30 Jun How we improve your Asset Information.

How we improve your Asset Information.

Let me explain how RDS helps our clients focus on their Asset Information Model (AIM) & why it’s so important.

Most of our clients are asset owners, they buy & develop large or small commercial property, we Laserscan, model and create 2D plans and 3D models for our clients.

It’s in these models that we embed Information regarding all the assets that make up the entire site, but why? Whats the value in doing this?

Hopefully in this article I will explain why it’s important and why it’s crucial to maintain the model.

How it starts.

An AIM will go through various stages at RDS before it becomes an AIM. It starts its life as a Pointcloud gathered on site by our fleet of Laserscanners, it then becomes a detailed set of existing 2D plans and a 3D model.

It’s in that 3D model that we embed project information, which is used to manage the information required to coordinate the next stage which is design and construction of the asset.

Our proposed models are a combination of design and construction models, drawings, documentation and all kinds of data. Some of this data is created to industry standards but a large amount is created specifically for our clients and their unique business requirements. This unique information ensures our clients maintain compliance, aids in operations and maintenance and satisfies information needs at an organisational level such as retail performance or customer journey.

3D is just the start.

Most of our clients are sold on the idea of BIM and AIMs in the form of 3D Models to create Visualisations, 3D Renders & Flythroughs. But 3D models are just the tip of the iceberg. The real value lies in the data and information embedded into the model below the surface. A lot of this data and information helps our clients get their property up and running. The clearer it is and more aligned to their needs, the quicker they will be up and running.

As an example, one of our clients asked for specific data within an asset register so their facilities management team could transfer this information into their facilities management software and start running planned and preventative maintenance on the day of handover. If they didn’t have this information, their FM provider might have had to spend three to four months and thousand of pounds in labour surveying the facility. Human error comes into play, not being able to access everything they need to onsite and equipment not being maintained as per warranty requirements.

As we all know, after four months, things change onsite, operating sites need to adapt and before you know it the AIM is out of date before you have even finished gathering the information!

That’s just one example, the models we create for our clients contain data about their buildings, level names, space names, system and asset IDs and many other specs, far too many to mention here.

If, as an organisation, you wish to capture building data into a database for analysis and you’ve not used an AIM or standards and policies that would maintain one, be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort chasing and re-formatting this data from an overwhelming array of siloed sources.

Analysis.

With an Asset Model in place, we can share key information for our clients across all contractors, suppliers & vendors prior to handover whilst their equipment or technology is still being installed and commissioned. This means at handover, they are already reviewing data that they can analyse and gain insights to add more value. Some of our clients also link their Computer Aided FM platforms to this data prior to handover, this enables them to manage many millions of pounds worth of equipment and ensure it is being effectively and safely maintained.

We don’t just do this for one site, we do this across our client’s estate because the more data you have, the more power you have to cross-analyse your data to better run your properties, keep operating costs low, reduce carbon emissions and keep the customers happy and staff productive.

Conclusion.

Currently if feels like only new buildings are benefiting from an AIM, what do we do with the rest? New buildings only account for a fraction of what exists, most of our clients have large portfolios of existing assets and they are regularly refitted and updated.

Unfortunately, most of these buildings are producing their data inconsistently and named differently, being captured in different, disconnected silos, or in some cases, not at all!

We can help change this by utilising our skills and technology to transform the way you capture your data and open up channels of information that will benefit you and your business in the long run.

The results are in……

Remember I said at the beginning of this article, why do this?

Well by doing this ultimately the asset will become more valuable in the long run. It will be cheaper to run, generate more revenue and be a nicer place to use!

If you would like to know more, I would love to help you, email me – neil@retaildesignsolutions.com