Ynomia - PCE

Project Details

Project - Ynomia

Sector - Commercial

Technology - BIM/Digital

Company - PCE


Project Overview:

An asset tracking system capturing the real time status of every component within the model, via Bluetooth technology, which is then visualised within a digital twin. Gateways auto capture product movement and an easy to use app enables 'in field' teams to capture status and QA data that instantly updates the digital twin. The use of APIs takes advantage of the interoperability between platforms and completes the picture to provide a data capture of the full lifecycle of each element.

We needed to find a way to become more efficient at capturing real time data, by reducing lengthy manual updates and multiple spreadsheets and also to eliminate the risk of human error to ensure data captured was more robust than that captured through our existing digital platforms. We chose to partner with Ynomia, an Australian based  company, who were developing a tag and trace system, for use in construction.

Our aim was to find a solution that would add value to both PCE and to our key stakeholders, both up and down stream. Together we have developed a highly user friendly system that is interoperable with our other project management platforms to give us a true reflection of where we are at any given time, fulfil our 'Golden Thread' obligations and which has also created efficiencies in our business. In the Ynomia platform we are able to see the status of every element within the model, visualised, through a colour coding system, in a digital twin.

The ability to slice the data enables us to drill down by each status to get an instant picture that is relevant to specific users. APIs with our CDE platform enables us to track the status through the design process, covering all key stages, from engineering complete to issued for manufacture. Our supply chain partners attach and link a Bluetooth tag to each unit at the time of manufacture and with the use of a simple app they update the cast date, confirm that a unit has undergone QA checks, finishing is completed and that units have been loaded onto a trailer and are ready for delivery.

Gateways automatically capture the units as they leave the factory and as they arrive at site enabling us to report on planned versus actual and accurately capture any demurrage time. Our site team use the app to capture any damage and they also record the tolerances at the time of instal. One of our key challenges, when we were working to find a solution, was that every platform we reviewed was location based rather than asset based. Due to the level of repeatability of units and space constraints at factories it is not possible for us to ensure that the first unit cast would go into its defined space in the building. Units are stacked as they are cast, so the first cast could be the last delivered. This is where all location based platforms fall down as the data is captured against the location and not against the unit, so the first cast unit has to be installed in its defined space for the platform to work.

Together, with Ynomia, we have found a revolutionary way to apply the data to the unit itself so that when it is installed at site, any data that is captured along the way stays with it giving us a true golden thread for every unit installed.