7February 2021deliver additional value for the project's end-users or owner-investors. For example, some suppliers offer occupancy sensors that also measure how people use a space, the features they use there, and how active they are within it--a definite value-add that could influence product choice. Within the factory, product and material manufacturers can use the same BIM datasets to improve their product before deployment by choosing the right combination of variables to support a project's goals, such as selecting concrete-mix components that make it as carbon neutral as possible. Supply chain data can also be published in a format that supports design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) and onsite construction, so components can be fabricated precisely to spec, or be used again and again on similar projects.Predictive Operations After ConstructionAnother reason to accumulate and manage digital product data across the supply chain is to support proactive maintenance and predictive operations once the building is occupied. This is done by using as-manufactured/as-built BIM data as a reliable foundation for simulation and analysis software, as well as for information-rich digital twins of a building and its infrastructure. Digital twins can be used for building management and operations for years afterward, such as to measure, validate, and document the performance of products, materials, and systems over time, or to reveal patterns of wear or to track warranties. Such use cases can help operations teams avoid unnecessary breakdowns with pre-emptive maintenance. Digital-twin capability also applies to tracking certain variables throughout a building's lifecycle, such as its carbon output for ongoing environmental impact management.Building Improvements in The FutureA third use of digital supply chain management is for planning and expediting future structural changes and remanufacturing. With a BIM-driven supply chain, the as-built data that determines the final digital truth is based on actual product information that is embedded or linked in the master dataset. Being able to access and trust that this data as accurate saves on capital planning costs when tenant improvements, retrofits, or renovations are needed, because data doesn't have to be collected as an after-thought and verified with expensive on-site visits. It is all right there within the model already.An Effort Worth the ChallengeIn the supply chain phase, the number of stakeholders expands rapidly, and decisions are made at a very fast pace. If accurate digital product information is not available to the team, or in the worst case is wrong, problems with quality, safety, cost management, and schedules are more likely to surface.Much of industrial design is in digital format already and making critical product data available to AECO teams is now only a matter of manufacturers' and fabricators adopting the common industry standards. In turn, AECO teams can share feedback data about a product's performance in real-world use. Fostering multi-way exchanges like this can lead to an open platform for shared innovation in the extended industry of AECO+M (AECO plus manufacturing). In the end, success with BIM-based supply chain management depends on real estate owners taking ownership of their Common Data Environment, inviting all project stakeholders to the same platform, and supporting discussions about the data and information needs of each discipline. Getting it "right" takes time, but the effort spent now on forging new digital links among all supply chain partners will reap long-term dividends for us all. ITO
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