IMAGINiT Building Solutions Blog

NEW Home for the IMAGINiT Building Solutions Blog

We truly enjoy writing blog posts and sharing them. But that’s not all we do. Our new blog site lives on the IMAGINiT Resource Center. 

The IMAGINiT Resource Center offers a searchable index of our older posts, on-demand webcasts, tips and tricks, case studies, whitepapers, and more.

Content from our amazing technical team will continue! We hope you’ll join us: https://resources.imaginit.com/building-solutions-blog 

Webinar Series Kicks-Off the Launch of Archibus Cloud

Recently launched Archibus Cloud is a scalable, lightweight, 100% cloud-based IWMS.  Foundations, the basis and single system of record of Archibus Cloud, allows you to start simple.  Scale to a more advanced workplace solution with strategic add-in modules as your needs evolve. 

IMAGINiT, in partnership with Archibus, is hosting a webinar series introducing the world to the power of the Archibus Cloud.  The series launches with Announcing Archibus Cloud, an introduction to Foundations, and a summary of the add-on modules.  The following webinars take an in-depth look at each of the modules: Asset Management, Space Management, Building Operations, and Reservations.  The series concludes with the final modules, Serraview Space Planning and Space Optimization. 

 

Each webinar is available for on-demand viewing upon completion in the IMAGINiT Resource Center.

 

Part 1: Announcing Archibus Cloud (October 2)

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Part 2: Enhance Capital Planning – Asset Management with Archibus Cloud NEW DATE (November 21)

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Part 3: Maximize Real Estate – Space Planning with Archibus Cloud (December 12)

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Part 4: Optimize Preventive Maintenance – Building Operations with Archibus Cloud (January 16)

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Part 5: Improve the Work Environment – Reservations in Archibus Cloud (February 6)

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Part 6: Serraview Space Planning and Optimization in Archibus Cloud (March 12)

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Reality Capture for Facilities Management

By Peter Costanzo, FMP
Director, IMAGINiT Facilities Management

Getting older facilities into a digital format that's easy to use is key to using your facilities management tools to their fullest. 

But re-creating old CAD drawings is time-consuming and still will not necessarily accurate reflect the as-built condition of your building.

Today, high-definition scanning (HDS) uses laser imaging to take millions of point measurements as well as 360 degree pictures. They're stitched together, allowing a full dataset of your existing facilities. The technology for HDS is evolving rapidly, and the cost for these devices has come down significantly. The scanners can be run by anyone in an FM department - including the intern. 

In this short demo, see how easy it is to work with these devices. 

Simplify Healthcare Compliance

Complying with federal (as well as local) regulations can be difficult when you have multiple systems, processes, and teams collecting the data. Are they tracking the right information? Do they have a paper trail? How do you ensure you have the proper documentation for the many reporting agencies?

Healthcare Compliance with ARCHIBUS can help alleviate some of the issues associated with regulatory compliance for healthcare.

Learn more about the ARCHIBUS tools for healthcare compliance. Contact us today.

Connecting People and Places, Purposefully

by Peter Costanzo
Director, Facilities Management Team

When I started working in facilities management, few organizations placed much emphasis on facilities outside of cost center.  Perceptions have changed significantly as management realized how physical environments impact worker productivity and customer experience.  ARCHIBUS recently put out a brief video, which provides a powerful argument for focusing on people, places and purpose to move organizations forward.

Want to talk with us about how you can use ARCHIBUS to help your organization? We're happy to help.

[Infographic] 2017 BIM and FM Gap Insights

Do your facilities have a ‘check engine’ light?

by Peter Costanzo
Director, IMAGINiT Facilities Management

As the world becomes more connected, I question the value of my blender communicating with my refrigerator. However, the ability to put sensors on old and new equipment and spaces in a portfolio gives facility managers the equivalent of a “Check Engine Light” and the ability to proactively manage issues staying ahead of problems, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing costs.

I recently came across a study published by Schneider which takes the hype out of IoT and presents some practical advice. While there is a form to fill out, the data in the study is worth providing your contact information for.

2017 Insights into the BIM and FM Gap

In July 2017, IMAGINiT Technologies invited AEC and building owners to participate in its third annual survey on building information modeling (BIM) and facilities management practices. The results provide insights into the use of model data from the design, construction, and owner’s perspectives.

Survey participants report that:

• Building owners’ use of BIM data is on the rise. Although owners are utilizing BIM data more frequently, integration and data maintenance issues continue to be obstacles.
  
  
• More owners are applying technology solutions to facilities management challenges. Facilities managers appear to be turning to information systems to track space and assets. In addition, more building managers are integrating building automation and facilities management systems.
  
  
• Over the next year, new cloud adoption is expected. This includes both point clouds and cloud computing.

To learn more about what these trends mean and how data may move between systems in the future, download our complete white paper.

Revit Round Trip

By Brian Tuffin

Wondering if you can get specialized products or designs from manufacturers into your model?

Currently, many building product manufacturers that have standardized or stock products have been providing building information models for a few years now. As clients start to request a higher level of detail from BIM, the need for more content, including custom content, is growing.

Autodesk Inventor can open a Revit file, which allows manufacturers to work within the envelope provided by the designers. It also allows the designers to share their design intent in a format that the manufacturers can see and use. As changes are made the models can be updated, allowing the manufacturer the ability to provide better coordination within the building. The level of coordination ensures connections for Data, Power, Piping, Plumbing and even Structural connections are accurately coordinated. This level of coordination and collaboration is at the core of what BIM is.

Now that the Revit file is in the manufactures hands and designed we need to get it back to the designers. Jason Swiercz an Applications Expert with IMAGINiT wrote a paper on this process, check it out.

7 Things to Consider When Deploying an Integrated Workplace Management System

Your organization has decided to take the plunge and implement an integrated workplace management system (IWMS). Based on our experience working with numerous companies, there are several steps you can take to ensure that your IWMS deployment provides positive impact to the organization. Here are seven best practices to consider:

1. Find an executive sponsor. If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to find an executive sponsor for the project. This individual is responsible for endorsing the implementation, as well as obtaining resources and removing project obstacles if necessary.
   
   
2. Enlist support from the IT team. The IT team is an important player in the IWMS implementation process. Getting their buy-in early is essential. The IWMS must fit into the organization’s existing IT infrastructure and it will likely integrate with other systems that are critical to operations.
   
   
3. Identify champions in each IWMS area. Workplace management covers many different disciplines ranging from real estate to space planning and management, move management, asset management, environmental and risk management, building operations, and more. It’s a good idea to find an individual in each area who will act as a champion for their part of the IWMS.
   
   
4. Focus on the data first. Data is the key ingredient that makes an IWMS successful. Be sure your team understands what information is essential to fulfill your goals, otherwise, your system may become bogged down with unnecessary data.
   
   
5. Use a staged deployment process. Implementing the IWMS in a phased way is helpful. It makes the deployment less overwhelming and the team can build momentum by demonstrating successive wins to the organization. This reinforces the system’s return on investment.
   
   
6. Decide which systems will be integrated into the IWMS. The ultimate goal of an IWMS should be to create a “single source of truth” for facilities management information.
   
   
7. Work with an expert. IMAGINiT’s facilities management team has worked with hundreds of clients in a variety of industries. The lessons we’ve learned in the field help clients avoid problems that are common in IWMS deployments. The result is shorter, smoother implementations which means your organization can be on the road to return on investment sooner.