Equipment Checker within a Dedicated Platform to the Micro-Implantation of Hospital Equipment

After developing unique expertise in BIM Management, Brunet Saunier & Associates implemented a Common Data Environment (CDE) to address the communication and coordination challenges among all stakeholders in each hospital project. Subsequent considerations were then initiated for data management and its enhancement in terms of business processes and project management.

The approach was initiated from the programming phase to envision the entire project lifecycle. The analysis of the lifecycle of programmatic data led to the development of a web application integrated into the agency's CDE, allowing the integration, modification, and tracking of data for each room throughout all study phases. Building on this initial milestone, Brunet Saunier & Associates then delved into the analysis of one of the most characteristic and crucial missions in hospital architecture, that of Micro Implantation.

Micro Implantation refers to a design mission aimed at planning biomedical equipment and its placement in typical rooms. Conducted as early as the design team's involvement, it places medical practice at the heart of the design and makes it a crucial condition for its quality. It also allows for understanding the financial impact of biomedical equipment on the building.

This mission has two objectives:

1) Ensuring ergonomics, with all subtleties related to space organization falling under the architect's purview.

2) Verifying technical interfaces with the building, with the biomedical engineer ensuring that the technical requirements of the equipment align intelligently with those of the building.

The definition, analysis, centralization, and sharing of information, both in terms of consultation with users and in BIM processes, are the levers that Brunet Saunier & Associates has chosen to develop a Micro Implantation module.

The primary objective of BSA is to ensure high-quality design in service of medical practice. The second objective that underpins this quality of design is the management of equipment throughout the building's lifecycle, particularly during the operational phase.

The Micro Implantation mission ensures the ergonomics of spaces and the technical accuracy of engineering studies. This assurance is manifested through the implementation of new technologies focused on data accessibility and traceability.

After identifying collaboration and coordination needs among different stakeholders at various project phases, Brunet Saunier & Associates contextualized data sources and the stages of the Micro Implantation process.

For this mission, five data sources should be managed:

• The equipment list, data provided by the Client (Excel)
• Room sheets
• The architectural model containing the rooms
• The BIM object library
• The Micro Implantation model

Subsequently, each stage of the process underwent an analysis of data production and exchange to facilitate data integration and control its evolution. Furthermore, once the Micro Implantation is completed in the design phase, it is essential to consider its evolution throughout all operational phases, particularly at four key moments:

• During the site preparation phase, this mission precedes pre-synthesis and the establishment of execution plans
• During construction, especially during the implementation of terminals interfaced with biomedical equipment
• During the installation of biomedical equipment to facilitate their commissioning
• During the operational phase, this mission allows for the creation of a reliable database of biomedical equipment for optimal usability and maintenance. This is achieved through its integration capability with the hospital's digital environment

As a true pioneer, Brunet Saunier & Associates began creating digital models with Revit as early as 2005 and established coordination and collaboration processes using the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and Collaborate Pro. ACC and Docs serve as the centralized platform for data across all their projects.

In 2019, following a partnership with DB-Lab, a certified APS integrator and Autodesk Service Provider, a specific web platform connected to their ACC space was designed and deployed. This platform facilitated the development of the first module dedicated to hospital big data management, Micro Implantation being the second module.

Autodesk Platform Services APIs allow interaction with data through queries from a third-party application, offering the opportunity to create a customized business platform leveraging ACC data servers. For this project, the Data Management API, a service for accessing data on the BIM 360 platforms, and the BIM 360 API for accessing project management data were implemented. This platform opens up hospital data management to all project stakeholders, regardless of their role in the process.

The Micro Implantation module features a range of functionalities to support each stage of the business process:

• Integrating data from various sources: inventory of needs (Excel files), BIM Micro Implantation model (Revit)
• Linking this data with programmatic data 
• Restructuring equipment data: by room sheet, equipment database
• Aggregating data to visualize it in dashboards and compare requirements with mission progress
• Producing output data: Excel reports, Import into Revit
• Producing deliverables: equipment sheets addressed to the Client

Key points in the development of Micro Implantation module include : 

• Ensuring traceability of equipment requirements
• Optimizing the equipment placement process in typical rooms
• Updating data bidirectionally between the platform and the BIM Model
• Creating Dashboards for an intuitive data vizualisation, linked to 3D
• Serving as a facilitation tool for users

Brunet Saunier & Associates positions data at the core of its competitiveness by progressively building a Common Data Environment capable of harnessing information from BIM models and creating unique solutions to address the complexity of hospital design.

The key qualitative contributions of the Micro Implantation module are:

• Continuity in the lifecycle between rooms and equipment
• Traceability of information
• Assurance of adherence to client requirements
• Accessibility of data to enhance collaboration and engagement of stakeholders
• All of these aspects contribute to ensuring the ergonomic and technical intelligence of the project

Regarding quantitative contributions, a productivity gain of 50% has been achieved through:

• Reduction in client validation times, as the platform provides user-friendly interfaces to integrate data and structure decisions (over 40 meetings involving 300 participants over a 3-month period, addressing 1800 pieces of equipment for 500 typical rooms)
• Automated integration of data into the Micro Implantation model
• Automatic generation of equipment sheets deliverables

The extension of the data management platform, built in line with Autodesk solutions, to incorporate Micro Implantation marks a decisive turning point in the transformation of Brunet Saunier & Associates. After the deployment of BIM and the establishment of collaborative processes, data is not merely utilized; it is at the heart of a strategy aimed at demystifying the complexity of hospitals and addressing the technological and human challenges ahead. This achievement is the result of a committed collaboration between Brunet Saunier & Associates and its partner, DB-Lab. Beyond the complementarity of BIM, technological, and professional expertise, the partners worked with trust and transparency to realize this solution.

Its deployment on landmark projects such as the Grand Paris Nord University Hospital or the Argenteuil Hospital allows for the envisioning of a widespread adoption of this approach and the creation of new tools. Brunet Saunier & Associates thus positions innovation and data in the service of a unique expertise to construct sustainable hospitals for the benefit of health and its stakeholders.