Development is developing and tension is intensifying - is construction information modeling finally on the threshold of a breakthrough?

Information modeling in construction projects has come a long way. The first models were made in the 90s and already at that time there was talk of a breakthrough in information modeling. Since then, we have been waiting for it with hope, but maybe now we will finally get to witness it.

The development of information modeling has followed a relatively logical and predictable path. At first, designers made it tools to make their everyday lives easier, in the next phase manufacturers of construction products and builders began to see opportunities in it to make their own work more efficient and to better manage logistics and procurement. We are now taking the next step, which will enable property owners and users to utilize the content of data models in the maintenance and upkeep of buildings.

At the same time, with the reform of construction legislation, information modeling becomes at least partially mandatory, it is possible to get the entire real estate and construction industry involved in both utilizing and further developing information modeling.

In order for all players in the field to be able to take advantage of the work that has already been done in construction projects, the rules of the game and operating methods must be mutually agreed upon in advance. We have to move on from software-oriented thinking alone. The excellence of many systems comes down to the fact that they do not talk to other systems. Until these days, data transfer has worked poorly or not at all. With the standardization that is now underway, the content of data models can be defined rationally from the point of view of both planning, construction and building maintenance, and above all in a compatible format. When the standard provides a specific template for data transfer, the ongoing YTV2020 project can continue content-oriented development work.

In Finland, common rules of the game are developed especially by utilizing the interoperability platform, which allows the common operating methods to be immediately visible to everyone and mutually accepted. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in updating the general data model requirements, when the current ones are almost ten years old. At least the will to update the general data model requirements is clear. 89 companies and organizations have signed the YTV2020 declaration: the need for an update is now.

The building blocks for the large-scale utilization of information modeling are therefore already ready. However, the biggest challenge in the decade that has just started seems to be getting all the players in the industry involved; if information modeling is to have a standardized and normal operating method, even the smallest companies in the real estate and construction industry must understand their own part in both utilizing the model and supplementing it for the next party. With small steps, even this change in operating culture can be started, there is enough work for all of us.

Jani Kemppainen
Agent, construction development and energy efficiency
Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)

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