The challenge
All site engineers will tell you: the completion of progress reports is one of their important missions and it is often a complex task, which can also be tedious at the end of the month. This is especially true when the site is large, with a multiplication of trades and personnel from different companies working in parallel on the site. Hazards and additional costs are not uncommon and they quickly impact the profitability of the site if the quantities to be executed are not correctly forecast and controlled from the start
The progress reports often arrive in all sorts of forms with quantities and schedules that are sometimes unjustified. These data are often encoded in long Excel sheets, for which it is necessary to check that there are no erroneous formulas, that the amounts are correct and that the data are up to date. Amounts have to be recalculated at a fast pace, while keeping track of the latest versions. In addition to being a time-consuming process, this process lacks robustness, reliability and transparency, which can therefore lead to significant financial consequences and quite a bit of friction between the different parties around the table (client, general contractor, subcontractors)!
The solution
With this in mind, start-ups Kabandy and Smartbeam have decided to collaborate, in an attempt to provide a joint solution to these problems. How? By combining Kabandy’s online software technology (for intuitive extraction of quantities from the 3D model) and Smartbeam’s (for easy financial monitoring of the construction site)!
How does it work in practice?
Today, the two solutions communicate through a simple file exchange; it is therefore an interface. In the implementation phase, the project engineer loads the 3D model (received from the architect or modelled internally) into Kabandy. He then prepares the initial version of his schedule, which he can do manually, automatically or via a file import (template). From there, he will be able to link the various objects of the model to his bill of quantities to detail his measurements for each identified zone of the site according to the type of construction (by floor, by flat, by facade, etc.) and at the same time compare the total quantities of the model with those found in the order
This initial schedule will then be exported in an Excel format that can be imported directly into Smartbeam, with all the items and the detailed quantities per zone. Everything is now in place for budget monitoring
In the site monitoring phase, Smartbeam will allow you to update the progress made directly during the site tours of your location and the quantities planned for that location. Based on these updates, the total quantities for the month are automatically calculated to automate and generate progress reports that can be shared in Excel or PDF format
All internal and external stakeholders can be invited onto the project to allow them to indicate progress, approve or correct it with a clear and detailed activity history. The data is therefore only entered once and everyone has the latest updated version of the order elements, accepted amendments and progress made at any time.
Why is it better?
By combining the two technologies, the project engineer and all invited parties are able to base progress reports on information from the model from quantities identified by zone and easily exploitable on site. Everyone will save a lot of time. The extracted quantities are precise, reliable and transparent, as they are linked to the model in intuitive dynamic tables that can be consulted in Kabandy. The amounts of the various budget items calculated in Smartbeam are therefore also more accurate and reliable, which will reduce errors, budget surprises and conflicts between the various parties involved.