Maximising Project Efficiency and Reducing Risks through MEP Coordination

Key Takeaways from Melbourne’s Field Day 2024

Recently, we hosted our final Field Day event of 2024 in Melbourne, bringing together industry professionals to explore the future of construction collaboration. With a focus on maximising project efficiency and reducing risks through MEP coordination, the event featured insightful presentations from top experts Corey Clasen (Revizto), Brendan Upton (AMCA Australia), Siavash Malek (John Holland), and Jason Howden (Revizto). Below are the key themes and takeaways from the event.

Key Themes and Insights

1. Revizto is a tool for everyone in construction

Corey Clasen, Implementation Success Manager for MEP trades in North America, opened the event by showing how construction professionals, including subcontractors in the field, can leverage Revizto to improve workflows. 

Corey emphasised the importance of collaboration.

Coordination is where Revizto really shines, especially on complex projects. What makes it different is how it creates a single hub where everyone – designers, contractors, field crews – can work from the same information in real time.

Corey Clasen

Implementation Success Manager

Revizto

He demonstrated how Revizto can streamline various tasks for MEP subcontractors, such as issue tracking, site inspections, accessing installation drawings, and simplifying orders and deliveries on-site. Corey also showed how the Revizto app efficiently documents safety issues in the field.

Recognising that adopting a new tool can feel daunting, Corey encouraged attendees to focus on small, meaningful improvements, rather than overhauling entire workflows. “Start small. Focus on the one or two features that will give you immediate results.” To support users, Revizto offers resources through its RED Academy, making it easier for teams to get started and see immediate value. 

Corey’s takeaway was clear: “Revizto isn’t just a tool for architects or engineers, it’s a game-changer for all of us.”

2. The importance of standards in BIM

Next, Brendan Upton, Senior Consultant for AMCA, highlighted a key challenge in the industry: the inconsistent use of standards in BIM. Although many standards exist, they are often underutilised, leading to inefficiencies. 

Brendan emphasised the importance of adopting consistent industry standards and workflows to improve project efficiency, collaboration, and consistency. Echoing Corey’s advice, Brendan encouraged BIM users to start small.

Don’t reinvent the wheel – it doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead, have some consistent standards in place, such as consistent naming and colours.

Brendan Upton

Senior Consultant

AMCA

He also highlighted the importance of utilising standards at the start of a project: “Getting it right from the start helps you to get those time and cost savings and efficiencies quickly.”

Brendan also introduced BIM-MEP Aus, an initiative aimed at developing best-practice standards and workflows for the Australian building services industry. He shared that both Revizto’s own templates and BIM-MEP Aus templates are now available in Revizto’s workspace. For guidance on implementing these standards, please reach out to Duncan Sharpe, Implementation Service Manager at Revizto.

3. Involve non-BIM users in your process

Siavash Malek, Digital Engineering Manager at John Holland, delivered an insightful presentation on integrating technology into construction workflows. Sharing case studies from some of Australia’s most complex projects, such as the $580M Victorian Heart Hospital and the Thomas Embling Hospital Expansion, Siavash highlighted the critical role of BIM in uniting stakeholders.

Central to Siavash’s message was the importance of making BIM accessible to non-BIM users. He also identified the risks of relying on spreadsheets to organise project data.

The use of spreadsheets is very common in our industry. Team members often have their own copies of data, they filter data in a specific way, and some don’t even understand what data they’ve inherited. At times, that can have large consequences for the project and the team.

Siavash Malek

Digital Engineering Manager

John Holland

One key case study he shared involved using Revizto to enhance on-site processes. In this project, QR codes were placed on furniture pieces, enabling removalist teams to scan the codes with an iPad to determine the correct installation locations. Siavash explained: “Using Revizto’s QR code capabilities, we are able to make BIM more relevant to what’s happening on site.”

Siavash emphasised the importance of involving non-BIM users in your digital workflows for improved collaboration and efficiency. He concluded: “It’s so important to involve non-BIM users in your digitisation process.”

Stay tuned for a full breakdown of this case study, coming soon! 

4. Revizto 5.15 and future enhancements

The final presentation came from Jason Howden, Chief Innovation Officer at Revizto, who provided insights into the latest updates and the future roadmap of Revizto. 

Jason highlighted the major enhancements introduced in Revizto’s 5.15 update, particularly the revamped Scheduler, which allows teams to automate key processes.

With our new Scheduler, you can automate uploads of information to Revizto while you are sleeping. Run clash detection while you are sleeping. Sync with issue tracker while you are sleeping.

Jason Howden

Chief Innovation Officer

Revizto

He also shared improvements to PDF exports and enhanced functionality for Revizto’s Site App for iPad devices, improving efficiency for teams working in the field. Looking ahead, Jason shared exciting plans for future updates, including enhancements to permissions, 2D drawings, and API integrations. 

In addition to these exciting product enhancements, Jason highlighted the value of Revizto’s RED Academy, a platform designed to help users build their skills, achieve certification, and maximise the potential of Revizto. 

Jason also encouraged attendees to use Revizto Templates in their projects to streamline processes and standardise workflows: “You can set up a project in 5 minutes.”

Jason’s takeaway was clear: “Revizto is so much more than a model viewer or a coordination tool. It’s an integrated collaboration platform.”

Building better together

The Melbourne Field Day 2024 was an exciting dive into the future of construction collaboration. From enhancing MEP workflows for subcontractors to advocating for the adoption of consistent BIM standards, the event demonstrated how technology and streamlined processes are key to tackling the complexities of modern projects. Whether you’re an architect, designer, or subcontractor, the key takeaway is the same: Revizto is a powerful tool that streamlines workflows across all stages of construction.

Stay Ahead of the Curve: Register for a Field Day event

Revizto Field Days are free in-person events that bring together the local AEC community to network and learn. Register today to hear how other industry experts leverage Revizto to maximise their workflows, as well as industry-specific best practices and case studies.