Intelligent Project Delivery Through VDC Processes & BIM Technologies

What is VDC?
VDC, or virtual design and construc­tion, is a collab­o­ra­tive process that provides a singular platform for all project stake­hold­ers to manage change, uphold collab­o­ra­tion and maintain budget and schedule goals throughout the entire project lifecycle. VDC leverages models and data to help define key project priorities early on, helping guide processes and workflows during construc­tion operations. Using VDC, CDM Smith works closely with clients to create a shared working environment that encourages constant commu­ni­ca­tion from the planning, design and construc­tion phases through the startup, operation and maintenance of an end product.

What is BIM?
Building information modeling (BIM) technology helps teams visualize physical and functional char­ac­ter­is­tics of a project design in a 3D format. By consol­i­dat­ing dozens of design concepts into one, all-encom­pass­ing 3D model, BIM allows users to gain a stronger under­stand­ing of design concepts than in 2D drawings. BIM is a key component of the VDC process, helping to visualize data and measure actual progress against the intended results throughout the project lifecycle. 

Three ways VDC and BIM can fast-track project delivery
CDM Smith uses VDC to collaborate closely with clients and define key project objectives in the earliest stages of planning that will guide the project throughout its entire lifecycle. Estab­lish­ing a strong, collab­o­ra­tive environment that includes the client as part of the team throughout the entire process facilitates an open and honest decision making process, minimizing the need to rework design elements and ultimately saving on cost and schedule. 

1. Managing Change
   It is not always easy to an­tic­i­pate change, but when project modi­fi­ca­tions are needed, VDC helps manage change to keep projects on track. CDM Smith uses VDC processes in concert with clients, bringing project stake­hold­ers together to identify key goals, solve problems early on and better un­der­stand the impact of design modi­fi­ca­tions down the line. Early and regular collab­o­ra­tion reduces the need to redesign project elements, mit­i­gates rework and saves on the overall project cost and schedule. To put VDC’s change man­age­ment ca­pa­bil­i­ties into context, VDC portrays how designs will trans­late during con­struc­tion and op­er­a­tions, helping clients un­der­stand how elements work together and identify changes early on. Iden­ti­fy­ing a design change before con­struc­tion could save thou­sands of dollars as opposed to re­work­ing the design once con­struc­tion has begun.
   
   
2. Cul­ti­vat­ing a Col­lab­o­ra­tive En­vi­ron­ment
   VDC en­cour­ages col­lab­o­ra­tion by pro­vid­ing common and re­peat­able work­flows for all stake­hold­ers to work in from the moment project planning starts. This shared working en­vi­ron­ment delivers an ultra-re­al­is­tic project model with input from various per­spec­tives, making it easy to set col­lec­tive goals and ex­pec­ta­tions that all stake­hold­ers can agree on. “Using VDC, we work with clients to uncover their pri­or­i­tized goals from the be­gin­ning and tailor the delivery process to support these goals,” ex­plained senior vice pres­i­dent and au­toma­tion spe­cial­ist Humayun Qureshi. “At the end of the day, using the same platform to exchange in­for­ma­tion supports col­lab­o­ra­tion across the entire team and helps optimize cost and schedule metrics, de­liv­er­ing a project that meets all of the client’s ob­jec­tives.”
   
   
3. Managing Project Doc­u­ments 
   CDM Smith uses VDC and BIM to enable clients to un­der­stand how design changes affect other project aspects and to leverage data from a mul­ti­tude of project doc­u­ments, ranging from design spec­i­fi­ca­tions and RFIs, to equip­ment data sheets. Those pieces are combined into one dynamic model to help clients vi­su­al­ize project designs as lasting struc­tures and advance the project within budget and on schedule. Serving up es­sen­tial project doc­u­ments in a shared virtual work­space and making modi­fi­ca­tions and additions to project spec­i­fi­ca­tions is easier than changing con­ven­tional design drawings. Every at­tribute added, altered or updated can be found in one location so that all parties have the most recent in­for­ma­tion on hand. 

Using VDC, CDM Smith is redefining the way projects are approached and raising industry stan­dards, in­volv­ing clients every step of the way and pro­vid­ing the in­for­ma­tion needed to ef­fec­tively co­or­di­nate workflow activities and make better-informed decisions. The VDC advan­tage provides clients with BIM ca­pa­bil­i­ties and the re­sources needed to stay informed and better manage project planning, design and con­struc­tion efforts, ul­ti­mately aiding startup, op­er­a­tions and main­te­nance ac­tiv­i­ties.

Humayun Qureshi, senior vice pres­i­dent, has more than 22 years of ex­pe­ri­ence in de­vel­op­ing business level strate­gies, op­er­a­tions man­age­ment, in­ter­na­tional business, cost op­ti­miza­tion, energy, process control and au­toma­tion. As the technical delivery manager for CDM Smith's Tech­ni­cal Services Unit, Humayun oversees technical delivery for in­fra­struc­ture and tech­nol­ogy groups. 

Gary Grimes is an expert in alternative delivery methods with 40 years of heavy in­dus­trial con­struc­tion man­age­ment ex­pe­ri­ence. Gary plays a vital role for CDM Smith's VDC and BIM, pro­vid­ing valuable ex­pe­ri­ence in project man­age­ment, sched­ul­ing, es­ti­mat­ing and pur­chas­ing for multi-million-dollar projects.