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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	Project VDC Execution Planning Projects with any collaborative use of VDC must plan, at the beginning of the project, how VDC will be used and supported.  Effective planning is critical to achieving efficient flow of reliable information and to ensuring that the owner will receive the deliverables they need. Effective planning is also critical to minimizing redundant tasks to reduce time and cost and/or to free up people for value-adding work.  For example, while the practice of creating separate design and construction models is still being used on many projects, more advanced teams are finding that with appropriate planning and standards models can be developed to serve both purposes.  This approach greatly improves collaboration and knowledge retention and avoids a great deal of duplicated effort and unnecessary expense. Our approach to implementation planning consists of three major steps: assess the participating firms’ capabilities, decide on the components to be implemented, and put the selected components in place. Capabilities Assessment Our first step is to distribute our questionnaire on VDC capabilities to the participating firms.  We then collate the results and work with the project leadership to analyze them and gain an accurate picture of the team’s capabilities. Advanced firms will have their own execution plans, but the plans of various firms on the project are likely to differ.  As part of the assessment process we evaluate the individual plans, and work with the firms that created them to merge them into a coherent project-wide plan. VDC Program Components These components – processes, standards, and infrastructure – are the building blocks of the VDC program.  Once the firms’ existing capabilities are known we lay out and facilitate a structured series of Kickoff and Implementation meetings in which we help the project team select and develop specifications for the components that will be put in place. VDC Processes.  rocesses to be implemented are selected from the VDC Function Matrix.  Projects will not necessarily limit themselves to the firms’ existing capabilities, but a gap analysis of desired vs. existing capabilities will be a good indication of the implementation effort that will be required. Modeling Standards.  Modeling standards are the critical key to making the program work effectively and efficiently, and will be heavily influenced by the processes selected.  Well-developed standards will enable various disciplines to utilize the models for efficient and effective collaboration, and allow design models to be developed smoothly into construction models.  The standards must be carefully developed and fully documented. Information Infrastructure.  The selection of processes and development of standards will inform the design of the information infrastructure.  Several major infrastructure components must be implemented: Data structure Information storage and access Information management This is an extensive effort – a well-developed infrastructure is critical to the success of the program. VDC implementation Actual implementation is carried out through a structured series of meetings.  Critical to this process is developing detailed agendas and having in attendance the people who can make the necessary decisions. Kickoff Meeting.  The purpose of this meeting is to come to agreement on the extent of the VDC Program to be put in place and to develop the overall implementation and support plan.  Components are selected, a schedule and agendas for specific implementation meetings are developed, and a plan for check-in meetings is determined. Implementation Meetings.  Meetings are set up to develop specific implementation plans for the selected Program Components. Check-In Meetings.  These will be held periodically throughout the life of the project in order to maintain and continuously improve the project VDC Program, and to resolve issues arising from changes in the project.