One of the new use cases I was excited to learn of, was the first time I was told how Dimension10 had been used successfully to win a tendering process.
During many interesting interactions with different types of customers, it has never failed to amaze me how often we hear about new scenarios and use cases.
The more experience our users accumulate, the more areas and project stages Dimension10 seems to encompass.
One of the new use cases I was excited to learn of, was the first time I was told how Dimension10 had been used successfully to win a tendering process.
From early idea and conceptualization to realization and eventual maintenance, it is inspiring to see how users find ways to find value in vr collaboration in all of the above stages.
Along with some stories of customers using Dimension10 to secure funding for new project, the next generation tendering process is one of my favorite examples utilizing our platform in the earliest stages of a construction lifecycle.
Admittedly, many of the arguments presented below can also be made towards general use of vr collaboration. But making these points clear during the tendering process will still give you an edge.
Since people remember things better when experienced in vr - a combination of making these arguments live in Dimension10 to as many decision makers as possible and then referring to these facts on paper is a winning combination. They are very likely to bring this up in internal discussions, and undoubtedly in a positive matter.
Here are some of the benefits Dimension10 brings to the table when bidding for a tender:
Better Communication
You can document statistics and bring a lot of good arguments on paper, detailing all the benefits your company can bring to the table.
When it comes to clear communication and excellent expectation management however, there is nothing that can even come close to the undeniable and immediate sense of clarity a discussion in vr brings to any user that tries it.
Our latest team member and former BIM Manager and XR Leader at AF Anlegg (the civil engineering division of AF Gruppen) Rune Huse Karlstad had this to say :
“Based on experience in the industry the building-user could be an apartment owner, nurse or similar who does not have the experience to transform a 2D drawing into a 3D dimensional space in their head, and fully understand what they are being given when the building is finished. VR removes that barrier and opens up an environment where the user without any experience can look and feel what the proposed design really is.”
I agree with Rune that, although the communication benefits are universal, non-technical people might have the most to gain by communicating through Dimension10.
It is a well known fact that it is hard to get a good understanding and sense of space for a building / area when looking at a paper document. Especially if your customer may not share your amount of experience in construction and architecture.
This is why scale models are often constructed, but even physical miniatures cannot compare to the instant and solid grasp even the most inexperienced user gets from just minutes in Dimension10 Full scale.
If you bring your potential customer into a similar 3dmodel as the tender would involve, or even better; an early mockup of the actual project - you can ask them to reflect on a list of considerations such a project would typically entail.
In that moment, most people will realise just how easily they will be able to work with you to communicate clearly both ways.
Rune adds:
“You could get better feedback from the users, that will result in a more optimal design that utilizes more of the assigned square footage available for the building. That way you could get more available space for rent or sales, and the user will be more satisfied due to better workspace.”
Better communication means fewer iterations before final design is ready, and substantial reduction in delays/errors for the entire delivery.
Research shows that 75 % of users see a clear improvement in understanding problems while viewed and explained in VR.
You can also make the argument that having these tools available, could speed up planning permissions /developmental approvals by bridging the gap between engineering and administration.
Not only are all these aspects a huge time and cost saver, but also a great segway into the next strong argument.
The environmental benefits
Most companies today follow the positive trend of having green milestones set, with aims to cut down on carbon emissions.
Cutting down on construction mistakes and delays is a great carbon footprint reducer on its own.
While face to face in vr, you can make a strong argument for how close it feels to real meetings, thus reducing the need for travel.
In some cases we come close to physical meetings, in most areas we equal them and in some we even surpass the benefits of being physically present.
Just think about that. As great as hangouts, skype or zoom is - it would very rarely happen that two people in the same physical room whip out a form of video conferencing to enhance their conversation.
Yet, this is exactly what is often done with Dimension10.
It just adds that extra dimension to the conversation, by being able to interact with the model together in a way not possible on any other technological platforms.
And this point can only hit home when presented in VR.
Below an excerpt from a research paper Rune made during is time at AF anlegg, in collaboration with the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) at Stanford University. He analysed eight VR design review meetings involving 16 stakeholders during that time and tracked metrics from users via a survey after each meeting in line with the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) framework developed by CIFE, reporting results and iterating plans monthly.
From a travel perspective, meetings in VR was more sustainable, less time consuming and less costly than a traditional meeting which could involve between 8 and 20 people needing to make a return flight from Oslo to Kristiansand. Despite this flight being just under an hour, the disruption in terms of time due to preparation, airport procedures, and local transport is at least 5 times that per person. All factors considered, the financial cost of each trip per person is $1,000 to $1,500. To put this all together, for a team of, say, 15, to make this journey would require 75 people hours, cost nearly $20,000 on average, and output approximately 3 tonnes of CO2. This is for a single meeting which could last only a few hours. By using VR, the time spent would be contained to the time of the meeting, the financial cost reduced to nil, with a comparatively negligible impact on CO2 levels. Understandably, just over 80% of the users agreed that conducting these design review meetings in VR are effective enough to forego the need to travel to and from the project office. The remaining 20% of users were based on-site at the project office so the question was not applicable to them. No users disagreed with the statement.
I hope this can inspire you to come up with ways to integrate Dimension10 while bidding for tenders. Let it become a part of your story while presenting, you will stand out more, build confidence and you can seal the deal by referring to some solid numbers in the documents.
