BIM-ERP Metadata Linking for Construction Data Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for construction projects lack an efficient link between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, leading to time-consuming manual searches for contract and project data, which hampers productivity and workflow efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electronic construction collaboration system that associatively links metadata between BIM and ERP systems, enabling seamless data sharing and integration of structural object data and contract information, thereby reducing the time spent searching for pertinent information across separate sub-systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual search methods are used to find contract and project data, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and workflow efficiency deteriorate due to time-consuming searches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines BIM and ERP systems into an integrated platform where project model data and contract data are linked through common identifiers. This merging eliminates the need to manually search across separate systems, as users can access contract information directly within the BIM environment through associative links.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of contract data and project data that are associatively linked through metadata. Instead of physically moving between systems, users access copied representations of the data through the interconnection engine, which maintains the associative relationships while enabling quick retrieval.
2Ease of operation
If separate BIM and ERP systems are used for design and contract management, then system functionality is specialized, but data accessibility deteriorates due to the need to switch between systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an interconnection engine as an intermediary layer between BIM and ERP systems. This mediator establishes associative links using common project identifiers and metadata, enabling seamless data access without requiring full system integration or complex interoperability protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal data structure using common project identifiers that can represent both BIM model elements and ERP contract records. This universal approach allows the same identifier system to serve multiple functions across different systems without requiring system-specific adaptations.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive project data is stored in separate systems, then information completeness is improved, but information retrieval efficiency deteriorates due to manual searching requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing associative links between BIM model elements and ERP contract records during project setup. Common project identifiers are assigned in advance, and metadata relationships are created beforehand, so that when users need information, the links are already in place and no manual searching is required.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic construction collaboration system for managing a construction project is provided. The electronic construction collaboration system includes an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) sub-system including a contract engine configured to generate at least one project contract including a contract data set and ERP metadata corresponding to Building Information Modeling (BIM) metadata included in a structural object of a construction project model in a BIM sub-system and an interconnection engine configured to associatively link the ERP metadata and the BIM metadata and send the contract data set to the BIM sub-system in response to associatively linking the ERP metadata and the BIM metadata.