The rise of building information modeling and digital twin collaboration tools have transformed the AEC industry. There is an increasing amount of knowledge, data, and information gathering that takes place during the design and construction process. However, what happens once the keys to the property are handed over to the facility manager?

A recent colloquium at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California USA determined the average lifespan of a conventional building, built using masonry and/or wood, is about 120 years, while that of a reinforced concrete and glass curtain wall building – such as a modern office building – is about 60 years.

However, if it only takes two years to design and build the average commercial building, then the design and construction phase accounts for roughly 2 percent of the overall lifecycle of the building. Though the building phase is brief, it is critical for intelligence. Nearly 100 percent of the information needed to manage a building is collected during design and construction, but most of that information is lost or made virtually inaccessible at the handoff from the design and construction team to the owners and FMs.

Imagine the value to future property owners if all the knowledge being collected about the building in the design and construction phase, such as who the designers and installers were and what the warranty and service requirements could be used during the remaining 98 percent of the property’s life. So, what are some of the things that stand in the way of this vision?

A considerable hurdle in effectively realizing longer term value for BIM is that much of that building information tends to be lost or exceedingly difficult to find and access by building operators, managers, and occupants.

The use of BIM technology in the operational phase of a building’s lifecycle is just beginning to emerge. These advances are encouraged as building owners look for new ways to improve the effectiveness of their facility operations, but significant obstacles must be overcome for the array of incredible cost and operational benefits to be realized. A significant obstacle to the use of BIM data for building owners and managers is the expertise needed to access the information, and then the lack of usable and integrated tools to streamline the use of the information. However, this is beginning to change.

Upcoming innovations promise to bring cost savings and operational benefits by allowing greatly simplified access to information that through artificial intelligence, is geared specifically to the needs of the building owners for the operational phase of the property. These advances will start collecting usable information from the beginning of the design process, through construction, and then continue through building renovations and ultimately to the end of the property use. When smart information is associated with easily accessible, interactive and immersive building models, or virtual twins, that contain the entire life history of the property, the value is magnified.

The top five top-line benefits of BIM for facilities managers are improved space planning, utilization, retrofits and renovations.

Historically, digital building models were only for use at the planning phase of construction, but that is changing today.

There are tremendous benefits to having a living, three-dimensional model with a historically accurate memory for FMs to utilize once the facility is built. There is value in having a model available once things are already in it, and value when reimagining the space for ways it can potentially be improved. Some very basic advantages have already been realized in the real-estate market, with reimagined furniture layouts that help people visualize redecoration. But adding intelligence and historical information to the model alters the benefit from a single event to an entire lifespan.

An organization might want to use their digital assets to plan for changes in shelving, moving it around in the model until they find an optimal layout. Finding out what and what does not work in a real-world environment and making changes and improvements before the plan is brought to life equals time and cost savings.

Another company might find that immersive visualization is particularly valuable in assessing safety and risks. Imagine visualizing in a model where and how people in forklifts might interact or seeing exactly where your means of egress are throughout the building during or even before the redesign phase.

In these cases, and more, the high values of the digital twin are clear.

Streamlined maintenance

According to the Facilities Management and Operations Committee of the Whole Building Design Guide, the long-term operational success and viability of a new facility is dependent on three components: facility readiness, people readiness, and information readiness. Even if the building has not suffered compromises during the pre-occupancy phase and was perfectly planned and constructed, all the information must be shared in a manner that facilitates the ability to operate, maintain and repair the structure, all in a readily accessible format.

In the digital world, self-aware equipment can understand its own maintenance requirements and warranty, with access to the manuals and install information as well as a complete history of who supplied, installed and maintained the equipment from the day of install. Tied to equipment feedback monitors, equipment can even monitor whether its bearings are running hot or when it is time for service. With the right tools, buildings could have central repositories for information. There are thousands of examples of how this kind of information is collected in real-time for different products and equipment, but the idea of a central, unified model and repository of informational remains somewhat elusive.

Enhanced day-to-day property management, operation

While some types of software take a vertical product focus, building tools that have a specific purpose can serve as the 3D model, and importantly, the integration point for any other application.

Day-to-day property management at an apartment complex may require task assignment, management and coordination of multiple crews simultaneously. Being able to do this remotely while simultaneously providing real time knowledge to and feedback from the people in the field, is an advantage to all the parties involved. Keeping equipment warranty and service records, with the virtual equipment twins providing real-time maintenance requirements and feedback is a major opportunity for cost savings.

Now picture the leaders of a large apartment conglomerate having access to this kind of information at scale, across hundreds of properties. With integrated BIM and historical knowledge within a “self-aware” property, the possibilities are endless for property management and operations.

Communication about the property

Three-dimensional models are already used to “wow” potential investors whenever a significant construction project is seeking funding. With the right tools in place, these models combined with intelligence can enable significant efficiencies and cost savings for the entire lifecycle of the property to all stakeholders, whether property managers, owners or residents.

Imagine how much help an intelligent 3D model could be to the management team at the apartment complex leasing office, helping attract new tenants with interactive, immersive models that allow potential residents to visualize and interact with their potential new home.

Picture the usefulness of two organizations trying to broker a sale without having to physically go onsite to inspect every detail, while still seeing the benefits of each property.

Consider the ability to answer questions, such as how close the building is to the interstate. How easy is it for trucks to get in and out? Where are the loading docks? How close are you to a railroad track? What will the facility look like? What are the advantages and disadvantages of building versus buying?

But for these benefits to be realized, virtual twin models must be easily interacted with by layman and expert alike. The expertise required to interact with design applications is a hurdle to managers, executives, property managers, owners, and essentially everyone associated with the building except for a portion of the engineers on the design team.

In fact, only a small percentage of the staff within the combined design and construction teams can access and use the information of the BIM model. But upcoming innovations are starting to change this.

Lower operational costs

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) and its partners published findings in the Sustainable Building Technical Manual, which found that just 2 percent of the first 30-year cost of a building is construction, while 6 percent come from operational costs and 92 percent from personnel costs.

For example, the costs of change orders during construction have dropped dramatically since the advent of BIM, along with advances in project management software. Energy requirements, which according to the Building Owners and Managers Association account for roughly 22 percent of the operational costs for building, have also improved with the combination of BIM, government mandates, improved design practices, and initiatives such as LEED Certification.

A smarter BIM drives efficiency. Costs are lowered with improved personnel and project management, implementation of proper maintenance, and greater customer and staff feedback and collaboration, all while reducing risks. Improved historical information means equipment stays in compliance with the warranty. When things break down, the right people have data, intelligence and 3D models to share.

In the long run, this new version of BIM empowers facility managers to operate effectively and efficiently while enhancing the experiences of the individuals who inhabit the building. And best of all, it lowers operational costs. It pays for itself with the currency of efficiencies gained and value added.