Managing the maintenance of buildings and infrastructures is a major challenge for businesses, with implications at both operational and financial levels. In this context, the integration of Computer Aided Maintenance Management (CAMM) with Building Information Modeling (BIM) opens up new prospects for optimising maintenance actions and providing greater visibility for decision-making and diagnostics. The combination of these two technologies heralds a future in which predictive maintenance becomes the norm.
Unrivalled optimisation of building maintenance
The CMMS/BIM synergy offers significant advantages, starting with the optimisation of maintenance actions.
First of all, planning and maintenance operations (controlled by the CMMS) benefit greatly from the availability of a precise reference system in the digital mock-up (BIM). Thanks to this complete visualisation of installations, maintenance managers are better able to anticipate needs and plan interventions more effectively.
What’s more, integrating the CMMS with the BIM means that any necessary actions can be triggered directly from the maps. This makes it easier to coordinate maintenance teams, reducing response times and improving responsiveness to any problems that may arise.
There is also greater collaboration between the different teams involved in the design, construction and maintenance of a building. Bringing together the various trades facilitates the sharing of information and the solutions envisaged, taking into account the constraints and particularities of each player. This approach promotes better coordination and avoids functional collisions during work.
Another undeniable advantage is the time saved by better navigation inside buildings or infrastructures. Thanks to digital mock-ups and geolocation, technicians can quickly access the equipment they need to maintain or repair, optimising their productivity and minimising business interruptions. The use of connected objects (IoT) and BIM models visualised in 3D in situ, with an additional satellite map, reinforces this contribution from geolocation.
Finally, the integration of CMMS with BIM offers greater visibility of assets thanks to geopositioning. This feature makes it easy to locate equipment on the model and perform universal searches from there. This saves a considerable amount of time when it comes to managing inventories, for example.
All these benefits combined contribute to the overall optimisation of building maintenance management.
Precise vision for informed decisions
Integrating CMMS with BIM gives companies greater visibility for decision-making.
Thanks to the complete and detailed visualisation of infrastructure elements, maintenance managers have an in-depth understanding of the condition of equipment and intervention requirements. The combined data provides essential indicators for making informed decisions about property maintenance.
Graphical analyses of data by theme, made possible by this integration, enable precise management of maintenance and optimisation of the performance of engineering assets. In addition, improved documentation makes it easier to track work and the history of interventions.
It is important to stress that these benefits are still in their infancy, and that effective use of the integration of CMMS and BIM still requires further development and fine-tuning. The way forward lies in striking a balance between the amount of data managed and its real added value for businesses and the environment.
Focusing on predictive maintenance
In the near future, predictive maintenance will become the norm, thanks in part to this integration of CMMS and BIM. This combination of technologies will make it possible to anticipate equipment breakdowns and failures, transforming the way in which building and infrastructure maintenance is managed.
Thanks to the data collected in real time by sensors and connected objects, combined with the precise information provided by BIM, maintenance systems will be able to predict maintenance and repair requirements with greater accuracy. Predictive analysis algorithms will be able to detect weak signals, trends and establish patterns, in order to identify potential problems before they fully manifest themselves.
This transition to predictive maintenance will bring considerable benefits. Companies will reduce unplanned downtime, optimise the use of resources and plan maintenance interventions more effectively. Costs associated with emergency repairs and production interruptions will also be reduced.
Ultimately, predictive maintenance will help to improve the lifespan of equipment, by identifying and correcting problems before they cause major damage. This will optimise investment and prolong the value of property assets.
In conclusion, the integration of CMMS and BIM paves the way for a future where predictive maintenance becomes the norm. This technological evolution will bring about a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to maintenance, optimising the performance, sustainability and profitability of buildings and infrastructures.
Expert interview – Christophe Scillieri, in charge of BIM & Geolocation in R&D at Siveco Group
