Before

• Previous solution unable to scale to new project requirements
• An absence of workflows to manage and log the consultant review process for incoming drawings
• Using Excel to manually manage the drawing reviews, including creating and updating trackers
• A limited audit trail of projects

After

• Customisable workflows connect the review process to the main document repository.
• Efficient QA and snagging system for all site work
• Comprehensive audit trails and records of design and construction information
• Consistency for document management, design review and quality assurance from the outset

Challenge

The Triptych Bankside project is a mixed-use development designed by renowned London architects Squire & Partners. It is located near London’s South Bank, with neighbours including the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Construction commenced on site in April of 2019, and when completed by the start of 2022, it will feature 169 apartments across two residential towers, as well as a low-rise office building, retail spaces and a cultural facility.

The acquisition of the site at 185 Park Street represented a considerable increase in scale and complexity compared to previous Sons & Co projects.

The electronic document management software that was initially put in place was simple, with basic functionality. While the program’s relatively easy-to-use interface was well-suited to smaller developments, it was not scalable to a project the size of Triptych Bankside. In order for Sons & Co to meet UK BIM Framework standards, there had to be consistency as well as project collaboration throughout.

Software Couldn’t Meet Modern Demands

The main reason for this was the absence of workflows to manage and log the consultant review process for incoming drawings—a lot of additional work was required to manage the drawing reviews, including creating and manually updating trackers in Excel. Sons & Co needed to find software that was capable of storing large amounts of data in a way that was not just organised but also easy to retrieve.

The team behind the original DMS conceded that Triptych Bankside had outgrown their software. As Sons & Co aspired to pick up other large-scale projects further down the line, they made the decision to seek a more comprehensive package that could grow with their company.

Solution

Charlotte Thorburn, document controller for Sons & Co, was the project lead and after considering various products in the market, the company selected Viewpoint For Projects (VFP). This followed recommendations from other vendors the company worked with.

VFP is a cloud-based and off-line mobile solution that streamlines field tasks and automates workflows for quality assurance and control, safety, project delivery and handover. VFP’s powerful document control features connect with Viewpoint Field View, a cloud-based and off-line mobile solution that replaces pen and paper in the field for quality, safety, project delivery, and closeout/commissioning.

Charlotte said that the Sons & Co team was fully supported and guided throughout the setup process, with a Trimble Viewpoint consultant assigned to be their point of contact and provide the training. She noted that the designated Trimble Viewpoint consultant went out of his way to answer any questions the team had in a thorough and timely manner.

Results

Sons & Co has saved vast amounts of time spent on day-to-day tasks by using Viewpoint For Projects. Consultants can upload information quicker, site users can find this information quicker, and it is easier to manage. The comprehensive searching and filtering functionality, coupled with a high level of customisability, allows users to find and view information easily and in the formats they prefer. Sons & Co was also able to enforce a naming convention for all uploaders, which made searching even easier. This has helped the company gain complete control of its data and workflows.

The responsibilities for consultants and contractors became clearer with the ‘My Action Items’ section of VFP providing every site user with a clear ‘to do’ list, from which items are removed once completed. This encourages timely responses throughout a project and ensures everyone sees critical information or actions.

Streamlined Document and Drawing Management

VFP’s workflow processes make it very clear which drawings have been approved for construction, and ensures that only approved drawings are accessible to contractors. This reduces the risk of working to the wrong drawings, with potentially costly and time-consuming repercussions.

BIM is becoming an increasingly important part of the construction process, and Triptych Bankside is working to full BIM Level 2. Trimble Viewpoint’s built-in model viewer allows all site users to view and federate models in-browser, and to raise tasks based on the BIM models. It makes the project’s 3D models accessible to everyone with access to a tablet or mobile on-site.

Since the Triptych project started on-site, Sons & Co also used Trimble Viewpoint’s Field View software. This enabled the introduction of an efficient QA and snagging system for all site work. It helped keep numerous site forms in one place and greatly reduced paperwork and filing. Field View is enabling the company to build up the QA records needed with ease to provide as evidence for warranties and eventual handover information.

Between the Viewpoint for Projects and Field View solutions, Sons & Co now has comprehensive audit trails and records of design and construction information—users can look back on exactly who did what, who saw what, what was issued to whom, and when. This puts huge amounts of very precise and detailed information at their fingertips, which reduces risk and protects the company’s interests in the event of any disagreements arising between parties.