst emerging trends. Through a needs analysis, we've identified that a significant issue within our departments was the time spent on repetitive tasks. Our primary objective became finding use cases that could be addressed using design automation.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: As a priority, the custom API we investigated was a data backup solution with Autodesk Construction Cloud. We wanted a seamless backup integration, which additionally was highly scalable, adaptive, and could be used to trigger other automations. In alignment with our clients' requirements, Dewan holds the responsibility for the security and backup of our data.

We initially explored the use of third-party APIs for automating data transfers. However, we encountered a significant cost barrier. In response to this, we developed a custom API called Keepr, achieving the same functionality as third-party solutions. At the time, we did not realize that a simple automation would become a fundamental part of a wider ecosystem.

The custom API automates the secure transfer of data from Autodesk Construction Cloud to a safe location, ensuring continuous backup of critical project information. Keepr can also trigger other automations, making it an essential tool in our workflows. Keepr's interface is structured as follows, comprising of three main components.

The first is a live folder tab that allows for folder selection directly from ACC. Next, there's a configure backup tab, which enables the administrator to set the automated backup routine. Options include daily, weekly, or monthly backups at specified times. Real time is also possible.

The third component is a log tab, which maintains records of operations and troubleshooting. By default, Keepr retains five weeks of data, after which the oldest folder is replaced with the new data.

When we talk about automation within an APS ecosystem, we're not just referring to a single process. We're looking at a network of automations working together, streamlining complex BIM workflows. By integrating multiple automations through APS, we're not only increasing efficiency, but also creating a more cohesive and intelligent workflow.

Each automated process feeds into the next, ensuring consistency and reducing human error. This interconnected system allows data to flow seamlessly across platforms, departments, project teams, making the entire BIM process more dynamic and responsive to change. This collective automation strengthens collaboration and decision making, empowering teams to work faster and smarter within a unified digital ecosystem. For example, Vital, an automated model health checker is fully integrated into the system. It leverages data from Keepr, providing crucial insights into the health of Dewan's Revit files for the design teams.

Another key component in our ecosystem is Ant. Ant is a powerful script that translates native file formats, eliminating time-consuming and repetitive tasks involved in information exchanges. For us, this tool goes beyond software limitations, showcasing how our custom APIs drive efficiency and innovation across our workflows.

In this automation, project data from Keepr triggers an automated event. Our superscript Ant posted on a VMware machine then executes a series of export tasks. Ant is designed to handle warnings and errors during the export process while also logging any failures. A standout example of time-saving benefits of this workflow is one of our Red Sea global projects where we're looking at exporting over 350 models in MWC format every week.

So with five BIM managers previously spending one full working day each week on exports, this automation now saves us five working days per week. That's equivalent of one BIM manager's salary every month in time savings.

GARETH PONMOON: An automated ecosystem isn't just about streamlining workflows. It also powers real-time insights and visualizations through dashboards. By automating data collection, analysis, and reporting, we can generate up-to-date, accurate information that feeds directly into a dynamic dashboard.

These dashboards provide a clear view of project progress, resource allocation, and performance metrics. We want to focus our dashboards on four key areas. So we wanted company-level reporting. We also wanted insights into project management, BIM management, and IT or information security.

So how do we generate the dashboard? In this ecosystem, data from multiple sources can be automatically processed and displayed in real time. Project data can be transferred through Keepr to a secure location. Then custom APIs and integrations can then execute multiple functions on the data using a high-powered virtual server.

These automations can be used for multiple tasks, for example, reporting and analytics. Finally, the reporting is fed into a SharePoint site for the project teams.

The power of automation lies in its ability to continuously update the dashboards without manual intervention or limited manual intervention, ensuring that the stakeholders have access to the most current information at any time. But here's a question. Can we augment AI into these workflows? We'll touch on this in a few slides.

With automation driving our dashboards, you're not only enhance visibility, but also enable predictive analytics, identifying potential issues before they become critical. This helps in making more informed, data-driven decisions, ultimately leading to better project outcomes.

By integrating data analysis tools with APS, we aim to provide our teams with deeper insights and actionable intelligence. Enhanced analytics transforms raw data into strategic knowledge, enabling our teams to proactively address challenges and capitalize on opportunities through the project life cycle.

Data can be interactive and live. When we talk about data being interactive and live, we're referring to a dynamic shift in how we interact with the project information. No longer is data just static. It's now a continuous, real-time resource that responds to the needs of the project and the design team.

The ability for data to be interactive and live opens the door to a more responsive design process, allowing teams to stay agile and informed, ultimately driving better project outcomes. We wanted our data to be the heartbeat of project delivery.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: Beyond just automation and dashboards, we are looking for ways to gain deeper insights. We anticipate the most disruptive trend in the construction industry over the next decade will be the integration of artificial intelligence within building information modeling, specifically advancing towards outcome-based design.

AI's impact on BIM will be profound. Automating and optimizing various phases of the construction projects. Imagine if our BIM data could speak back to us with just a click on any object. What if [INAUDIBLE] not only responded, but also offered intelligent suggestions to the designer?

Collaboration between AI and humans will lead to better project outcomes. For example, what happens if we connect building data to a large language model and deep learning?

When we first got our data talking to AI, one of the first questions that came up was, what should we call you? Naturally, we asked AI, and its response blew our minds. It actually knew what its function was. With this small yet mighty tool, we set out to test it. And here's some of the outcomes.

The results would be seamless real-time interaction between the designer and data itself. In this example, we've developed a custom automation that augments the building information model directly to AI, transforming the way users can engage with BIM data. You can now select any element and essentially have a conversation with your data, receiving immediate and intelligent responses that enhance both understanding and decision-making.

For us, this Frankenstein moment when your data talks back to you. It's alive. So here's an actual conversation with a floor slab when we were testing the workflow.

Here we asked the slab identify material and thickness. It gives a response. From there, we ask simple question, what is the volume? And also suggest ways in which you can reduce the CO2 emissions without changing the volume. Let's map out the BIM to AI workflow.

We began by automating the transfer of project data from Autodesk Construction Cloud to an open source platform called Speckle. When a user selects an object, a simple chat box panel and comments on it, a webhook event is triggered. To enable this, we use a flask server hosted on Google Cloud, running Quible's Python script. Once triggered, the webhook sends the relevant model data to OpenAI's API. The final step is Python relaying the AI generated response back to the chatbox, closing the loop for seamless interaction.

OK, so we can get a response based on comments. But here's the kicker. What if we could train our BIM model through deep learning and actually pass project accurate data sets to it? We can do this by passing ACC information directly to OpenAI Assistant through APS.

AI provides the brain power to make sense of vast amounts of data. Imagine connecting a data sources, such as code compliance, specifications, or even industry standards. In fact, any type of building data. By connecting project data, like PDFs, Excel files, and JPEGs, we can transform a static BIM model into a dynamic interactive data set, unlocking new levels of insight and capability. Here's an example of a conversation we had with Quible using deep learning on a facade panel.

The BIM model contains a keynote, and AI automatically identifies the relevant data source, specifically the specifications document it's been trained on. This workflow seamlessly connects our design department with the specifications team. Even if the specifications team isn't familiar with BIM, they can easily click on an element in a 3D viewer and see exactly how their data set relates to the design. This particular conversation extends further, even into code compliance APS, in this way, can be used for data integration.

GARETH PONMOON: By prompt engineering, we mean making our AI interactions more dynamic and efficient. Giving the AI a moment to process leads to more thoughtful responses. So by setting a specific persona, we make sure it talks in a way that aligns with our brand.

When we feed it the right data, it can give more precise answers tailored to what we want to achieve. Breaking tasks into steps kind of helps the AI handle bigger challenges more smoothly. Besides connecting it finally to external tools, it kind of expands its knowledge base, giving it more depth to its responses.

And we should remember we shouldn't take life so seriously. So here are some of the weird and wonderful conversations we had with Quible. So we asked it if this duck could talk, what would it say about its function? And Quible responded with, let me vent. I'm assuming that that's its persona.

For us, it was incredible, almost like it had adapted and a sarcastic sense of humor about what it was doing. Do you prefer simmering soups or searing steaks?

So, like, next, we like talking about food and delicious crusts, all from a bum gas appliance set of data. Something like, do you ever get tired of holding up the roof, or is this your gym workout? It's like, I don't. I don't get tired. It's what I'm made for. Hello, I'm a 225-millimeter round column.

So we're like, hey, Quible, would you rather be a chair in the clubhouse or out on the patio overlooking the golf course? And this response is like for comfort and relaxation. Many might prefer being out on the golf course, but the clubhouse might offer more social interaction.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: So where are we now? AI algorithms analyze vast amounts of data, potentially even previous projects or environmental conditions. In essence, by connecting data, AI-driven design can transform building design from reactive to proactive, ensuring every project not only meets but exceeds expectations in terms of performance, cost, and sustainability. This paradigm shift will redefine industry standards and practices, making it a disruptive and transformative trend. With custom APIs and integrations, open source, and tools, like Autodesk Platform Services, you can make anything.

The value Autodesk product-- Autodesk products have brought to Dewan is undeniable. Through seamless integration with Autodesk Platform Services, ACC, and BIM workflows, we've unlocked new levels of efficiency, collaboration, and design innovation. Custom integrations have allowed us to seamlessly to streamline processes, reduce time-consuming tasks, and empower our teams with the tools they need to work smarter.

With significant time savings, such as 43% in overall collaboration, 17% during design, 28% in change management, and 40% in design collaboration, Autodesk products have enabled Dewan to deliver projects faster while maintaining the highest standards of quality and precision. This transformative technology has not only helped us take on prestigious projects, but also strengthen our ability to innovate and lead in the industry. The result is more agile, responsive design process that continues to evolve as we explore new ways to leverage the power of Autodesk. The time-saving potential is currently in an exploratory and uncharted phase for us.

GARETH PONMOON: Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER STOCK: Thanks, everybody.