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Vela Systems and Tekla : Utilizing Field BIM

While one might argue what entails Field BIM Vela released a case study where they integrated their process on top of Tekla’s BIM.  DPR Construction replaced all their paper logging and tracking systems with VELA’s field software for digital tracking, specifically the doors and frames.  Inventory was tracked the entire way through delivery and installation, plus deliveries could be checked for completeness and damaged products.  All this information was then made available in real time to all parties.

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#MassTLC Unconference : Part Deux

So this was my second time at the unconference, this was with a different focus though from the on e in the spring,  Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  What the unconference does is to increase your chances of serendipty.   I hear you saying, “what kind of drivel is that, you sap.” And rightly so but give me a minute.  We have all had those moments whether you  are an entrepreneur or selling insurance or designing a product that you meet someone or speak to someone and they either give you an idea, or a lead, or some help that either, at worst makes your day, or better gets you a sale  or starts a business relationship and you just don’t know sometimes where that is going to happen.

So you’re on the grind going to conferences and tradeshows, presentations, lunch and learns, etc. and man is it a slog sometimes.  At the unconference, because of the tenor and how it was set up, people are there to connect, some are still better than others and it is such an amalgamation of talent that the chance of hooking up with someone who gets what you are talking about, or has useful advice or wants to hook you up with someone who could help is greater than at any conference I have been to. So get your game on and giddy up.

This post was from Don Dodge from one of the session and lists a host of resources in Mass for entrepreneurs.

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Towards a BIM Paradigm

Interesting article in Architecture Week, Toward a BIM Paradigm

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GSA Awards BIM IDIQ: #BIM #GSA

The GSA announced the awards for the BIM IDIQ.  I am still trying to unearth the complete announcement but one of them is HNTB Federal along with its team of subcontractors which were awarded all the zones.  As I find out more information I will update the post and announcements.  Still don’t know how many firms were awarded which zones, etc.

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GSA BIM & Laser Scanning : Firms Short Listed

The GSA continues to move forward with the BIM Services and Laser Scanning.  Participating firms have been notified if they have been short listed, however, this has not been made public yet.  I’ll post when I find out, if anyone else knows, please follow up.  This move, with Wisconsin on board, energy analysis becoming required with construction, points well for those involved.

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Special Sauce and Dry Powder

Having started a company and about to launch another there is reason to find myself at events and conferences with venture capitalists and other gate keepers to capital.  And I have met all sorts, but what it boils down to it is next to impossible to fund raise from professional investors and the best way to get to find people is through quality introductions so start close to home, and as much as you know you invented the best SAS Frombulated Social Media Widget convincing people to give you money that are not your kin is like turning water into wine, and you will still be hit with the response, “How are you going to scale that?”  You will also eventually be met with the long no, which is a VC or angel will keep on asking for milestones, and keep putting new ones in place because they never want to turn down the next best thing, but they don’t want to give you money either.

It is a frustrating process and it is a full time job if you are serious about getting cash.  And it is a full time lesson in patience,  listening to the litany of metaphors that will spew forth.  I find dry powder and special sauce probably hit the overused metaphor peak  about 6 months back but what they embody still has relevance.

Dry Powder – Cash-Liquid, not erased  from the recent rounds of economic implosion and ready to put in play.  It’s good to know people have “dry powder” however they are much more risk averse about putting it into play.

Special Sauce – Known by name names, but most commonly ‘competitive advantage’, what’s yours and it better be compelling.

One of the most common ways and still one of the most useful ways to define your competitve is to go through Michael Porter’s SWOT (Stength/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) Matrix.  Fill in the list and see where you stack up, he also has his 5 forces model, etc. but not here to discuss all of that.

One the good thing’s about being an entrepreneur, or the blessing/curse paradox is that you think you can do things better than other people.  You have an idea and through the shear force of will and jackass like persistence you truly believe you will bring it to market.  There will be more nos than yesses, in fact, you will here no in more ways than you thought possible and  more times than Blake Shelton sings in Nobody But Me, and you will become well versed in every metaphor the VC world is using;  perhaps their is an iphone app translator for that but the good news is that everyone is pulling back R&D, good people looking for new things to do, and “(we) have promises to keep, And miles to go before (we) sleep” Keep telling your story, keep moving forward, keep it up.  “You’re a rock star, get your game on”

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NEBFM Tradeshow: Less is More

Stopped by the NEBFM (Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management)  Show & Conference.   What I learned from the vendors with booths was that traffic had been slower than in years past (no big surprise there) but the quality of people and contacts they were making were much better, one booth said the contacts they believed were going to turn into sales was a multiple from last year.  One can attribute that to either a real poor effort last year or the fact that there is less people window shopping but those out there want to do business.  I would say the vendors seemed cautiously optimistic if not positive and were positive in general about the tradeshow.

Something I have noticed during my day to day is that almost everyone has been effected in one way or another by this recent economy (again no surprise there) but what is surprising to me is the more people who are willing to engage in conversations and look for new ways of doing business.   There seems to me a spirit of community; more of there is more that ties us than divides us spirit.  Now does it bite that so much had to tank for us to get here, you bet, but we’re here so let’s take a look.  As an entrepreneur I am always encouraged, I think that is part of the insanity, but I am encouraged because there are still technical innovations happening everyday yet most companies are retrenching, cutting R&D, cutting staff which to me means there should be a lot of people working in garages rebuilding, innovating, creating the next wave.  Does it stink to be in this trough, I mean it feels and smells like low tide out there, yeah it stinks but through these cycles we must go.  Joseph Schumpeter, in his book “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” called it creative destruction. A corollary is the sort of corporate cannibalism that states, ‘eat your own.,’  that is innovate or die.  A lot of entrepreurs always thought of it as ‘grow or die’  And while many of us want to put our heads in our shell and wait for something to happen, it’s exactly the time to make something happen.

I  remember when I was running a race with friends, a small piece insanity called Reach the Beach, and it was around 3 in the morning, and I was running up hill in the rain and an Aussie Gal called out to me as I passed her, albeit very very slowly, “Good on Ya!”

So keep talking people, keep moving, good on ya.

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First Trace File Management for AutoCad LT

Well the head line really says it all but First Trace has announced a file management system for AutoCAD LT.

Check it out.

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…or Certification

Whether trained or self taught both need a nice crispt certification program to make sure they know what they are doing.

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Heading towards BIM

Here’s a guy heading toward BIM. Clean install of Revit MEP, that’s a good start.

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