Seen from a broad perspective, digital handover offers clear improvements in project management compared to the paper-based system.
Examining the solution on a more granular level, however, reveals that the benefits are not confined to the main contractor and end-user alone. In fact, a digital handover can improve efficiency, speed and safety throughout the whole life cycle of a project, starting from the initial plans and lasting long after delivery.
With the Zutec platform, information sharing is accelerated during all phases. Thanks to the way documents are accessed and shared, various stakeholders can cut through traditional hierarchies that would otherwise slow down the process.
Subcontractors and design teams, for example, can collaborate earlier on plans, while clients can monitor progress ahead of delivery. Whatever the scale of the project, from a single home to a large-scale office complex, a cloud-based digital solution yields tangible benefits for all users.
Ultimate responsibility for delivering the project on time (and to budget) lies with the main contractor. As such, any solution that allows the main contractor to record and store information more effectively will translate into cost savings and better customer satisfaction.
Under the paper-based system, key documents could be scattered across several locations. Certificates and logs could be submitted according to separate schedules, and stakeholder involvement in the handover process could be spread over phases covering months or even years.
With a digital handover, these obstacles are resolved with the ability to access information from a single dashboard in real time. Main contractors have visibility of the status and ownership of each assigned task, and can take rapid action when required to keep delivery on track.
Recent legislation affecting the UK construction sector has arguably made the job more demanding for design teams, who are now required to submit 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) up to at least Level 2. In effect, this means architects and design planners must submit detailed 3D renderings of the site layout and structure, supported by separate discipline models.
The paper-based system of old was ill-suited to the transfer and collation of vast amounts of modelling data. With the Zutec platform, the process is seamless, to the extent where 3D designs can even be accessed on a tablet using the app.
Construction design teams will find that a digital solution doesn’t simply save time. It is an essential tool for regulatory compliance. A cloud-based digital platform creates a single source of truth from a wide variety of components. It makes it easier to identify any gaps or conflicts in data quality, and helps design teams focus on creativity before compliance.
With a digital handover, owners can access reliable information about the building post-handover. In other words, they know exactly what materials and structures are in their building, how it is intended to work, and what will be required to maintain it.
All this information can be viewed and assessed prior to handover, allowing the end-user to take a proactive approach to maintenance. That translates into more accurate forecasting of costs, and by extension savings.
Extra Information:
A Common Data Environment (CDE) is essential to the smooth running of any construction project. In this article, we explain the functions of the 4 distinct phases of the CDE workflow.
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Since Mark Farmer’s 2016 review of UK Construction, titled ‘Modernise or Die’, the industry has taken great strides in its adoption of digital technology.
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COVID-19 has hit construction hard. Lockdowns, site closures, social distancing measures and supply chain disruption have all conspired throw up new challenges throughout the industry.
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