Water Board Aa and Maas: "Better information management thanks to 3D-oriented cloud environment"

Water Board Aa and Maas made significant advances in its drawings management. They switched from a 2D drawing management system (on local servers) to a 3D-oriented Autodesk Construction Cloud environment. The setup of the Autodesk Construction Cloud environment was mapped out together with ARKANCE, as was the migration plan for the "old" 2D information. BIM coordinator at the Water Board Pascal Wijgerse explains.

The customer

"The working area of Water Board Aa and Maas is located in the eastern part of the province of North Brabant and has a size of over 161,000 hectares. Every day we maintain and inspect dikes, purify 300 million liters of water and ensure safe, sufficient and clean water. Our highest priority is to contribute to the safety, health and well-being of the residents in this region," says Pascal.

Pascal works in the Design and Realization Department, the internal engineering office of Water Board Aa and Maas. "We prepare projects from A to Z, or from the definition phase to the execution phase. As BIM coordinator, one of the things I do is check the technical file we receive at the time of (partial) completion. I ensure that drawings, 3D models and so on comply with our ILS: Information Delivery Specifications."

The challenge

"Nowadays, 3D modeling is mainly done. By contractors, but also by ourselves," Pascal states. "But our drawings management system couldn't handle this. And so we stored the 3D models on a local server. But yes... Then others don't see what operations we are doing, or what the current status is. Our question to ARKANCE: help us set up our Autodesk Construction Cloud environment optimally, with the starting point of storing and managing 3D models."

And well ... if you do use Autodesk ... 

Construction Cloud to get started, you also want to explore the many options the software offers, Pascal acknowledges. "For example, to be able to use Autodesk Construction Cloud successfully in projects, both internally and externally. We used to communicate mainly by e-mail, but how nice would it be if the entire workflow took place within Autodesk Construction Cloud? That would provide a lot of control and insight."

The solution

ARKANCE set up a custom Autodesk Construction Cloud environment for the Water Board, tailored to its specific needs and requirements. "In the new environment we store all 2D and 3D project information. Thanks to Autodesk Construction Cloud, workflows are now clear and transparent, and information is always correct and up-to-date. Very important for us, because with the projects we work on, you only want one truth."

"The next step is to transfer the drawings from our old management system," Pascal explains. "Because we also want to have all those available in the Autodesk Construction Cloud environment. ARKANCE is now developing a conversion program for us as well as taking care of the data transfer. After that, we never have to wonder again: 'Is this drawing correct?' or 'Does this representation match the situation on site?' From now on, we know for sure: our information is always correct and up-to-date."

The benefits

"In the future, we avoid a lot of searching. We also no longer encounter surprises," Pascal emphasizes. "After all, we document all information in one central Autodesk Construction Cloud location. As a result, we not only expect to work finer, faster and more efficiently, but also to avoid failure costs. And because Autodesk Construction Cloud facilitates integration with Autodesk design and engineering tools, we also boost our BIM processes."

ARKANCE recommended an e-learning for the key users of Water Board Aa and Maas. They took advantage of that option. For one year, each key user can take in the explanation and operation of Autodesk Construction Cloud, at a time of their own choosing and at their own pace. Pascal has already gone through the e-learning process. "My impression: the explanation is clear, you go through it step by step. And if you still have doubts later, you can always refer back to it."

Office of water board Aa and Maas in 's Hertogenbosch.

The collaboration

"I had known Coen Sijm for some time, a nice guy to work with. He was also initially the one who told us more about the possibilities for checking 3D models within the Autodesk Construction Cloud. That's how the ball got rolling. Later, Remmert den Otter also joined us, and we have an excellent working relationship with him as well," says Pascal.

Water Board Aa and Maas did have a second provider bid, but the choice quickly fell on ARKANCE, according to Pascal. "In addition to a financial advantage, they had a clear plan of action. Of course, their approach was mainly based on their expertise and knowledge of Autodesk Construction Cloud, but they clearly took into account our needs. I am confident that we will make great strides thanks to Autodesk Construction Cloud." 

About ARKANCE

ARKANCE is a global specialist in digital transformation, supporting companies in the Building, Infrastructure and Manufacturing sectors. The organization helps clients standardize CAD environments, transition to BIM, Industry 4.0 and Dutch CAD Standard (NLCS) and optimize work processes and work methodologies.

About Water Board Aa and Maas

Water Board Aa and Maas works day and night on water management in eastern Brabant, focusing on safe, sufficient and clean water for 778,000 residents and businesses. Our priority is the safety, health and well-being of the region, with a strong emphasis on innovative and sustainable water management for future generations.