“Aconex is approaching the end of a record financial year and is positioned for significant continued growth…. Steve has uncommon breadth of experience in software, e-commerce, hardware and manufacturing, extensive knowledge of M&A, and a track record in leading companies to success in public and private markets. All of this made him an ideal candidate to join us.”

On Linkedin, the San Francisco-based American highlights his role as a “CFO for two IPOs and numerous venture and debt financings.” Recht (right) replaces Australian Matthew Walsh, who joined Aconex as CFO almost exactly three years ago (27 May 2009), and who I have interviewed a couple of times about the company’s financial performance.

Walsh managed a difficult period. Aconex had to weather the impact of the global financial crisis, which slowed the company’s previously stellar growth, with revenues broadly flat across each of the last three years (2009, 2010, 2011) and losses incurred as Aconex invested in expanding its north American presence.

As the focus of Aconex’s activities has become more international, and as more corporate fire-power is located in its San Francisco office, the appointment of another heavy-hitting American executive suggests the business is moving towards an initial public offering. The company was bullish in January about its prospects for the current financial year (ending 30 June 2012), and its performance this year will be closely scrutinised by existing investors and by future potential shareholders.

With the benefit of hindsight, I could perhaps have included a bit more in yesterday’s presentation about the take-up of BIM; several of the questions concerned adoption of BIM by regional contractors and small firms of consultancies. I urged people to look at the NBS National BIM Survey, published in February, which gave some indication of where BIM is being used, and also includes an excellent case study of how London-based small firm David Miller Architects has expanded as a result of its adoption of BIM (I recently interviewed David for a client case study). The UK pan-industry BIM Task Group website is also a useful source of information.

BIM research

I have been contacted by Malik Ayyaz (on behalf of Dr Kirti Ruikar and Professor Stephen Emmitt) of the school of Civil and Building Engineering, University of Loughborough regarding a research study to identify the impact of BIM on business processes of construction organisations. An online survey is being conducted so please help out if you can (a response should take no more than about 10-15 minutes) by accessing the survey at https://www.survey.lboro.ac.uk/bim_process/.

I spoke to Viewpoint’s management in February and it was clear they were keen to extend the scope of their core platform to cover related construction project needs, including – potentially – online collaboration. This deal, though, is more about business process support; Construction Imaging’s solutions tend to focus more on helping firms process financial and HR transactions than on managing design or construction information.

TrackerPlus is the latest design tool created by a seven-year-old business focused on supporting more sustainable construction processes. Ben, a former solar energy researcher (with a PhD in this field) and WhitbyBird associate, explained the self-funded business had grown by delivering consultancy services, and by creating and selling related applications. Ben’s consultancy projects have included various landmark London buildings including Olympic Park venues and the London Bridge development around the Shard, while one of the company’s its earliest products was a ‘carbon checker’ energy consumption analysis tool that was eventually sold to BuildDesk.

SouthFacing’s software development work is strongly linked to the information needs of specialist environmental assessment consultants, and TrackerPlus, launched in early 2011, was a direct response to the needs of BRE Licensed Assessors to support their work during  all the stages of BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes appraisal. The application – “created by assessors for assessors” – captures information throughout the process, from pre-assessment analyses right through to certification reports. In between, users can use reporting tools to track assessments, monitor how BREEAM/CSH scores are being updated dynamically, and compile all the necessary reference documentation. For the end-user, TrackerPlus provides a powerful management dashboard covering all their ongoing projects, simplifying design inputs, improving efficiency and reducing risk.

A browser-based SaaS application, TrackerPlus is securely hosted with all the back-up protocols you would expect for a service focused on compliance and auditability. The system is licensed to BRE-registered assessor organisations, who invite relevant project team members. The system currently has over 250 accredited BREEAM/CSH professional users, delivering over 800 assessments with more than 3000 design team users granted access. Given the project-focused nature of the work, the software is licensed on a per-project basis, encouraging authorised users to collaborate with and exchange information with all relevant design and construction colleagues throughout the BREEAM process.

Users log-in using a user-name and password to access a website specific to their ongoing BREEAM/CSH projects, and the system provides options for on-screen and email alerts about items needing their attention. Red-amber-green reporting tools feature strongly to help provide at-a-glance indications of any changes, and Ben showed me several areas where BRE had advised on specific data-entry requirements to check assessors were consciously inputting the right information.

An integration opportunity?

As in January, I could quickly see parallels between TrackerPlus and governance, regulatory and compliance applications developed by construction collaboration technology vendors to support other design and construction-related processes – for example, compilation of health and safety information, and administration of NEC3 contract change management processes (indeed, the latter has echoes of BRE’s approach, with the NEC endorsing and licensing its contract guidance notes, etc - see post - to two content providers: 4Projects and conject, formerly BIW).

Given that many BREEAM/CSH discussions will take place within a far wider project context, there is clearly merit in integrating TrackerPlus into information flows across a project team. This would also avoid the creation and maintenance of parallel systems containing duplicate information. Ben and I discussed ways in which TrackerPlus might link to construction collaboration technology platforms (I’ll spare you the technical details).

TrackerPlus is already a substantial offering, codifying a considerable amount of information produced by BRE and needed by registered BREEAM/CSH assessment organisations, and SouthFacing has been proactive in researching its users’ needs as it has continued development. As a result, it has strong backing from both BRE (it was the first software system to be awarded a BREEAM badge of recognition and the only one that links directly to BRE’s QA and certification process) and from its community of BREEAM professional users.

It would certainly add functionality and differentiation to any collaboration platform used in a project pursuing a BREEAM rating (industry clients are, of course, becoming increasingly carbon-conscious, and with energy analysis aspects of building information modelling, BIM, this is likely to grow further). Perhaps SouthFacing might look to license its technology to one or more of the established SaaS construction collaboration vendors vendors to extend its reach, expand adoption of the BREEAM approach, and integrate it into project-wide collaborative working?

(PS: Like me, you can also follow @TrackerPlus on Twitter.)

Just over six months since the Scandinavian business opened an office in India, it is now starting an operation in southern Africa, where it sees great potential and is apparently in discussion with municipalities in Johannesburg and Cape Town (among others).

For a start, Trimble’s existing strengths, as a I wrote last week, are largely focused on site-based processes, including GPS, optical and 3D laser-scanning, and it has been growing its BIM capabilities through acquisition of businesses such as Tekla (July 2011) – often cited by contractors for its use in structural clash detection. The deal provides a potential migration path from simple 3D design to the more advanced capabilities within the Tekla portfolio. SketchUp is a no- and low-cost application already widely used in construction businesses to help people learn the rudiments of BIM, and to access a substantial library of 3D objects – the 3D Warehouse – built up by Google over the past six years and integrated with Google Earth.

The importance of the object library should not be under-estimated (for the foreseeable future, Google says it will “host and operate the 3D Warehouse for Trimble and together the companies will continue to offer the same capabilities, functions and services that are offered today”). Trimble/Tekla is also one of the backers of the Open BIM initiative, launched last month (post), and there is growing competition to help product manufacturers and suppliers create BIM objects so that their proprietary products are specified during the design process and incorporated into models (last week’s CIMCIG BIM conference in London, at which I gave a BIM overview, highlighted the emergence of several BIM service providers – eg: BIMStore, National BIM Library – in this field, and it was certainly hotly discussed among the construction product marketers present).

While Trimble may not be focused on the millions (c. 30m?) of casual users of the free version of SketchUp, the paid-for Professional version (at $495 a tenth the cost of some rival BIM applications) has a substantial user base among construction professionals. The deal also strengthens the potential of its project management tools in an increasingly mobile working environment (the Meridian business was acquired by Trimble in late 2006 – post). Enterprise-strength BIM collaboration and workflow among a wider group of professionals, facilitated by and accessed via different devices and platforms, is feasibly within Trimble’s reach.

Depending on your location and definitions, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) market is worth around 10-13% of global GDP. Moreover, the industry is in the midst of a transition from processes built around old-style 2D design towards building information modelling (BIM). At first sight, Google, it seems, has opted out of technologies that could have allowed it to relate detailed supply chain data to the needs of numerous construction businesses and their clients, handing the opportunity, instead, to Trimble. But, maybe, it figured that SketchUp was on the periphery of this particular market (overshadowed by the outputs of AEC modelling software vendors such as Autodesk, Bentley, Graphisoft, etc?) and decided to hand this ‘problem child’ to a carer with more domain expertise?

Hobbyist users of SketchUp may not be easily accommodated, but Trimble has extensive experience in the AEC sector, and is potentially more committed to developing its capabilities for professionals in this sector. Moreover, Meridian Proliance and Prolog are strong project management applications, and with SketchUp and its development team as part of the Trimble portfolio could be even stronger as the AEC sector moves towards BIM. The deal could also help Trimble take its Meridian applications beyond their US-based heartland – SketchUp has more international adoption and could persuade its users to look at other elements of the Trimble portfolio. Trimble also has good experience in GPS/GIS – so there is potential to link its new 3D modelling capabilities to specific locations. And (updated 27 April 2012), via Twitter, Joe Croser has suggested Trimble could also see SketchUp as its entrance to the AEC market for 3D laser scan visualisation and modelling.

I will try to unboggle my mind a bit more over the coming days regarding this step-change….

As before, the event showcases new technologies for how buildings are designed and how different stakeholders can be engaged in the process. Using cloud-based collaborative working platforms, and relying on information published in interoperable formats, the event is open to world-wide participation, and will coincide with a BuildingSMART International event in London.

This year’s event is prominently branded with the ‘Open BIM’ logo. The BuildingSMART ‘Open BIM’ initiative, backed in the UK by Constructing Excellence and by vendors Tekla, Graphisoft and Nemetschek Vectorworks (all BLL headline sponsors, while Synchro – headed by former Asite CEO Tom Dengenis – is a Silver Sponsor) was announced last month. Registration as a participant or observer is free.

Two topics in construction IT are currently almost guaranteed to attract good event audiences: building information modelling (BIM) and mobile IT.

Winning with BIM

The UK government’s strategy to promote BIM as a means to better collaboration, lower project costs and carbon reduction, and setting a target for achievement by 2016, has concentrated construction professionals’ minds, and since the end of 2010 events about BIM have been sold-out, standing-room-only affairs up and down the country. This week, the topic has been extended by CIMCIG (the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s construction industry group) whose “Winning with BIM” conference in London on Wednesday is looking at the marketing implications of BIM (disclosure: I am a speaker at this event).

Making IT mobile

Riding the mobile IT wave is COMIT, with whom I have been occasionally involved since the mid-2000s. Over the past year, the organisation has been restructured, given a more commercial edge, and has begun to work with partners to further develop construction industry interest in mobile information and communication technologies – some of which interface with BIM. On this topic, COMIT ran a successful mobile IT event in London last November, and it was involved with a sell-out Building Centre/Woobius Built Environment Apps Awards event last month.

With Constructing Excellence, COMIT was also a partner for a mobile IT event in London next month, but the 25 May event has just been postponed (I learned through a COMIT email received this morning), despite the surge of industry interest in the topic. Why?

Well, it seems the event was being organised by ICT4Construction, whose previous conferences on document management in October 2010 and on construction collaboration in March 2011 have been criticised by me and others for inadequate marketing and organisation. I understand from COMIT that, despite the event being just five weeks away, no contract had been signed with the London venue, no event sponsorships were in place, and – apart from the organiser’s website and some emails (with a mispelt flyer, see above) – almost no event marketing had taken place. To the relief of COMIT and no doubt other event participants (which included several COMIT members), following a crunch meeting on Friday morning, organiser Recep Saffet apparently cancelled the event over the weekend, avoiding a marketing and PR disaster for partners and those due to speak.

First Strategy folded

Upon hearing the news, I had a look at the ICT4Construction website, which confirms the event has been cancelled. The website’s “small print” suggests disorganisation extends a little further. The website footer mentions an Orpington-based company called First Strategy Communications Ltd, which was incorporated in October 2008 with Recep Saffet (previously involved with BTC’s Construction Computing Show 2007) as its sole director. Its Companies House records suggest it never traded (it submitted ‘dormant’ 2009 accounts in September 2010), but it received payments relating to the October 2010 event (the PDF brochure stated: “Make cheque payable to ‘First Strategy Communications Ltd’”), and I have spoken to sponsors from the March 2011 event who told me they also paid the company. In November 2011, the company was served with notice that it could be struck-off, and the company was formally dissolved on 14 February 2012.

Due diligence

I organise, participate in, attend, tweet from, live-blog, photograph and write about events frequently (here is a blog post about a social and mobile business event I attended earlier this year, for example). Event management is a key discipline for successful marketeers and PR professionals, and is often done in partnership with other businesses. In the construction sector, there are many experienced individuals and businesses running major exhibitions and conferences, but I think the ICT4Construction example shows that care may be needed with less well-known organisers. However good the subject or the programme, potential event partners, sponsors, speakers and delegates might be advised to check the background and track record of the people or companies behind the event, and – especially with the emergence of social media feedback – perhaps review any online reviews (via blogs, Twitter, etc) there might be about previous events they have organised.

[This is a slightly expanded version of a blog post originally published on my PR blog.]

Clippings will allow firms to use their design portfolio to connect them with potential clients and find new work, offering four ways to help:

1. Add your company information & portfolio to get clients inspired by your work and ringing on your door
2. Get your whole team clipping inspirational images and broadcasting your style to build a loyal following.
3. We’ll match and connect you with new clients who like your style.
4. Use our private & collaborative folders to communicate design & product ideas with existing clients more effectively.

The final point is the interesting one, as it suggests Clippings is moving into the AEC collaboration sector. Of course, Clippings is mainly about sharing images (which could include photos, sketches, plans, elevations, etc), whereas the types of construction collaboration I have tended to be look at go well beyond document sharing to include feedback via commenting and mark-up, and a wide range of project delivery processes. Two ideas occur:

1. Perhaps Clippings could extend its private ‘collaboration’ to include some simple feedback exchanges between project team members? It might integrate with or link to existing Software-as-a-Service platforms such as, say, Woobius Collaboration – designed by architects for architects, and initially marketed as “simply simple” collaboration (post), or even Woobius’s latest venture: its Showcase mobile company apps?
2. Conversely, perhaps existing collaboration technology vendors might adopt a Clippings-type approach, and allow design firms to share files and market themselves via their platforms? This might be a useful additional revenue stream; Asite, for example, already provides a company directory, but it is nowhere near as glossy as that offered by Clippings (at least, not yet!).

[This is an edited version of a blog post originally published on my PR blog.]