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Services

Strategic Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Planning      Process Development and Implementation      Hardware / Software Standards Development      Specifying and Fulfilling Owner Requirements      Project VDC Execution Planning      Design Work Planning      IPD Project Setup      Workshops	Process Development and Implementation We aid firms in establishing specific VDC capabilities that are efficient and effective by planning, implementing, and documenting the process, delivering training, and providing for ongoing support. Many of the VDC functions listed in the VDC Function Matrix are discipline-specific, but most of these can benefit from direct input from design and/or construction models built to specific standards.  Design and construction firms can increase their attractiveness to owners by developing the capability to “plug in” to projects smoothly and effectively, increasing the value of the information they provide to the project, Planning In developing processes to take advantage of new tools, it is always necessary to look beyond simply automating existing processes.  The biggest ROI is obtained when tools are set up to enable the users to do things they couldn’t do without them. To accomplish this, we couple the firm’s knowledge of the purposes of the existing processes – the results the processes must generate – with our own in-depth knowledge of the capabilities of the new tools.  Working with the intended users of the process we use this input along with various mapping techniques to design an improved process. Implementation Once the process is designed we aid in the development of hardware and software specifications, standards, and foundation elements such as templates and populated databases. Documentation Clear, accessible documentation is critical to the efficiency of any process.  Without it users stumble, wheels are reinvented, erroneous results can be produced, and time and money is wasted. In addition to efficiency good documentation provides proof of the firm’s capabilities.  Owners are becoming more savvy in their demands for BIM expertise, and are beginning to ask for a firm’s documentation as backup for its claims. In most cases we generate online documentation.  Compared to hard copy, online documentation provides much faster access to information and is much easier to keep current. For New Processes.  For processes that we plan and implement we develop the documentation concurrently with these phases. This approach aids the planning and implementation by helping the users better understand the process being developed, enabling them to provide more effective feedback and input. For Existing Processes.  We can also provide significant value by organizing and updating documentation for a firm’s existing processes, and formatting it for efficient online access. Training We provide training in two phases: When a process is first rolled out we provide training in a physical or virtual classroom setting. Once the initial wave of training is complete, the need for training will become sporadic, and it can be delivered much quicker and more efficiently by developing self-paced online tutorials. Support In even the best implementations users will have questions, software bugs will be encountered, and hardware will malfunction.  These problems are usually more efficiently addressed by having the first line of support within the firm rather than having individual users try to deal with the help desks of hardware and software vendors.  We provide training and enhanced documentation to in-house support staff, and leverage our own relationships with major hardware, software, and third-party support providers to establish efficient out-of-house support channels.