WSP Canada's Guide to a Cohesive Digital Ecosystem

Before implementing our Digital Ecosystem, our team faced several significant challenges related to inconsistency and inefficiency in BIM management. A lack of standardized processes across teams led to varying workflows, which often resulted in repetitive manual inputs and human error. BIM managers had to rely on multiple disconnected tools, which introduced data silos and increased the likelihood of errors.

The key challenges included:

• Inconsistent Standards and Delivery Methods: Our teams struggled to align with a unified BIM delivery approach, as standards and workflows varied across regions. This inconsistency led to delays in project coordination and increased potential for mistakes.
• Disparate Data Sources: Project data was scattered across multiple platforms – design schedules were saved in Excel on SharePoint, models and drawings were housed on BIM360 or Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), and incoming data was stored in client-hosted CDEs like ProjectWise and Unifier. There was no central repository for project information, which resulted in poor data visibility and disconnected project components.
• Content Fragmentation: Families and project details were often sourced from outdated regional servers or manufacturer websites, making it difficult to maintain accuracy and consistency in project deliverables.
• Lost Connections Across the Project Lifecycle: Information from different stages of the project would frequently get missed, leading to incomplete datasets, "dirty" or poor-quality data, and confusion in project coordination. BIM Managers had to spend unnecessary time tracking down project information and ensuring data integrity across the lifecycle.
• Global Alignment: Aligning with global standards and ensuring consistency in content and delivery across regions was challenging due to the lack of standardized workflows and the need to incorporate various regional requirements.
  

The backbone of the solution was to find a medium to collect and deliver information that was both complete and consistent across projects. This led to the development of the Digital Delivery Planner Board, a strategic response to persistent challenges in BIM management, particularly issues of inconsistency and inefficiency. Our primary goal was to create a centralized, web-based tool accessible to the entire project team, ensuring all project information was available in a single location.

Built to comply with ISO 19650 standards, the Planner Board has a structured process to deliver improved data and outline which tasks, tools, and workflows are being implemented on the project, and by whom. This solution eliminates disparate data sources by seamlessly integrating platforms like ACC, Excel, SharePoint, and ProjectWise, thereby improving data visibility and reducing the risk of errors or omissions. The Planner Board also tackles content fragmentation by ensuring project details are always accurate and consistent.

With teams now aligned with a single repository for the entire project, opportunities for errors have been minimized, and unified workflows have been established. This not only streamlines communication and enhances collaboration but also leads to better project outcomes and increased efficiency.