BIM for Facilities Management - Is it Happening?

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Is there a flavour of BIM reserved for post-occupancy applications? Is it really BIM or just another way to get 2D data into a dedicated FM system? Is that BIM? Is that object-based, parametric Facilities Management?

The information on Revit, as least up to Revit 2009, is sketchy. Sounds like nothing more than compatibility via file export. Google and you'll see what I mean. Its not there. Yet.

A BIM based solution has been available in Europe for about ten years. ArchiFM most likely started its life as a skunkworks project at Graphisoft. A bright software engineer named Tibor developed a hook between a conventionally engineered relational database (Delphi, I think) and the less conventional geometric database. It played nice with Oracle and SQL and Crystal Reports. It was ArchiFM. Several versions appeared including a web-based companion application and several add-ons for maintenance scheduling, key management, etc.

Some ArchiFM clients sought more sophisticated applications. At one time, the pharmaceutical giant Novartis was rumoured to be using ArchiFM in tandem with building controls applications to actually run plant equipment in their buildings. No case studies were ever produced describing this.

ArchiFM came to North America briefly in 2000. And promptly left again in 2003. In 2005 Graphisoft announced they were leaving the development of the application to a new private venture - vintoCON - who continue to develop the application and provide support to a raft of existing clients, mostly based in Hungary, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

vintoCON's website suggests they may be trying to come back across the Atlantic. If they do, and their stuff works, there would be an FM solution that exploits the virtual building technology in ArchiCAD. A virtual building, virtual tenants, phones, parking stalls, lightbulbs, leases and all the as-built building information you could ever want. The roll of drawings behind the furnace turned into DWFs that might reflect the actual state of the building. If anyone knew where they were.

It would close the circle. Will we see it here? Is there anyone on this forum who has worked with it?

[Laura Yanoviak]

I am currently reading the BIM Handbook (Chuck Eastman, et al.) and it seems to me that Facilities Management is by far the most worthwhile aspect of BIM for owners (operating owners, anyway). According to the book, some of the Facility and Asset Management tools currently available are:

ActiveFacility (www.activefacility.com)
ArchiFM (www.graphisoft.co.uk/products/archifm)
Autodesk FM Desktop (www.autodesk.com)
ONUMA Planning Slystem (www.onuma.com/products/OnumaPlanningSystem.php)
Vizelia suite of FACILITY management products (www.vizelia.com)

(I apologize in advance for not posting active links).

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Hey Laura,

Thanks for those, I'll follow those up. The UK one is for ArchiFM - the vintoCON product.

[Erika Epstein]

I and some others here have been using the Onuma Planning System (OPS) on the BIMstorms that Kimon Onuma started in 2007. OPS is useful from concept/programming/ planning/ design/ construction/ through Lifecycle.

Kimon has worked tirelessly as an advocate for the acceptance of interoperability and BIM as well as advancing the change in process of how architects and the building industry work; Acceptance of new software, data sharing, open standards etc. and developing software that advances these ideas.

https://www.onuma.com/products/BimDataApi.php

[Laura Yanoviak]

Erika wrote:
Kimon has worked tirelessly as an advocate for the acceptance of interoperability and BIM as well as advancing the change in process of how architects and the building industry work; Acceptance of new software, data sharing, open standards etc. and developing software that advances these ideas.

Nice guy, too.

[Erika Epstein]

Laura wrote:
Nice guy, too.

Very

[Erika Epstein]

There is some info @ the building Smart website.
Set up a log-in
http://www.iai-tech.org/

also a wiki

http://www.ifcwiki.org

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Laura and Erika,

Please take this in the spirit of good fun and gentle teasing. Political correctness is not my forte, but I'd hate to offend you two fearless posters.

Is Kimon cute, or something. You both responded so quickly and so enthiusiastically. Like you both had a crush on the guy.

I don't think any of the vintoCON crew are that handsome.

🙂

[Erika Epstein]

No cuter than you! Kimon is just one of those incredibly nice people, also happily married; Hi Susan!

[Aaron Bourgoin]

ha!