BIMSWARM platform for the digitization of the construction industry goes online

The BIMSWARM B2B platform, a new service that raises the bar for digitalisation in the construction industry, is now available online free of charge. Through this service, which is spearheaded by planen-bauen 4.0 GmbH, adesso is making a major contribution to the level of digital integration in the German construction industry. BIMSWARM is geared towards facilitating collaboration in the construction industry and was developed with the backing of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the BIMSWARM project.

The original goal of the BIMSWARM project was to achieve process optimisation along the construction industry value chain. The BIMSWARM platform has now been successfully launched following a three-and-a-half-year development project led by planen-bauen 4.0 and adesso. BIMSWARM is a cross-market, vendor-neutral platform that acts as a facilitator of the digital transformation in the construction industry and is a cornerstone of successful collaboration and efficient building information modelling (BIM) processes in the planning, construction and operation of buildings.

Through its state-of-the-art BIM module, the BIMSWARM platform provides a solution to the problems associated with incompatible IT applications and services when planning, executing and managing construction projects. BIMSWARM delivers information on software, services and data to all parties involved in construction projects using open-source standards. The platform’s marketplace function offers users a wide range of applications that are certified according to industry standards and are tailored to intercompany collaboration. Phase 1 of BIMSWARM already includes more than 150 applications from a variety of developers. Further expansion is planned on a step-by-step basis.

BIMSWARM provides the construction industry with a valuable market overview. (Source: planen-bauen 4.0)

Uwe Lutter, who is responsible for the BIMSWARM project, knows full well what challenges are involved: “Major building developments are complex projects involving numerous stakeholders including clients, architects, static engineers, project managers, construction firms and service providers. Unfortunately, technological incompatibility and delays caused by the use of different applications are a daily occurrence. Our new BIMSWARM platform gives the industry a valuable overview of the market and will really accelerate the process of digitalisation.”

Uwe Lutter is the project manager of BIMSWARM at adesso: "The new platform provides a digitalization boost in the construction industry." (Photo: adesso)

With BIMSWARM, users no longer have to constantly wonder what characteristics they need to look out for when purchasing new construction applications and tools, or which IT products are compatible. At its later development stages, BIMSWARM will support the combination of software products from different providers, whether it be in the planning office, on the construction site or in facility management after construction is completed. The new platform also means that stakeholders in the construction industry no longer have to spend hours searching for the right IT products for their project. Collaboration in projects involving multiple companies is also supported, as the project can run as a BIM-based process.

The following partners are involved in the project alongside adesso, under the stewardship of planen-bauen 4.0: Ruhr-Universität Bochum, RIB Information Technologies, thinkproject, Fraunhofer IGD, eTASK Immobilien Software and TH Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences.

Further information on the project is available at www.planen-bauen40.de. The platform can be accessed at www.bimswarm.online.