This post outlines the three pillars of BuildUSA’s business plan, the “Prototype Initiative.” It also discusses the six primary services/products that BuildUSA will offer.
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The current series of blog posts dive a bit deeper into the principal features and strategies of BuildUSA (BUSA). BUSA’s business plan the Prototype Initiative (PI), includes three primary service lines:
- Research
- Process
- Execution
The PI was developed to provide scope, schedule, marketing, finance, and business strategies of how these three service lines will continue to develop and be rolled out to the marketplace.
Each of these three pillars provides two services and/or products. These six core services and products comprise the foundation of the PI.
| BuildUSA Pillars | Preliminary Services/Products |
| 1. Research | 1. Construction Assembly Modules Products (CAMs) (Year 1, limited capacity) a. Identify and develop Construction Assembly Modules in strategic partnership with material manufacturers. 2. Big Data: (Year 3) a. Data collection, reporting, Data Analysis, Predictive Analytics. |
| 2. Process | 3. BuildUSA Collaborative Environment (CDE + BCE) (Year 1, Basic Functionality) a. Is a branded cloud-based process, comprised of software, Standards, Templates, and Workflows that “optimize the data sharing, decision-making, and execution for creating and managing the built environment. b. Providing access to the BCE for companies and developing CIPOs. 4. BIM Consulting & Analytic Services (Year 1 to BUSA-Chicago Partners Only) a. Consulting support for how the Standards, Templates, and Workflows are organized within the primary software that comprise the BCE. |
| 3. Execution | 5. Consulting Service (Year 1 to BUSA-Chicago Partners Only) a. Support in implementing projects utilizing the BCE. b. Support in creating new CIPOs, Optimized Prototype Building Modules, and markets for these services and products. 6. Optimized Buildings (Year 1 OAB #1 only) a. BuildUSA has analysed the healthcare delivery model and developed a series of four building concepts that can fulfil the diverse facility needs of the healthcare system. b. The First Optimized Ambulatory Building (Year 1 to BUSA-Chicago Partners Only) |
As noted above, each service is not expected to be commercially available right away. Currently, the technology and strategy is sufficiently developed to seek commercial strategic partners and clients, but many features of BUSA’s BCE technology still require manual implementation. The PI conceives of an initial 3 1/2 to 4-year period, where the first Collaboratively Integrated Partner Organization (CIPO) team is assembled, and a series of three prototype Optimized Buildings are designed and executed. During this period, the nine features of OB as described in “BuildUSA-Optimized Building” will be stress tested. The services/products outlined above will be automated and scaled commercially, and then marketed to the building industry as a new approach for delivering buildings to the marketplace.
The following provides more detail about the three pillars of the Prototype Initiative: Research, Process, and Execution.
1 – RESEARCH:
1a – Research, Construction Assembly Modules (CAMs):
Despite intermittent periods of popularity, modular construction has generally remained a niche approach that has been considered “cheap.” Today, however, this is changing. Modular is attracting unprecedented interest and investment and is being adopted for projects as varied as hospitals, ambulatory medical centers, high-end condos, apartment complexes, and hotels. Over the last five years, the modular construction business has doubled in size to become an $8 billion industry.
The custom, one-off nature of building projects means that people build the same things slightly differently every single time. This lack of standardization often leads to inconsistency, disagreement, lost time, and lost money. Development of new building systems, such as Optimized Building, which combine multiple trade disciplines and manufacture components offsite, can help mitigate or eliminate these problems.
A significant element of OB is utilizing Construction Assembly Modules (CAMs). CAMS organize building components into a variety of standard formats: Connections, Groups, Racks, Panels, Pods, and more. CAMs are then delivered and assembled on site to expedite construction.
As the market continues to mature, CAMs will evolve and will move the “Basis of Design” (BoD) from discipline-specific building elements to larger, more complex, multi-disciplinary CAMs. A/E/C’s and developers will increasingly develop building processes that leverage this growing CAM marketplace.
CAM delivery can be executed in a variety of formats:
- Panels
- Racks
- Boxes or pods
- Kit of Parts
- Groups
- Connections
1b – Big data
The term “big data” refers to data so large and complex that it’s impossible to process using traditional methods. Big data can come from people, computers, machines, sensors, or any other data-generating device. In building, vast amounts of useful data derive from sources such as past and present construction projects, design plans, existing buildings, machinery and equipment, material supply chains, on-site workers, wearables, smartphones, tablets, drones, and more.
However, most of this data is unstructured. Traditional information systems are limited in their ability to process unstructured data like free text, printed information, or sensor output. According to recent estimates, less than 0.5% of all data produced by most construction companies ever gets analyzed. Big data is unique in that it can discover hidden patterns in huge amounts of data. Other methods cannot deal with databases that are immense. Big data analytics allows companies to transform the massive quantity of data they produce into actionable insights that enhance decision-making, optimize operations, and boost project performance.
BUSA’s integration of “Standards, Templates, and Workflows” within BIM and the BCE offers companies significant long-term benefits. BUSA’s system can leverage big data to develop viewable and actionable insights, provide enhanced operational efficiency, accelerate project delivery time, reduce costs, and increase profit margins. This work is critical for the long-term success of the building industry.
2 – PROCESS:
2a – Standards, Templates & Workflows (STW) +- Building collaborative Environment (BcE) * Common Data Environment (CDE) / Modular Buildings Built on Chassis (MB) * Construction Assembly Modules (CAMs) = BCE
STW +- BcE * CDE / MB * CAM= BCE
This topic has been explored in “What Comprises the BuildUSA Collaborative Environment?”. The BCE is a cloud-based digital platform that functions as a central repository for all project data and workflows. In addition to BIM data, this includes bid documents, contracts, registers, reports, schedules, specifications, and more. Updated throughout the project lifecycle, the BCE integrates multiple software applications in a unified workflow and allows all team members to collaborate in real-time, providing efficiencies and streamlining workflows through all phases of construction and a building’s lifecycle.
2b – Building Information Modelling (BIM) & BIM Consulting Services
To properly implement any BIM strategy companies need to assess and fully understand the process they are initiating. Clearly understanding the following six issues, and then getting the proper consulting assistance in implementing them, will be key for success.
- Invest Up-front – To get the full benefit of BIM, project owners and contractors should invest in the requisite software, hardware, and IT infrastructure, dedicate resources to BIM implementation, and incorporate its use right from the design stage.
- Increase Knowledge – Provide industry players with an understanding of BIM’s benefits across the entire life cycle. Highlight BIM’s potential as a long-term value creator rather than a short-term cost factor. Underscore its strategic importance for industry-wide digital innovation.
- Increase Collaboration – Successful BIM adoption requires a high level of collaboration among stakeholders. To this end, companies should strive to establish open data-sharing standards and promote teamwork through the use of integrated contracts.
- Upgrade Workforce – Successful adoption also requires a coordinated effort to attract new digital talent and upskill the current workforce.
- Change Mindset – Change conservative corporate cultures to support digital innovation.
- Shared Standards – Shared industry standardization will significantly reduce many of the above challenges.
3 – EXECUTION:
3a – BCE Consulting & Analytics Services
When implementing a multi-channel technology strategy that integrates multiple software platforms and new STWs, getting the proper consulting support s key. Expert guidance for planning and rollout will help ensure that key features are properly coordinated from the beginning so that day-to-day operations are more efficient and more enjoyable.,
3b – The New Building Orders and Optimized Building
The Execution category focuses on BUSA’s efforts to develop a series of Optimized Building types for the healthcare industry. As time goes on, more and more healthcare will be moved out of the critical care hospital box and into the ambulatory setting. OB solutions provide adaptable, high-performing healthcare workspaces that can be put into operation in much shorter timeframes and at much lower cost than traditional buildings.
Four building types are currently in development:
- Optimized Ambulatory Building (OAB) provides same day health delivery services and offers optimized service suites that allow for standardized horizontal and vertical expansion to adjust to ongoing needs.
- The Spine Building is a “plug and play” structure designed to offer Flexible Service Delivery, with the ability to adjust to community needs. Additionally, it offers on demand disaster response and surge capacity. Within hours, the building can provide services for an impacted community by quickly adapting to changing seasonal, special event, or disaster needs.
- The Health and Wellness Home provides a home infection control zone with negative pressure containment and Telemetry Healthcare Delivery. Its functional design will dramatically reduce unnecessary healthcare visits, cut costs, diminish cross contamination, and dramatically improve infection control.
- Optimized Critical Care Delivery – Tertiary and large hospitals will always have unique needs, but most community hospitals can and should deliver care in facilities using Optimized Building processes. The fluid staff dynamic, need for standards for internal clinical and support service operations, and consistent service delivery needs make Optimized building an obvious delivery solution for small to mid-size critical care delivery facilities.
Based on current market need and development opportunities, the first Optimized building will be the “Optimized Ambulatory Building (OAB).” The OAB’s preliminary design allows for substantial flexibility both horizontally and vertically, and is expandable from a single-story, single-suite option up to a three-story, multi-suite option.
CONCLUSION:
The PI is a clear business strategy, providing the branding, tools and support services for companies to successfully bring the vision and mission of BUSA to the broader market.
