The category for Best Use of Tech in Property looks for companies who are embracing, investing, and creating new technologies to improve efficiency, speed up production and bring sector-wide benefits. 

With a bold vision for organising the world’s building information to enable the creation of more efficient environments for everyone, Operance is fusing award-winning industry building information modelling expertise with ground-breaking technology. 

“We’ve been developing our own pioneering software to define, curate, audit and maintain building operations and maintenance (O&M) information,” says Scott Pilgrim, Chief Product Officer at Operance.  

“Our vision to create a digital ‘golden thread’ of lifecycle information is completely aligned to that of new building and fire safety legislation aimed at preventing another disaster like Grenfell, it’s imperative leading industry professionals come together in this way to drive fundamental and lasting change.”

Tom Oulton and Scott Pilgrim (Photo: Shaun Flannery)

Operance’s new information management platform, Operance O&M, is a purpose-built desktop application designed to help estates teams, developers and operators request operations and maintenance information to help manage new facilities and assets. It enables designers, contractors and project managers to semi-automate the coordination and checking of the data, making it easier to hand over. End-users can then search, share, edit and update the information from the palm of their hand thanks to their Operance FM mobile application.  

The solution provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information, the ‘golden thread’. 

Operance’s Digital Transformation Lead, Tom Oulton, one of the country’s leading BIM professionals said: “We’re on the cusp of revolutionary change to the design, construction and management of our built environment. 

“Following Grenfell, we must take this opportunity to work collectively to ensure it’s never repeated. This is a chance to affect change that we must not let pass us by.” 

“The whole team is thrilled to be shortlisted for Best Use of Tech in Property by Insider Yorkshire,” Scott adds. 

“We can’t wait to celebrate with all those shortlisted across the various categories in September, they are some of the most exciting property companies in our region.” 

Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2021 takes place on Thursday 30 September 2021 at New Dock Hall, Leeds.  

To arrange a demo of the Operance O&M software, call Tom Oulton on 07735 123166 or drop him an email at tom.oulton@operance.app. 

O&M files have been traditionally created and stored in ring binders and describe the components of the building, how it was designed and built and how it should be looked after. However, many companies realised that finding information this way was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

Businesses then started to digitise information, saving information to PDF files in digital folders, CDs and memory sticks, and eventually in common data environments (CDEs) and BIM models supplemented with COBie data.

The challenge then is to bring it all together in one easy format and enable anyone to update it all, at any time, from anywhere.

As a result of the mixed formats of information, it’s common for O&M data to be stored in a variety of places, rather than in one place that’s easy to access. 

For example, some information could be stored on a memory stick and others in the cloud, while another file could live in the office on a shelf. 

The inability to find information relating to what, when, where, who, why and how your facilities are designed, built and maintained results in a lack of ownership, accountability and sustainability. 

While the industry has slowly adopted digital, the data still remains largely unusable because the digital systems have become just another dumping ground for information. 

It’s not easy for someone to search and find what they need, so the information becomes obsolete and isn’t used for the purpose it’s intended for.  The addition of so many formats now accentuates this problem further, meaning that whilst the client and users are getting more information, it is becoming of less value due to the lack of ability to search through the information as one.

Just because you’ve ‘digitalised’ your traditional paper O&Ms, it doesn’t necessarily make them any smarter.

First you had paper O&Ms, then you had Digital O&M’s, but don’t be fooled into thinking they are any smarter than paper, it’s still an array of information that can still be difficult to search, share, edit and maintain with no way of easily transferring and keeping up to date with Computer-Aided Facilities Management  (CAFM) platforms.

PDF’s, Microsoft Office documents and others are often inefficient and ineffective in helping manage planned and preventative maintenance. You still, for instance, have the issue of transferring data from one format into your chosen platform for a start, which is more often than not, a manual exercise taking up many hours of resource. Neither can the information be requested and coordinated through supply-chain management solutions or audited efficiently through Common Data Environments (CDE) tied into your latest BIM models.

With more pressure on estate owners and facilities managers to provide a Golden Thread of building and fire safety information means a radical change is needed in developing O&M. 

Owners need to invest in transforming how they request, store and maintain their digital building information to avoid non-compliance, penalties and danger to life. 

At Operance, we’re providing software and support services to those wanting to digitise their O&Ms and make them smarter for your organisation. 

By replacing paper-based files, bringing everything into one place and building quality information that is standardised, accurate and accessible, our O&M management software aims to create safer, more efficient buildings and environments.

Built by construction people for construction people, Operance really is paving the way for a new breed of O&Ms. Operance is a new generation CDE, supply-chain database, CAFM system, golden thread log and asset management solution in one.

The government has published its Construction Playbook, setting out key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes should be assessed, procured, and delivered.

Crucially it advocates accelerating the digitisation of construction, promoting the further development of building information modelling (BIM), and embedding technologies such as digital twins and the UK BIM Framework.

Building on the government’s Construction 2025 Strategy and the National Infrastructure Strategy, the Playbook has seven key aims:

1. Set clear and appropriate outcome-based specifications
2. Favour longer-term contracting across portfolios
3. Standardise designs, components and interfaces
4. Drive innovation and modern methods of construction
5. Create sustainable, contracting arrangements for better outcomes
6. Strengthen financial assessment of suppliers just in case things go wrong
7. Increase project and programme delivery.

Sounds brilliant – but how do we do it? Setting out these aims is one thing, delivering them is quite another. Handily, the Construction Playbook provides 14 specific policies for improvement, which I’ve reviewed and rated:

1. Commercial pipelines – details of future projects and programmes published 3 to 5 years ahead of requirement. Awesome. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. Market health and capability assessments – fantastic idea, but tricky to achieve. It requires buy-in not just from industry but from education too. Who is going to provide the new skills being called for? Schools, colleges and universities need to play along too – please don’t just launch another STEM initiative! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. Portfolios and longer-term contracting – standardising elements of design to support investment in MMC is a fantastic idea! Aligned to a transparent pipeline, this could really help the industry justify inward investment, though there’s the concern longer-term contracts could freeze out innovative solutions from agile SMEs and start-ups. As long as innovation isn’t stifled, this could be of benefit. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4. Harmonise, digitise and rationalise demand – excellent! This is all about using digital tools to aid collaboration, interoperability, cross-sector cooperation and just generally being better! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. Further embed digital technologies – BOOM! Advocating BIM and the Centre for Digital Built Britain as starting points to head into the exciting world of digital twins and empowered data use. More of this please! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. Early supply chain involvement – err… yes. Of course. Advocating certainty in project procurement and delivery just makes sense. Why wait to the last minute? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Outcome-based approach – focusing on the wider themes of “why” rather than the traditional, transactional “what” is definitely the way forward. It fits in with the Flourishing Systems ethos and makes us consider the benefits delivered by a project, not just the finished product. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8. Delivery model assessments – the document provides a well-articulated six-point plan to determine the best delivery model, then lays out five strategic approaches that are designed to deliver the best client outcome in each scenario. Having this clear process in place can only support the Playbook in achieving its desired outcomes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9. Benchmarking and Should Cost Models – I won’t lie, “Should Cost Model” is a new one on me. It’s the anticipated whole-life cost of the project but robust benchmarking against centralised data to support decision making is just common sense. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10. Effective contracting – there are no big changes or innovative insights into contracts. NEC, JCT and PPC2000 are all advocated with the usual add-on clauses. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. Risk allocation – risk should not be distributed to the supply chain without consideration, as it often flows downhill. With a good explanation of risk in the commercial lifecycle, the Playbook advocates active risk management to avoid inappropriate allocation of risk. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. Payment mechanism and pricing approach – taking a holistic approach to procurement to focus on outcomes and value is advised. There is a list of ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’ which seem obvious but, by their inclusion, obviously aren’t. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
13. Assessing the economic and financial standing of suppliers – prompt and digital payment processes are advocated but the document stops short of detailing terms. Financial due diligence during the selection process is advised – no one wants to see another Carillion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. Resolution planning – with Carillion in mind, there’s a whole section on mitigating the impact of a major insolvency. Sadly, in the current climate, this section is worth having. Project Bank Accounts are advocated unless there are compelling reasons not to use them. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Construction Playbook goes on to describe some key points for good contract management and advocates building and maintaining supply chain relationships, all of which will be music to the ears of the SMEs who make up the bulk of our industry.

Last, but by no means least, there’s a chapter describing the transition to operation – advocating early preparation and adoption of a government soft landings approach, as well as transparent evaluation of projects and programmes success. This chapter could almost be the Playbook for Operance.

I’m aware I’ve just written a fluffy love-in of a piece about the Construction Playbook but I’m fine with that. I’m sure there will be Eeyore’s waiting in the wings, ready to undermine the vision laid out, and yes, there could have been more on carbon but hopefully, even the naysayers will see the benefits of the document.

The Construction Playbook puts digital construction front and centre for our industry and provides a solid foundation on which we can build our future.

Scott Pilgrim   scott.pilgrim@bimsense.co.uk   0113 3281282   Twitter   LinkedIn

The Golden Thread of building safety information is a digital document containing an accurate and up-to-date record of building data that spans the entire lifecycle of old and new facilities.

The term featured heavily in the final report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which was led by Dame Judith Hackett in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

New building legislation requires developers to provide this Golden Thread of information, which spans the entire lifecycle of old and new facilities.

Whilst this new demand for a breadth and depth of information places additional pressure on developers, housing associations and estate managers, the Golden Thread helps us to create safer, more efficient spaces for people to live – which, in our eyes, can only be a positive outcome.

But what does the Golden Thread mean for you and how are you going to deliver it?

We’ve outlined everything you need to know about the Golden Thread in this article below, alternatively, here’s a short video explainer…

The responsibility of the Golden Thread changes as the project progresses through two different phases: the Design and Construction Phase and the Occupational Phase.

During the Design and Construction phase, the development of the Golden Thread of building information is the responsibility of the ‘Dutyholder’.

The dutyholder may be fulfilled by either an individual or an organisation/legal entity. A dutyholder can hold more than one role in a building project. Some examples of dutyholders include:

• Client
• Principal Designer
• Designer
• Principal Contractor
• Contractor
• Building Safety Manager

The information gathered by the project team is verified by the dutyholder at the end of specific ‘Gateways’ during and at the end of the Design and Construction phase.

The dutyholder must present the Golden Thread when registering the building with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) so they can successfully obtain a Building Assurance Certificate (BAC).

The responsibility for the Golden Thread changes when you reach the Occupation Phase of the project.

The ongoing development of the information package throughout its lifecycle becomes the responsibility of a new dutyholder who becomes the named ‘Accountable Person (AP)‘.

They are responsible for registering existing and new occupied buildings and applying for a Building Assurance Certificate and is required to comply with all the statutory obligations on an ongoing basis.

The AP is the dutyholder during the Occupation phase. They may be an individual, partnership or corporate body and there may be more than one Accountable Person for a building.

The AP nominates a Building Safety Manager (BSM) to continue maintaining and updating the information to record the ongoing safety of the building.

The BSM can be either an individual or organisation that must have the organisational capability and relevant skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building.

Find out more about who is responsible for your Golden Thread: Access the guide.

Learn more about who you should appoint as your dutyholder and accountable person (AP).

The Golden Thread is required for all high-rise buildings (HRB) – residential buildings with a height of 18 metres or more.

In the future, this is likely to extend to include smaller buildings and asset-specific information.

Every time a building is changed or maintained, information reflecting those changes needs to be recorded.

The Golden Thread of building information is currently being defined as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) sponsored ‘Golden Thread Initiative’ project.

The Operance team is invited to participate in the project and share our experience and software to help define the information requirements and provide the first working example for the Golden Thread.

The final requirements of the Golden Thread will be defined in secondary legislation.

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What we know now is that your Golden Thread needs to contain accurate, up-to-date information about the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of buildings.

It’s likely that the legislation will require information about:

• Building Safety
• Fire Safety
• Structural Safety

However, it’s anticipated that, over time, more information will be required, such as Asset Information for assets that don’t fall within one of the above categories.

The Golden Thread is essentially a digital way of working that enables a systematic, controlled approach to construction, refurbishment and management of occupied buildings, to manage building safety information.

The best way to comply is to create a standardised digital package to make sure all your buildings and the assets within your estates develop uniform building safety information.

We’d recommend creating and controlling this data at the component level (the assets and elements of which make up the building) in three ways:

• What – What information is required. Use templates and checklists to define and audit standardised information.
• When – The timing of when and who supplies the information. Software platforms such as Operance O&M linked to master project programmes need to be used to plan and coordinate your information in a timely manner.
• Where – Where the information is stored. Implement an easy-to-use, open format and non-proprietary software (meaning that information and data can be easily accessed and shared between other digital platforms).

The specifics of what you need to include in your Golden Thread depends on the phase of your project. Below is a breakdown of the two Golden Thread phases and specific gateways at which you need to supply information.

Before construction can commence, the dutyholder must submit key Golden Thread information to the Building Safety Regulator.

This information includes but is not exclusive to:

• Specifications – detailed construction products, materials and component information, including important fire performance capabilities.
• Plans relating to how fire and structural safety risks will be managed.
• Models – digital 3D BIM representations of the building ‘as planned’.
• Fire Statement – details on fire service access and fire fighting water accessibility, which forms the foundation of the fire and emergency file.
• Construction Control Plan – how compliance with Building Regulations will be achieved and how changes will be controlled and recorded.

Major changes affecting any of the above items in relation to safety need to be agreed upon with the principal designer and client and approved by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in advance.

In order to obtain and validate the information in a timely manner, the new Building Safety Bill process includes the introduction of three ‘Gateways‘:

• Gateway 1: before achieving planning permission.
• Gateway 2: before construction begins.
• Gateway 3: before handover.

The gateways are compliance ‘hard stops’, which require the responsible dutyholder to demonstrate to the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) how they are actively managing risk. If they do not adequately comply, the BSR can stop the project from proceeding to the next stage of development.

The gateways during the Concept, Design and Construction phases align with the eight RIBA Plan of Works 2020 stages as follows:

The key golden thread information listed above must be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before the planning application is submitted.

The updated key Golden Thread information listed above must then be re-submitted to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before construction begins.

The updated key information is again presented by the dutyholder. Once the final gateway approval certificate is obtained, the Design and Construction phase dutyholer hands over their specific duties to the Accountable Person (AP). This ensures that the regulatory requirements beyond the gateways are met during the next stage: the Occupation Phase.

With all the information updated and reviewed throughout the Design and Construction Phase, the Golden Thread is presented to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for review. Once satisfied, the BSR issues a Building Assurance Certificate (BAC), which permits occupation.

Note: This certificate could include certain conditions, such as requiring last-minute test certificates before a certain date. The certificate and safety case (identification of hazards and how to control inherent risks) is subject to review every five years.

Your responsibility for the Golden Thread never stops. It’s an ever-evolving process that spans across the facility’s full life story.

The Golden Thread is not something you can develop and complete, you can not employ someone to create it and ‘hand it over’. In fact, the recording and updating of building safety information continue up until the final decommissioning and demolition of the building.

Our ‘Operance 4-Step Golden Thread Plan’ breaks down the process of developing the golden thread and in doing start creating a digital estate into four simple, easy to follow steps.

Note: This certificate could include certain conditions, such as requiring last-minute test certificates before a certain date. The certificate and safety case (identification of hazards and how to control inherent risks) is subject to review every five years.

Your responsibility for the Golden Thread never stops. It’s an ever-evolving process that spans across the facility’s full life story.

The Golden Thread is not something you can develop and complete, you can not employ someone to create it and ‘hand it over’. In fact, the recording and updating of building safety information continue up until the final decommissioning and demolition of the building.

Step 1 – Define:

To help organisations take the first step, our Operance information managers develop your organisation information requirements. They help understand your owners, operators and occupiers in-use information needs and create a tailored set of requirements using the expected building safety bill requirements as a foundation.

Step 2 – Curate:

Our award-winning Operance BIM team then helps curate your digital building information on both legacy and new buildings ensuring information is accurate, complete and fit for use.

Step 3 – Access:

Operance O&M is the first purpose-built desktop application to define, curate, audit and maintain the golden thread in one place. It is a common data environment (CDE), O&M coordination tool and supply chain database solution in one. It provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information.

Step 4 – Maintain:

Our user-friendly Operance FM mobile application enables owners, operators and occupiers to easily search, share, update and use your building safety and asset information for simple property and facilities management. Our Smart HUG (Home User Guide) extension also enables tenants to access information in line with new building safety legislation.

Bimsense, the company house listed name of Operance has been named the third most exciting tech company in the Business Cloud Tech 50 rankings for Yorkshire and Humberside. Business Cloud provides daily updates on the latest technology and innovation news from the UK and receives approximately 11.8K visitors and 12,974 page impressions per day. Operance, based at the Centre for Digital Innovation [C4DI] in Hull, is one of 6 Hull based businesses to be named in the regionally recognised Tech50 list and is ranked number 1 in Hull. The firm, which recently secured a £250,000 investment and currently undergoing rapid expansion with 10 new employees joining in the next year confirms that this is the first time they have been entered into the Tech 50.

Tim Mutlow, CTO of Operance, said: “I have kept a keen eye on the Tech50 list for a couple of years now. Having seen other familiar C4DI based businesses successfully making the cut, it is clearly one of the strongest regional tech company rankings around”. “Our nomination came as a complete surprise but then receiving as many votes as we did from Business Cloud readers is incredibly humbling and provides an amazing feeling that our team’s creativity and innovation is being recognised in this way.” “It is important to me as CTO that our technology and of course the team behind it, from the UX designers to the developers, and the wider team take the well earned credit for this highly placed ranking. Attempting to organise the world’s building information is not a simple task, I believe you need great people first and foremost in order to build great technology to create something that can be seen as game-changing. “All tech organisations are in a ‘war for talent’ nowadays, so they can attract and retain the best people to build the best products and features for their customers. Being recognised as an exciting tech company obviously helps with this as we build our tech reputation and we can’t wait to show everyone how exciting the future will be too. “Thanks and praise must go to all of the wonderful people who make up the growing Operance family and to our customers whose patronage, loyalty, and constant feedback keeps us passionate that we are doing something amazing and important and keeps us moving forward as a business.”

To speak to one of the team for more information, call 0800 464 3316.

Scott Pilgrim   scott.pilgrim@bimsense.co.uk   0113 3281282   Twitter   LinkedIn

We’re delighted to announce Tom Oulton, one of the country’s leading building information modelling (BIM) professionals, has joined the team as Digital Transformation Lead. Tom is Chair of both the UK Constructing Excellence Digital and Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber best-practice organisations. He also sits on the steering group of the award-winning thinkBIM network of specialists. Tom has left his position of five years as Principal Consultant at global real estate and infrastructure consultancy Turner & Townsend to take on the challenge because he believes Operance has the potential to transform the digital construction industry. He will have a key role in driving forward the adoption of our game-changing technology, which will make buildings safer, healthier and more efficient by creating a digital “golden thread” audit trail of information relating to facilities’ entire history, enabling increased ownership and accountability. The pioneering software will define, coordinate and audit building operations and maintenance (O&M) information via the Operance O&M “Coordinate” web application during the design development and construction stage. It will then provide end users with crucial detail in real time via the Operance CAFM “Operate” mobile app post-handover, ensuring risks are managed through the full lifecycle of buildings.

Tom’s new role will include guiding clients through the process of creating an easy-to-manage virtual estate to improve the safety and efficiency of their buildings. “To me, this genuinely is a game-changer,” he said. “There isn’t anything out there that does what Operance does, in the way it does it. “There are software packages that address some aspects of digital estate management, but nothing that brings it all together on one platform that is easily accessible on the user’s phone. “Operance will take the information from cradle to grave and bring together whole life data management for the built environment. “Crucially, it will benefit those that need it most, including housing associations, schools and hospitals. That’s why I believe this is the perfect move for me.” Following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Hackitt Report was published in May 2018 with 50 recommendations on how to improve the design, build and operation of buildings and facilities to make them safer and more efficient, including creating a digital lifecycle record. A public inquiry into the tragedy is ongoing. “You can’t let a tragedy as terrible as Grenfell happen without it bringing about fundamental change,” said Tom. “You’ve got to break down the system and rebuild it. “Operance is at the very core of this – by defining, curating and managing all the relevant information in the entire lifecycle of a building. Through this software, the concept of the golden thread can now become a reality.”

Based at Hull’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) tech hub, Operance delivers strategic digital transformation and BIM coordination services as well as developing innovative technology products to enable high-quality digital building information for property owners, developers, contractors and end users.

Scott Pilgrim, Chief Product Officer said: “Tom is renowned for fostering relationships and a supportive culture with customers and industry bodies. “His industry knowledge, vision, leadership and commitment to the successful implementation of digital estate initiatives make him stand out among the construction community. His appointment will be of great benefit to clients aiming to extract greater value from their estates.” Tom Oulton is the latest addition to the growing Operance team. Experienced tech business leader and consultant Nigel Hedley recently joined as Chairman, while Developer Paul Mennell has been recruited to the technology team. They have joined existing colleagues Mr Pilgrim, Chief Executive Ian Yeo and Chief Technology Officer Tim Mutlow.

Ian Yeo, CEO said: “It’s important that everyone we employ has a subset of unique skills and new people are able to enhance and challenge our approach. Our recent appointments tick all those boxes.

To speak to one of the team for more information, call 0800 464 3316.

Scott Pilgrim   scott.pilgrim@bimsense.co.uk   0113 3281282   Twitter   LinkedIn