This is a guest blog from Maciej Wypych, CTO of Modmation.
Modmation is a small yet agile BIM consultancy based in Australia, focused on providing expert BIM consulting services and project management solutions to clients in the construction industry. With a team of experienced professionals, we work closely with clients to implement BIM processes, systems, and technologies that optimize digital project delivery and reduce costs. Our clients include leading construction companies, architects, engineers, and developers, who rely on our company's expertise to manage their BIM projects.
The Challenge: Complex projects lead to rework and delays
The AEC industry is characterized by complex projects with numerous interconnected elements. For a small BIM consultancy like ours, maintaining consistent quality and accuracy in BIM models can be particularly challenging. This often leads to rework and delays in project delivery. Additionally, manual processes for auditing and updating BIM models consume significant time and resources, negatively impacting overall productivity.
The Solution: Automating workflows, identifying inconsistencies, and seamlessly integrating data between applications
Recognizing these challenges, we’ve turned to Autodesk Data Exchanges and the Autodesk Power Automate Connector to leverage the low-code capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform. These powerful tools enabled us to create automated workflows, identify inconsistencies in BIM models, seamlessly integrate data between different Autodesk applications, and easily connect our BIM audit process with project management and administration tasks. By adopting these solutions, we were able to improve our process efficiency and ensure the highest quality for our client’s BIM models.
To audit data quality across various projects, we used Autodesk Data Exchange to connect model data from different applications hosted on the Autodesk Construction Cloud into a single datahub. This allowed for seamless data harvesting from different BIM models, ensuring that all BIM model data remained up-to-date and accurate throughout the project lifecycle. To automate routine tasks such as BIM model validation and data synchronization, we employed Autodesk’s Power Automate Connector to create custom workflows. These automated workflows not only saved valuable time but also reduced the risk of human error.
We used Microsoft's Power Platform low-code solution to quickly develop custom applications that catered to our specific needs. This allowed us to connect our BIM audit process to client dashboards and project management tools to verify element data in consultant and sub-contractor models. This ensured compliance with the data schema used by the general contractor's project management tools and the client's facility management systems. We also set up automated notifications for consultants to ensure prompt resolution of identified inconsistencies or issues.
Business Outcomes: Reducing time, increasing productivity, and improving accuracy
Manual intervention significantly reduced, leading to increased productivity and more efficient use of resources
By easily transferring data across and automating workflows, we significantly reduced manual intervention, leading to increased productivity and more efficient use of resources. We have managed to reduce the time required for complete project data check from days to hours with the time effort only required for quality assurance and sporadic verification of each Power Automate flow.
Enhanced BIM model consistency and accuracy shortened delivery timelines
Improved accuracy and consistency in our client’s BIM models significantly reduced the need for rework, ultimately accelerating project delivery times. We also experienced enhanced collaboration among team members and stakeholders, as they could now easily access and share data across different applications.
Low-code solution allows for flexibility and ease of adapting to custom project scenarios
The low-code solution provided us with the agility to adjust our processes to meet each project's requirements. This flexibility in adapting to various project scenarios has enabled us to compete with larger BIM consulting firms and take on bigger projects, despite our small size – positioning us as a competitive and innovative force in the AEC industry.