Construction optioneering platforms
Optioneering refers to the consideration of different options which are possible, with the goal of narrowing down to the best option. This process has come automatically to humans for years, but what if technology could be leveraged, along with its massive data processing capabilities, to offer solutions more efficiently and effectively?
One of the superior optioneering platforms for construction is offered by ALICE Technologies. Onboarding a technology of this nature has the potential to change how you do business when it comes to planning and scheduling construction, whether you are a principal contractor or a business owner.
Here at CCR Tech, we’re proud to partner with and provide a technology that enables you to generate, assess and improve construction scheduling. ALICE can help you to achieve the following:
- Develop faster, more efficient, lower-risk construction schedules and sequences
- More accurately match equipment, material, and labour to the project
- Plan projects by modeling the impact of choices on time, cost, and risk
- Increase bid success or improve bid evaluation capability
- Forecast the impact of delays and correct schedules to get projects back on track
- Master cashflow with accurate forecasts on project costs and timing.
Digital Twin for Construction
The days of taking notes on paper, or even on a laptop propped on your arm around the construction site, are fast being replaced by app-based data collection. Our smartphones and other handheld devices are the ultimate in portability and the cornerstone of effective communication in the modern day. They are increasingly allowing the capture and storage of worksite information.
Such applications may reduce the risk of data entry and reduce the number of administrative hours required for the processing of this data. How exactly? Often, through automation which is built into the app. The taking of one image may prompt the next step, or automatically send-off content for sign-off. Form submission can often be completed in-app and on-site, and in this way reporting becomes instantaneous.
Perhaps the leading and most important development in app-based tech is the emergence of digital twin technology, offered by CCR Tech. A digital twin is a program using data extracted from the real world to generate a simulation, which enables prediction and foresight of performance. Powered by Artificial Intelligence and sometimes by the Internet of Things, there are various digital twin platforms available, but our preferred digital twin platform is Cupix, known for its world-leading solutions.
Using a straightforward mobile app, Cupix allows you to capture worksite data in three dimensions. The benefits of this include:
- Virtual inspection, which enables reduced site visits and remote work
- Real-time progress monitoring, fuelled by virtual comparisons
- Reduced rework, due to the ability to anticipate and pre-empt mistakes
- Dispute prevention, through advanced recordkeeping.
A related technology is BIM Optimisation. BIM stands for ‘building information modelling’. BIM optimisation involves storing information about the building in one central location, with input into progress coming from various parties and the tech supporting prediction of results, to allow decision-making in advance. This information may relate to scheduling, cost, and other aspects of construction. BIM is available to help drive collaboration, increase return on investment, and advance information sharing.
Data collation, management, and analytics
The best numerical minds will thrive to their utmost if supported with platforms that support their abilities to analyse and crunch data. A leader in this area is data capturing Autodesk, especially Autodesk Construction Cloud, as offered by CCR Tech.
This tech connects teams, workflows, and data throughout a project’s life cycle, with the goal of increasing efficiency and mitigating risk. CCR Tech is an Autodesk Value Added Reseller of this cloud-based tech that facilitates rapid information transfer, data security, the development of project-specific workflows, and predictive insights and analytics.
Operating in a similar space, Power BI is a suite of software services and apps offered by Microsoft. It plays an indispensable role in merging diverse sources of data into a coherent and digestible form. It enables you to visualise data, and focus on priorities.
Power BI consists of three different elements: a desktop application, and online Software as a Service, and mobile apps. Management may view reports of data, whereas the accounting or data analytics teams may use the applications to generate and publish these reports; meanwhile, those on the ground may use the applications to track and monitor their progress.
Power BI is valued in the construction sector for its ability to process large amounts of data, its machine learning capabilities, and its data visualisation. It is another example of a cloud-based technology for construction, and how it can assist a business to thrive.
For more information on digital solutions and technical resources for the construction sector, visit the CCR Tech website or contact us for more information.