BIM: new tools for real estate industry digitalization
Integrating proprietary CDE platforms with vertical solutions for real estate assets digitalization and optimization: the example of Agenzia del Demanio and ACCA software
Promoting asset management digitalization and, as for Appointing Parties, the dematerialisation in public procurements, is a fundamental step in the process of real estate asset transformation in order to increase efficiency during maintenance and redevelopment operations.
When it comes to the optimization of real estate assets, it is widely known that, managing large real estate portfolios (such as the case of central and territorial administrations, public bodies, large companies, insurance companies, banks, social security institutions, real estate companies) implies dealing with complex activities.
Therefore, it is quintessential to take advantage of technological innovations and adopt new processes in order to accelerate the transition to a digital environment.
Technologies such as Building Information Modeling represent a fundamental tool for generating a management model that ensures transparency and reduces project implementation time and costs.
Innovation and digitalization of real estate assets
The real estate industry digitalization demands that assets technical knowledge is based not only on administrative data, but also on property geometrical and functional characteristics in addition to building elements and material technological-performance characteristics, with the objective to make the necessary information available to all the entities involved.
Using BIM data management platforms for data collection and analysis together with activities planning and organisation, or implementing internal management platforms integrated with specialised vertical solutions, without any doubt, facilitates this process.
In particular, Agenzia del Demanio, a Public Property Agency in charge of managing and enhancing the Italian State’s real estate assets value, administers a portfolio of around 42,000 assets worth 61 billion Euros.
The Agenzia del Demanio’s choice
Agenzia del Demanio has been engaged in the digitalization process for years with the objective of optimising knowledge of the State properties it manages, while making the information which is necessary for management, maintenance and valorization of a large and heterogeneous historical heritage available to all the subjects involved.
The aim is to create a Digital File for each property managed, i.e. a structured collection of data and three-dimensional models, totally dematerialised, which, by means of geolocation, allow to digitalize all the information relating to properties, leading through to the creation of an Agency’s Digital Heritage.
From 2016, Agenzia del Demanio has decided to adopt the BIM methodology with the aim of optimising two processes at the same time in terms of:
- detailed information of the managed properties for important maintenance and rationalization operations;
- services performance and verification, in order to generate public savings while cutting down management costs.
By the end of 2018, Agenzia del Demanio has chosen ACCA software and the usBIM.platform, as technological support for the organisation of its data and processes.
usBIM.platform is the ACCA software CDE (Common Data Environment) compliant with ISO 19650 and IFC-certified by buildingSMART International. A data platform that represents the central tool in BIM collaborative processes and that supports information, data and models sharing between operators and clients.
Between 2018 and 2020, Agenzia del Demanio, by using the ACCA software platform, managed 110 tenders worth more than 200 million euros and 1800 buildings for digitised redevelopment activities, making it the largest BIM contractor in Italy today.
In 2021 the Agency accelerated the process of data digitisation with regards to the State’s real estate assets through the adoption of an internally developed CDE.
The new Italian State Property Agency’s upDATe platform and ACCA’s usBIM.browser
upDATe, the new digital platform for the management of electronic documentation, will allow Agenzia del Demanio, as Appointing Party, to continue to manage tenders with the adoption of the BIM methodology for a complete dematerialisation of the documents delivery process.
However, given the centrality of data, it is essential to ensure maximum usability. This is why technological strategies focused on in-house data management must be combined with full data accessibility and usability.
This prompts the need of using innovative market services and technologies that are able to evolve quickly and follow the main technological trends. Cloud computing certainly represents a fast and versatile customer-oriented solution, capable of providing the necessary information quickly and anywhere.
For this reason, the Agencia del Demanio has decided to adopt Software as a Service solutions to be able to view all types of files related to BIM by integrating them within its own data sharing platform upDATe.
The ACCA’s usBIM applications, were again the Public Agency’s choice.
Consequently, document management will entirely take place on upDATE, in connection with ACCA software’s usBIM.browser for functions of viewing, adding metadata, federating models in IFC format and/or other supported formats as well as other advanced functions. The technological integration between different systems will be based on REST API technology.
ACCA software confirms its position as market leader for BIM management solutions, supporting the Italian real estate digitisation process with specialised solutions.
