Computing giant, IBM recently announced that it is teaming up to develop OpenBuilt, a new construction platform, aimed at helping architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry professionals and their supply chains stay connected. The platform will be co-developed by IBM, Red Hat and Cobuilder in partnership with co-founding companies Cemex, EDIN Network, Backe, SOL Services and Element Materials Technology.
OpenBuilt is built on Red Hat OpenShift, a hybrid cloud solution. It runs on IBM Cloud, IBM’s cloud platform, and Cobuilder's information technology (IT) platform for construction data management.
OpenBuilt is designed to allow companies across the global build environment and construction industry to securely connect their current technology platforms and digital solutions to partners, suppliers or subcontractors in their supply chain through a single integration hub.
Furthermore, OpenBuilt aims to help companies in the built environment, including architects, building material suppliers, manufacturers, construction and engineering firms, meet the challenges faced by the construction industry, such as project delays, cost and material waste. OpenBuilt is designed to improve a company’s digital strategy and enable them to explore more effective ways of working.
The construction industry partners—Cemex, EDIN Network, Backe, SOL Services and Element Materials Technology —will help shape the capabilities of the platform.
IBM Invades Autodesk, Bentley Territory
Should Autodesk and Bentley Systems be concerned in terms of competition? Perhaps. The OpenBuilt platform has a lot of successful backers.
At first, people may have wondered why IBM would choose to enter the construction management market, but it’s not completely outlandish. IBM offers the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for facilities management in addition to its IBM Maximo for Civil Infrastructure. Plus, it has a joint digital twin service/solution with Siemens. Thus, this move on IBM’s part starts to make sense.
As for the current co-founding players backing OpenBuilt, each has plenty to contribute.
CEMEX, founded in 1906 in Northern Mexico, has a century’s worth of experience to contribute. The company is a global building materials company that produces cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and related building materials in more than 50 countries. CEMEX USA earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2019 and 2020. The company brings in billion-dollar revenues.
"This collaboration is a strategic initiative that will enable greater productivity and open up new opportunities to increase our customers’ satisfaction," said Fernando Gonzalez, CEMEX CEO. "We continue to lead the digital transformation in the industry with the support of leading partners, leveraging on their expertise, innovation and advanced IT services to deliver game-changing solutions."
Backe, a family-owned construction and property development company from Norway, has more than 70 years of experience in the Norwegian construction market. The company also brings in significant revenues, reporting 4.5 billion NOK (USD$540 million) for 2020.
"We are proud to partner with IBM and other leading brands to explore a global digital platform for the construction industry that will allow us to analyze, use and share data in new ways," said Eirik Gjelsvik, Backe CEO. “The OpenBuilt platform will facilitate collaboration among suppliers and partners, improve productivity, and help us meet coming regulations for documentation of the carbon footprint along the entire value chain. Backlogs in the industry are affected by market uncertainty due to COVID-19 effects. Going forward, digitalization and smarter ways of working will be keys to ensuring cost efficiency, sustainability as well as attractiveness among prospective employees.”
Newcomer EDIN Network is a global networking and exchange platform for building industry executives and a think tank for manufacturers, distributors, service providers and AEC stakeholders. EDIN aims to bring together industry stakeholders in an effort to help the construction industry to develop a safe, sustainable and productive built environment. Since its inception in 2016, EDIN Network has rapidly grown to become one of the largest alliances to discuss trends and stimulate transformation in the construction industry and represent members with a combined turnover of EUR€23 billion. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg.
"We are convinced that OpenBuilt will drive interoperability, facilitate data exchange and enable businesses to automate their processes without the need for complex and bespoke software development,” said Philippe Hardt, EDIN Network founder. “This will unleash a wave of innovation in the industry, enabling new business models and transforming productivity. It will enable members using our OpenBuilt-powered incubator to explore new ways to gain control of their data, monetize their data and engage customers in new ways without having to start from scratch. We are incredibly excited about the forthcoming era of transformation and our central role in shaping it."
England-based SOL Services was formed in 2003 and is a major building and contracting company that specialize in commercial projects and fit outs. The company provides a full range of construction, refurbishment and maintenance solutions, and facilities management services. Some of its customers include Virgin Media, Red Bull Racing and Cancer Research UK.
"We saw the opportunity and recognized the need for a technology platform to pull the construction world together,” said Nigel Burdett, Sol Services director. “With the organizations involved in the development of this product, I have total confidence it will be the direction of construction for the future.”
The oldest of the bunch, with roots dating to the early 1800s, is Element Materials Technology. It provides testing, inspection and certification services for a diverse range of materials, products and technologies in advanced industrial supply chains. Based in the UK, the company delivers an extensive range of solutions to customers in the construction industry and recently launched Element Digital Engineering, a new business focused on engineering simulation, modeling, data science and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve complex industrial challenges.
Jo Wetz, Element Materials Technology CEO, said, "Element is delighted to be a founding partner of OpenBuilt, a digital marketplace for the construction industry with quality at its core. OpenBuilt will enable greater transparency for all stakeholders involved in a building's life cycle, increase confidence in the procurement of services for the built environment, and help ensure that the testing and certification of materials and products is central to the digital transformation of the sector."
Engineering.com also reached out to IBM for comment.
“OpenBuilt is currently being co-developed,” said Paul Surin, global lead, BIM/Built Environment, IBM Global Business Services. “Co-development will initially focus on three key areas. One, establishing OpenBuilt to enable construction companies to adopt a hybrid cloud approach and connect their supply chain. Two, integrating Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to make an array of software and services accessible. Three, developing new flagship applications including a solution that will enable organizations to search, filter and sort building product technical data.”
Here’s a look at some of the specifics of the three key areas.
- Establish OpenBuilt using Red Hat OpenShift and running on IBM Cloud to enable construction companies to adopt a hybrid cloud approach and connect their supply chain. Through the platform, AEC professionals and stakeholders will have access to a wide library of pre-integrated applications from trusted companies and solution providers operating in the built environment. This foundation of open-source software, security leadership and enterprise-grade infrastructure is designed to support companies hosting mission-critical workloads, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems on the platform. To maintain consistent technical language, OpenBuilt will use Cobuilder's Data Templates to structure all data in a way that allows for machine readability and interoperability with existing and future systems. Users will be able to build and deploy intelligent workflows using an intuitive drag and drop interface, making application development highly accessible to the industry.
- Integrate ISVs to make an array of software and services accessible. IBM solutions, including Watson, Maximo, TRIRIGA, next-generation Keep IoT Trivial (KITT) dictionary, IBM Blockchain and Salesforce open APIs, will be integrated into the platform during the development to enable users to build functionality into their intelligent workflows. Industry integrations can then be developed ranging from building information modeling (BIM) and digital twin solutions with 3D Repo and digital project management solutions by Asite, in addition to accessing Facilio’s data-driven property operations and maintenance services. Users will also be able to find and research building products for specification with SpecifiedBy and gain AI-powered health and safety advice from Intuety.
- Develop new flagship applications, including a solution that will enable organizations to search, filter and sort building product technical data. This will allow companies to quickly find materials with the right specification to design, build or maintain buildings that meet industry guidelines such as functional, safety and environmental performance requirements. Cobuilder's data dictionary solution Define will be among the fundamental technologies enabling the use of a common language within the initial OpenBuilt flagship applications.
In terms of timing and availability of the platform, Surin said, “We have not yet announced when it will be available. The development will be the focus for the rest of this year, and we will provide regular updates to the industry so they can keep track of progress.”
IBM welcomes industry professionals to join and help transform the construction industry through OpenBuilt.
“We are always keen to hear from companies who would like to discuss OpenBuilt and how they could be part of the initiative,“ Surin said. “Companies are encouraged to get in touch to hear more about how they could be part of the initiative.”
Maybe it’s not too late for companies like Autodesk or Bentley to get involved. Perhaps, Newforma, which makes Project Information Management (PIM) solutions and currently collaborates with many industry giants, wants to get on the bandwagon too as IBM expands its horizons.