KFA Scores 93 In Past Performance Survey
Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. scored an Overall Performance Rating of 93 and was named a “Top 20% Performer” by consulting firm Dun & Bradstreet and Open Ratings after earning high scores in a recent survey of past clients. Dun & Bradstreet conducted the past-performance evaluation in August 2008. KFA provided Dun & Bradstreet with contact information for 16 clients who anonymously responded to a Web-based questionnaire on KFA’s performance. Open Ratings calculates supplier performance scoring using a sophisticated algorithm that takes into account the amount of information available on a supplier, the recency of the information, and the accuracy of the raters. Ratings range from 0 to 100, but are not a percentile score. The evaluations rated KFA on the following categories: Reliability, Cost, Order Accuracy, Delivery/Timeliness, Quality, Business Relations, Personnel, Customer Support, and Responsiveness. All of KFA’s scores were above 90, with the highest scores being: A 95 in Reliability (how reliable the company follows through on its commitments); A 95 in Responsiveness (how responsive the company is to information requests, issues, or problems that arose in the course of the transaction); And a 97 in Personnel (how satisfied the client feels about the attitude, courtesy and professionalism of the company). The press release can be read here and the full report can be read here.
KFA Launches DAArch Demo Site
Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. has launched the Digital Archive for Architecture (DAArch) software demonstration site. The site can be accessed by clicking here. DAArch is the first digital archive system of its type, specifically created for preserving born-digital design data created by architects and industrial designers. It was developed by KFA and The Art Institute of Chicago and funded by the Schiff Foundation. In keeping with the desires of the funder, DAArch is open source: There is no licensing fee. Organizations interested in implementing the DAArch system can download the source code from the SourceForge Open-Source software development website. The KFA demo site allows interested parties hands-on access to explore DAArch without having to install the system in-house. It permits the uploading of design files, the creation of associated metadata records and the search and retrieval of the design files based on that metadata. DAArch is designed for museums, archival institutions and design practices looking to preserve design data, such as CAD drawings, BIM models, and outputs from design applications, including renderings, montages, interactive 3D models and animations. This software development project was a follow-on to KFA’s groundbreaking study for the Department of Architecture and Design of The Art Institute of Chicago, Collecting, Archiving and Exhibiting Digital Design Data. DAArch is based on the open source DSpace digital repository, which was developed by Hewlett-Packard and MIT. KFA developed the web-client interface while a programmer for The Art Institute of Chicago developed the middleware that integrates the web-client with DSpace. DAArch supports 170 metadata fields drawn from the Categories for the Descriptions of Works of Art (CDWA) metadata schema and maps appropriate fields to the Dublin Core metadata schema native to DSpace. There is also an API that allows integration with an institution’s existing collection management system. For more information on KFA's research, click here. The User Manual for DAArch is available in PDF format here. The Art Institute of Chicago is a museum in Chicago’s Grant Park, located across from Millennium Park. To reach the Art Institute on the World Wide Web, visit their website. To access more information on Digital Design and the complete Collecting, Archiving and Exhibiting Digital Design Data study, click here.
KFA's Web-Based PM Work Wins Award
The Illinois Tollway was honored with a Constructech Vision Award in August 2007 for its implementation of Meridian Proliance On Demand for the $5.3 billion Congestion Relief Program. KFA, which led the implementation, was recognized with a Technology Enabler Award, as was HNTB, the Program Manager. The Constructech Vision Awards honor companies that have realized the advantages of applying innovative technologies to their everyday businesses. More information about the Vision Awards, including a list of recipients, can be found by clicking here. Greg Bush (left) and Peter Urban (right) display KFA's recent Vision Award for its work on the Illinois Tollway Project. In addition to the Constructech Vision Award, the Illinois Tollway’s successful execution of the Congestion-Relief Program was highlighted in the June 6, 2007 issue of ENR magazine, recognizing the project’s on-time and on-budget status. The project has seen less than 5% in change orders and no major claims. In the article, the Proliance system is credited with substantially reducing turn-around time on crucial activities such as shop drawing reviews. The article can be accessed via ENR’s website by clicking here. The Illinois Tollway implementation is the largest and fastest ever achieved for the Proliance product. The speed and scale of the deployment required careful planning and flawless execution on the part of the technology enablers: KFA, Meridian’s Professional Service group and HNTB, the Program Manger. Working in unison, these three organizations followed the KFA 5-Step Approach to ensure that Proliance was configured correctly and completely. In addition, the implementers developed a comprehensive training program to ensure that all users understood how to use Proliance to get their work done. Learn more about KFA’s consistently successful approach to web-based project management system implementation in the interview with President Kristine Fallon for the Meridian Systems website. You can download the interview by clicking the button below.
Kristine Fallon to Serve on MIT's FACADE Advisory Board
Kristine Fallon, FAIA, President of Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc., will serve on the Advisory Board of MIT’s FACADE (Future-proofing Architectural Computer-Aided Design) project. MIT Libraries and the MIT School of Architecture and Planning have been awarded a two-year grant from the Institute of Library and Museum Services to conduct research into the methods and best practices for capturing, describing, managing, preserving and making available 3D CAD models, 2D CAD drawings and associated Building Information Models that are created by architects and construction companies during significant building projects, beginning with the MIT Stata Center designed by Frank O. Gehry. The Board is comprised of leaders from the fields of architecture, architectural history, cultural preservation, information technology as applied to architecture, engineering and construction and libraries and digital preservation. This study will build upon KFA’s research and software development work for the Department of Architecture and Design of the Art Institute of Chicago, which was funded by the Schiff Foundation.
Meridian Systems Interviews Kristine Fallon About Project Management Technology
Meridian Systems®, creators of such project management software systems as Proliance® and Prolog®, recently sat down with Kristine Fallon, founder and President of Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc., and discussed the elements of successful project management technology implementations. Meridian Systems: How have companies traditionally gone about selecting project management (PM) systems, and how do you think they should approach the process differently? Kristine Fallon: So many companies select a PM system by scoring the different software products based on a number of features - and the product with the most features wins. At KFA, we try to determine which features will provide the greatest benefits. This varies from company to company, depending on business goals and where they are experiencing problems such as workflow bottlenecks or lack of access to critical information. We recommend making a selection based on which product best delivers the company's specific critical features. To read the interview in its entirety, visit the "What's New" section of the Meridian Systems website.
Kristine Fallon to Chair AIA TAP Advisory Group in 2007
Kristine Fallon, FAIA, will chair the American Institute of Architects' Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Advisory Group in 2007. Fallon began serving a five-year term on the Advisory Group in 2004. The group serves several thousand members of the AIA TAP Knowledge Community and acts as a resource for AIA members, the profession and the public in the deployment of computer technology in the practice of architecture. In 2004, the TAP Advisory Group identified three inevitable technologies: BIM, Collaboration and Interoperability. These technologies are inevitable because of the large positive impact they have on project delivery. Since then, the Advisory Group has worked to disseminate knowledge about these technologies, search out and document success stories and best practices, identify technology shortcomings and work to eliminate them. TAP has also joined forces with other groups working on these issues, including the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), the Large Firm Round Table (LFRT) and the National BIM Standard project (NBIMS). In 2005, TAP began the BIM Awards program. The 2007 call for entries can be found here. TAP has a presence on the AIA website. They have also recently created the Building Connections website to serve as a clearinghouse for information about design and construction industry initiatives to promote interoperability and data exchange standards.
KFA Announces Two New Vice Presidents
KFA has named Peter Urban and Gregory A Bush, Jr. as Vice Presidents in recognition of their outstanding performance and contribution to the firm's growth and profitability. Urban joined KFA as a student intern in 1996. He has participated in a variety of projects, including software specification and development, web-based project management system selection, configuration and rollout and BIM consulting and technical services. Many KFA clients have complimented his professionalism. Bush joined KFA in 2001 and played key roles in web-based project management system implementations at both the CTA and the Illinois Tollway. In these assignments, he demonstrated a broad range of skills: project management, systems analysis, hardware and software configuration, and training program and materials development. His innovative ideas have allowed KFA to deliver quality training and support services very cost effectively.
Using BIM To Help Rebuild Historic Chicago Church
The architectural community was saddened in 2006 by the destruction of multiple Louis Sullivan buildings by fire. The loss of Pilgrim Baptist Church, on Chicago's near south side, impacted multiple legacies. Built in 1891 by Adler and Sullivan as Jehilath Anshe Ma'ariv Synagogue, the building began hosting a Baptist congregation in 1922 and became Pilgrim Baptist Church. The church is also credited as being central to the birth of American Gospel music during the 1930's under the musical direction of Thomas A. Dorsey. KFA is working with the church's Board of Trustees on a pro bono basis to develop comprehensive models of the building as it existed before the fire, what remains currently and what there could be in the future. Although the church is still in the process of architect selection, we have completed the pre-fire model in Autodesk Revit Building based on Historic American Building Survey documentation from 1964, which includes photographs by Richard Nickel and drawings. In creating the Revit model, we wanted to exercise the software in areas where it is not typically used particularly the modeling of 19th century construction assemblies and details. We found this possible but time-consuming. We also discovered that modeling Sullivan's organic ornamentation yields extremely large file sizes. The window model rendered here is 28 megabytes. A detail of a Richard Nicekl photo of one of the Church's original stained glass window panels A recreation of the panel using Autodesk Revit Building. No other software was used to produce the rendering.
KFA Helps Sculptor Herbert George Visualize New Gallery
When sculptor Herbert George approached KFA to assist in visualizing his concept for a sculpture gallery, KFA chose to use the integrated rendering power of Autodesk Revit Building, in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop, to facilitate the iterative process of perfecting the descriptive images. George's project, "A Vietnam Memorial to the Innocents," dedicates an intimate hexagonal gallery space to the viewing of six stone head sculptures of victims of genetic defects caused by Agent Orange. George has a deep interest in the spatial quality of shadows and the gallery includes lighting that projects shadows of the sculptures onto translucent windows at night. As the section indicates, the geometry of the building is complex and includes an underground gallery space in addition to the main hexagonal sculpture gallery. Although the Revit modeling was challenging, we found that using an intelligent model facilitated the inevitable changes. For George, the lighting effects were particularly important. Revit materials and lighting were used to create the base renderings. Landscape features and people were added in Photoshop, making them easy to adjust without re-rendering the base image. Herbert George is a sculptor whose work has received support and recognition from the New York State Council on the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. Exhibitions include the Robert Freidus Gallery in New York, the Walter Bischoff and Fassbender galleries in Chicago and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He has taught sculpture at the University of Chicago and Cooper Union.
SketchUp, Google Earth - The World Information Model
Excerpts from article: "On March 14th, 2006 Google announced its purchase of @Last Software, makers of the 3D modeling program, SketchUp. On April 26th, Google launched a free version of Google SketchUp and its online model library, 3D Warehouse. Google’s triumvirate of SketchUp, 3D Warehouse, and Google’s virtual globe, Google Earth, will provide the AEC community with a tool of unlimited potential. "SketchUp debuted in 2001 and became the darling of many offices looking for an inexpensive, easy to use, 3D modeling and rendering tool. Its intuitive commands and interface allow relative mastery in a matter of hours, making it ideal for quick conceptual modeling. Although SketchUp is not capable of photo-realistic rendering, users have the ability to quickly create perspective sketches of presentation quality. Rendering options include customizable material palettes that encourage personalized aesthetics..." "Google Earth, launched the summer of 2005, is a striking, dynamic, composite aerial photograph of the Earth. It is evolving into a powerful geospatial web browser and 4D model. Initially, the Earth is viewed from outer orbit, a spin and push of the scroll wheel zooms and orbits the view to any location. Input a place name or address, Google Earth flies there and provides directions. A variety of data layers such as street names, rail lines, census data, seismic activity, dining locations, entertainment venues, schools, and National Geographic features can be toggled on, marking the model with data overlays and web links. Independent users are encouraged to create their own map data layers and link them to Google Earth. Google also continuously adds content and updates the satellite imagery. 3D layers such as terrain and buildings (currently available only in larger cities) can be toggled on, allowing for striking fly-throughs. Google's 3D buildings currently defining the skylines of Google Earth, however, are the digital equivalent of foam core massing models. With Google SketchUp this is changing. Little blue house icons indicate independently created 3D Warehouse models uploaded to the globe. They can also be located via a regular Google search. Now anyone can model their home, dream home, or design for the Freedom Tower and link it to Google Earth for the World to see. Consequently, the wealth and variety of information available on Google Earth is increasing exponentially..."
BIM - No Longer an Option
Excerpt from article: "...BIM (Building Information Modeling) is no longer an IT issue. It has become a business practice issue. Principals must take time to think about how BIM will fit into their future business strategy, as it is a matter of business survival. KFA is currently helping design firms with the transition to BIM. The transition relies on changing business processes and a firm's culture. As with any technology initiative, you must have the right product, the right people and the right perspective to succeed. BIM is a tool for achieving a larger end - that is, becoming a more agile and responsive firm..."
FWHA Cites KFA's Innovative CTA's Web-based Project Management Implementation
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated a major research activity in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF) to identify innovations in the low and high-rise building construction industries that would provide measurable benefits to the highway construction industry. CERF conducted three two-day scan trips to New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.   The Scan Team held in-depth discussions with 32 key executives and decision-makers representing the building construction industry, including Kristine Fallon, President of Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. The Scan Team identified 15 advances that were innovative technologies, processes or methods, three of which were related to information technology. One of these was KFA's contribution - Web-based Project Management Systems, as exemplified by the CTA's Citadon™ ProjectNet® Docs solution. KFA's implementation of Web-based project management software gives all parties on the project access to a secure, project-specific web site to conduct all daily project management and administrative activities. The system houses, indexes, routes, tracks and reports on critical business processes such as requests for information (RFIs), submittals, meeting action items and issue resolution. Benefits also include increased productivity, reduced cycle times and standardization of work processes. The final report, Innovation in Vertical and Horizontal Construction: Lessons for the Transportation Industry is Publication No. FHWA-IF-05-025. If you would like to request a copy of the report, please visit the FHWA's web site at www.fhwa.dot.gov.
KFA Contributes to Capital Facilities Information Handover Guide
In January 2006, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), FIATECH and Uitgebreid Samenwerkingsverband Procesindustrie (USPI-NL) jointly published the Capital Facilities Information Handover Guide (CFIHG), Part 1. This document provides guidelines for establishing the requirements and mechanisms for the exchange of facilities information among owners, designers and builders, from project inception through operations and maintenance to facility disposal. The document spells out a methodology for defining information requirements and sources for the full life-cycle of a building and it also addresses the topic of appropriate formats for long-term archiving and reuse. Kristine K. Fallon, FAIA, was co-project leader.     The full guide can be downloaded in PDF format at: http://www.kfa-inc.com/research/cfihgdownload.htm The General Buildings Information Handover Guide (GBIHG) will be published in early 2007 and will serve as a Part 2 to the CFIHG. Kristine Fallon is again co-project leader for this initiative. The purpose of the guides is to provide recommendations to the capital facilities industry on techniques and standards to improve the quality and reduce the cost of information handovers throughout the capital facility life cycle. The CFIHG presents a methodology for defining information requirements and planning and executing information handovers. The GBIHG is intended to be one of a series of sector-specific guides, providing more detailed guidance. A major contribution of the GBIHG is the documentation of six major capital facilities projects or programs where information handover was used effectively to support one or more of the information strategies identified in the general buildings sector.
KFA Designs Digital Archive System for The Art Institute of Chicago
The Department of Architecture of the Art Institute of Chicago is leading the architectural museum community into the “Digital Future”. Digital design techniques are now ubiquitous in the design community and this poses unprecedented opportunities and challenges for museums and archives. The Art Institute of Chicago asked KFA to develop a digital archive system for born-digital data created by architects and industrial designers based on suggestions and guidelines presented in the findings of KFA’s 18-month research project, Collecting, Archiving and Exhibiting Digital Design Data, published by The Art Institute of Chicago in 2004. Kristine Fallon and Peter Urban were supported in this effort by a distinguished Preservation Policy Committee consisting of senior representatives of The Art Institute of Chicago, the Director of the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library of Columbia University and the Curator of the Architecture, Design and Engineering Collections, Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Funding was provided by the Schiff Foundation. KFA developed a detailed workflow for processing, cataloging and storing digital design data and provided specifications for a prototype cataloging system, interface, hardware and software. The system is intuitive and easy for a curator or an archivist to use and the system can be installed at other institutions. The versatile system design can stand alone or be integrated with existing collection management systems and it is maintainable over the long-term. After presenting a work plan and staffing requirements, KFA was given the go-ahead to begin development, testing, documentation and training for the new system in conjunction with The Art Institute’s Information Services department. A pilot project in which digital objects will be accessioned by the Department of Architecture is expected to begin by the middle of 2006. The complete report used as a reference for this project, Collecting, Archiving and Exhibiting Digital Design Data, can be downloaded from The Art Institute’s Web site.
Transportation Research Board Recognizes KFA’s Success in Web-based PM Implementation
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) was one of three case studies presented in the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies’ Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 84, e-Transit: Electronic Business Strategies for Public Transportation Volume 7, The Successful Adoption of Web-Based Collaborative Software. The report details the reasons why the CTA Web-based Project Management Program was so successful and acknowledges the instrumental and critical contributions of Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. (KFA) to the selection, implementation, ongoing training and support of the Web-based system. Kristine Fallon, a case study participant, provided several insightful quotes on achieving a successful adoption of Web-based collaborative software. The report documents principles, techniques, and strategies that are contributing to the successful utilization of electronic business practices in public transportation and how they contribute to reduced costs, improved efficiencies and faster project completion. One area of particular success in the CTA project was the training approach created by KFA. Several aspects of the training solution provided by KFA were documented in the Best Practices section of the study. Best Practices noted included:   “Don’t train every user on all aspects of the new technology: instead, differentiate the training by role “Keep the training simple for the majority of users “Don’t underestimate the technical challenge that may arise with the scanning of documents.” To learn more about successful adoption of Web-based collaborative software, you can view the entire report in PDF format at the Transportation Research Board’s Web site. KFA and CTA Win 2004 Constructech Vision Award

Guy Vinette (URS), Kristine Fallon (KFA) and John Flynn (CTA) (left to right) accepted awards at the 2004 Constructech magazine Vision Award Ceremony.

Kristine Fallon Presents at the APTA 2003 Rail Transit Conference

The American Public Transportation Association chose the KFA’s implementation of Web-based project management at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as a case study in successful implementation of the technology to be presented at the 2003 Rail Transit Conference in San Jose, California. The CTA Vice President of Capital Construction and the Program Manager of the CTA Capital Improvement Program presented on the management aspect, and Kristine K. Fallon presented the technology implementation perspective.

Revit Reigns

In May 2000, Revit Technology Corporation introduced the first new CAD engine for building design to reach market in over 15 years. Revit is described as a "parametric building modeler" that automatically propagates design changes through all 2D and 3D views, drawings, and schedules, and permits the architect to "lock in" design intent.

In April 2002, Autodesk® acquired Revit Technology Corporation. Users of both Revit and Autodesk's existing Architectural Desktop product anxiously awaited a clear statement of product strategy from Autodesk. At Autodesk University® in December 2002, Autodesk's strategic direction for building design was clearly stated: Revit is the platform for the future. Scott Burdoin, Autodesk's Chief Technology Officer, addressing the 3000+ attendees at the conference's Main Stage event termed Revit "inevitable."

Autodesk is also offering very attractive Revit pricing to existing ADT customers, and recommending that they migrate immediately unless:

	They have deep investment in ADT customization or third party applications built on the ADT platform;
	They require the Building Systems applications (MEP); or
	They are located in a country where Revit is not yet available.

Kristine Fallon and Peter Urban spoke about this technology transition at Autodesk University. Phil Bernstein, FAIA, Vice President, Autodesk Building Industry Division, dropped in at their session, entitled "Autodesk® Architectural Desktop to Autodesk Revit®: Migrating to Advanced Building Information Modeling," and confirmed Revit as Autodesk's future, long-term platform for the building industry.

The session covered the following topics:
   What are the differences between Revit and ADT?
   Who benefits from Revit?
   When should our firm migrate-now or later?
   Why should this migration be funded? (How can I justify this to management?)
   Where can I find good Revit resources?
   How should I plan and implement the migration?

Kristine presented several case studies from both design and construction companies quantifying benefits achieved with Revit. Revit's most attractive features include:

	Very intuitive for new and casual users;
	Easy creation/ navigation of various model views;
	Ability to add to/ edit the model in any view;
	Maintains coordination among all views;
	Ability to lock in design intent;
	Integrated rendering (AccuRender);
	Integrated cost estimating (R.S. Means/ CSI extractions).

Peter demonstrated some of the program's advanced features, including integrated cost estimating and the creation of parametric custom objects (families).

If you would like a handout from this class, please e-mail us and request one.

AIA Chicago Focus Headlines KFA's Web-based PM Success

January 2003. The cover article of AIA Chicago Focus, "Keys to Success in Web-based Project Management", features KFA's successful implementation of Web-based project management systems for the Chicago Transit Authority's $2.1 billion, five year Capital Improvement Program. The article was excerpted from a white paper of the same title published by the Cyon Research in August 2002. Cyon Research's press release for the white paper follows:

‘Project Discipline’ a Key Factor for Chicago Transit Authority Project

Bethesda, MD, August 26, 2002. Cyon Research Corporation, a leader in market knowledge for the CAD, AEC and PLM markets, today issued a white paper analyzing the implementation of a Web-based project management system at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). This white paper is available free-of-charge via Cyon’s CADwire.net web resource.

The paper, titled "Keys to Success in Web-based Project Management: Lessons Learned from the Chicago Transit Authority Capital Improvement Program," studies the aims, targets and requirements set out by the CTA at the beginning of a $2.1 billion capital improvement project. This white paper identifies the dynamics that were instrumental in the implementation of Web-based project management technology throughout the entire operation. It also closely studies the impact of key consultants, including Kristine Fallon Associates, which managed the process of identifying, implementing and managing the project management technology for the CTA.

"Success in the implementation of Web-based project management is achievable, as the CTA has demonstrated," stated Dr. Orr, vice president and chief visionary, Cyon Research. "But it requires excellent management and good technology -- and project discipline that is most easily driven by the owner."

KFA Wins IRTBA Technology Award

On December 5, 2002, the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) presented the 2002 Technology Advancement Award to Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Capital Improvement Program Web-based project management system implementation. Michael J. Poynton, AIA, who heads the KFA's CTA team, accepted the honor on behalf of the firm. The Technology Advancement Award for innovation and accomplishment in promoting the use of technology within the transportation design and construction industry is given annually to the individual or organization that has utilized electronic communications or technology in the best interest of the transportation construction industry. KFA was selected as the TAD Award winner by the IRTBA membership. The award was presented at IRTBA's Annual Meeting, along with awards by Illinois transportation authorities including: Illinois Department of Transportation Illinois State Toll HIghway Authority City of Chicago Department of Transportation Cook County Department of Highways DuPage County Division of Transportation Chicago Transit Authority

CTA Web Site Celebration

On Wednesday, July 17, 2002, KFA hosted members of the Chicago Transit Authority's Douglas Blue Line Reconstruction team in a celebration of the First Anniversary of the project's Web site.

As of July 2002 there are 386 people from 30 different organizations using the Web site. Each month more than 1.1 GB of data are uploaded. The Douglas Blue Line Reconstruction Project is one of approximately 60 projects that will be managed via the Web-based system over the next 4 years.

KFA is a member of the Program Management team, led by URS Construction Services, for the Chicago Transit Authority's five year, $2.1 billion Capital Improvement Program. KFA's role is to select, implement, train and support Web-based project management systems. KFA staff assigned full-time to the effort are: Greg Bush, Mike Poynton and Peter Urban.

Personnel from IDOT tour the progress on the CTA Douglas Blue Line reconstruction Project Project Web Site Insights During KFA's extensive work with Web-based Project Management systems, we have spoken with dozens of users of a variety of products. Here are a few points to keep in mind when selecting and implementing a project Web site: The Internet is all about communicating with people in different locations. If your whole project team is co-located, going out to the Internet to share data will be slower and more costly than a LAN-based solution. Many users find they cannot take full advantage of their project Web site’s capabilities because they did not take the time to define the appropriate access levels, workflows and controls in advance of implementation. The value of a Web site rises with the number of participants. To get the full bang for your buck, consultants, sub consultants, owner, general contractor and subcontractors all must participate in the Web-based collaboration. Unfortunately, few Web site products do a good job of providing the features needed in both design and construction phases. Every project participant must see a benefit to his operations in using the Web site, otherwise acceptance will be a problem. You need a mandate. There is always someone on the team who resists moving to new tools and work processes. Build the requirement to use the project Web site into all contracts. Choosing Internet Service Many KFA clients ask for advice on where to go for reliable, affordable Internet service that meets their needs. There are many choices, both in terms of companies providing Internet access, and types of service available. T-1 and T-3 are high-speed, dedicated data lines leased directly from the ISP to the customer. T-1 lines are primarily used to connect remote offices into a Wide-area network or for companies with immense Internet data volume or for those who host their own Web sites. T-1 data transfer speeds are consistent at 1.5 Mbps; T-3 transfer speeds reach 44.7 Mbps. Fractional T-1 connections are also available, which make use of some portion of T-1 bandwidth. T-1 lines generally cost about $1000 per month, but are slowly coming down in price; T-3 lines are significantly more expensive. DSL is an always-on high-speed connection over regular copper telephone lines. Access speeds for DSL range from about 144 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps, with the slower access service generally available for under $100 per month. DSL service is available throughout most of the Chicago area, but is limited to a certain distance from a switching station. There are two types of companies providing DSL service: those who resell DSL service provided by a CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) and those who provide service on equipment they own themselves. The main advantage of obtaining service from a reseller is that they tend to provide better customer service and technical support. The disadvantage is the risk that the CLEC will cease operations, leaving customers without Internet access. The risk of your DSL provider going out of business can be reduced if you sign up with one of the big telecom companies who sell their own service. Cable Internet is service delivered via the same coaxial cable network used to deliver cable television. Since comparatively few businesses have cable wired to their facilities, most cable Internet connections are in residences. Cable access speeds vary greatly, generally from 128 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps; one factor determining speed is the number of active connections on the same cable segment, since cable Internet access is shared. Sharing the segment also makes it less secure, a drawback for business use. Standalone cable Internet service costs $40-50 per month, but can be cheaper if bundled with cable television service from the same provider. ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) connections are a hybrid between dial up and broadband. ISDN does not provide an always-on connection like DSL or cable, but offers twice the speed of analog dial-up at 128Kbps. Also, because it is a digital line, connection is made instantaneously. ISDN tends to be unpopular because attaining service through local telephone companies requires a lot of technical understanding, and usage charges are quite high. Dial-up connections, at 56 Kbps, are still appropriate for residential applications, in cases where the only use of the connection will be browsing Web sites or sending and receiving emails. Most businesses will not find dial-up robust enough, especially with the ever-increasing demand to send and receive business data over the Internet. Residential users who wish to view multimedia material over the Internet may also be frustrated by the lack of speed. Also, the amount of time spent online will reflect in telephone bills, possibly making dial-up more expensive than broadband. Dial-up accounts offer some advantages: access available from $10 per month, no special installation or equipment (other than a modem) is required; instant sign-up is available from some ISPs. It is also easy to switch ISPs at any time. So Which is the Right Choice? Increasingly, design firms are transmitting and receiving large amounts of data electronically. Fast, dedicated Internet connections make these communications far more convenient and less trouble-prone. Choose T-1 or T-3 if ...   The reliability of your Internet connection is of critical importance or you are looking for the fastest connection you can get. You host your own Web site or backup your data to a remote server. You want to share one Internet connection among a large group of users. Choose DSL if ... You want high-speed Internet access for under $100 per month. You often transfer large files by email or download files from the Internet. You want to share one Internet connection among a group of fewer than 50 users. Choose Cable if ... You are a business customer located in an area that is beyond the reach of DSL service or want the least expensive broadband connection. You are a residential customer and want broadband. Choose Dial-up if ... You want inexpensive Internet access and you can make local calls without paying extra. You do not often download software or multimedia from the Internet. Automating Design KFA worked with a major manufacturer developing design automation applications for custom products. Even if you are an architect, please read on: KFA has always believed that the AEC industry can learn from design automation approaches pioneered in manufacturing. Design of this manufacturer’s product began with the sales force. Sales engineers documented the customer’s requirements in terms of major components and performance characteristics using a proprietary sales automation application. This tool created the initial specification, generated a price quotation and stored the components and performance characteristics in a database. The design automation applications developed by KFA encode design rules to automate the configuration (physical layout) of the product. These “design templates” were stored in database tables to facilitate updates as the product line evolved. Each manufacturing component was also catalogued in a database, with attributes representing its functions. The design templates read the customer specification and components from the sales database, matched the specified components to their functions based on the attributes stored in the catalog database, and applied the design rules to configure the product. This preliminary design was automatically documented in AutoCAD drawings and Word documents. Design modifications and refinements could be made using AutoCAD or third-party AutoCAD applications. Once the design was finalized, the order was written to the manufacturing database. This data was fed to computerized manufacturing operations and produced assembly documentation for manual processes. It also produced the drawings required by the customer. In developing these design automation applications, KFA used a combination of Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) and AutoCAD Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The enterprise database was Oracle. To enhance performance during AutoCAD editing sessions, a local copy of the data was maintained in an Access database. One major advantage of this approach was that routine aspects of the design were automated, substantially reducing design time and labor costs. The second major advantage derived from the fact that all representations of the product—customer drawings, machine instructions and assembly diagrams—were output from the same data. This reduced manufacturing errors and improved product quality.