The U.S. Army operates and manages more than 1,500 sites worldwide, including active Army bases and other facilities. Just one of these bases, North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, covers more than 160,000 acres of land and is estimated to have thousands of individual buildings and structures.

Each of those structures represents a challenge for the Army. When each was designed and constructed, there was a handoff from the construction company that completed the work to the facilities management organization on the base. A set of “as-built” plans most likely changed hands, as well as all of the information about the disparate parts, systems, and components that comprise the structure.

When you’re looking at a base as large as Fort Bragg, it becomes very easy to see why and how this can be a challenge. All of that data – plans, warranty information, manuals and documentation for mechanical systems, and other important files and information – for more than 1,000 structures was handed over when construction was completed. That information then needs to be aggregated, stored, managed, and shared in such a way that it is intuitive, accessible, and can be easily updated and changed to reflect the changes that are made to the structure during its lifecycle.

Many of the construction and facilities management organizations on military bases are responsible for sustainment, restoration, and modernization (SRM) projects on the base’s disparate structures. That often involves rehabbing and repairing existing structures and facilities. 

While using Fort Bragg as an example may be considered cheating – it is the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) largest base – it is an incredible illustration of a larger facilities management challenge that the Army faces. If this one base, alone, has more than 1,000 structures, how many total structures is the entire Army responsible for? And how is all of that facilities information and documentation managed to ensure that it’s current, accessible, and available when needed?

Why up-to-date data is essential
Before discussing how a military service like the Army can better store and manage facilities data, it’s important to understand why it needs to. After all, storing, managing, and keeping “as-built” plans and documentation for the structures on a military base probably seems like one of the smallest and least significant responsibilities that the facilities management personnel on a military base would have.

Unfortunately, there have been numerous emergency scenarios on military bases in recent years that serve as examples of why this is incredibly important. In emergency scenarios, first-responder personnel need to be able to access a structure’s plans to accurately identify where things are happening, the safest and most effective way to enter the structure, and points of egress where perpetrators could be entering or exiting the structure. This is essential for a safe, effective, and efficient response.

If those plans are not readily accessible or have not been updated with recent changes or renovations to the structure, they will not be useable or helpful to the response effort. However, this is just one reason why facilities data needs to be kept updated and accessible. There are many others that may not be the difference between life and death, but could still have large ramifications on military operations and budgets.

Many of the construction and facilities management organizations on military bases are responsible for sustainment, restoration, and modernization (SRM) projects on the base’s disparate structures. That often involves rehabbing and repairing existing structures and facilities. Unfortunately, rehab and repair work requires access to “as-built” plans to be done correctly and efficiently. If those plans don’t exist or can’t be found, new ones need to be developed, which adds time and cost to projects.

Another part of the sustainment of military structures includes maintaining components and mechanical systems. It’s important to know when work was done and when equipment was purchased for maintenance and warranty purposes. For example, if a furnace unit needs maintenance or repair, it might still be under warranty, but that requires having easy access to the latest warranty and maintenance data.

Very few military personnel end their career in the same base or facility they began it. Soldiers are reassigned, relocated, deployed, and eventually retire. As this changeover happens within the organization, valuable institutional knowledge is lost.

All of these disparate reasons make it essential for a large organization like the U.S. Army to store and manage its facilities data effectively. But how can an organization with so many structures do so effectively?

Moving past shared drives and Sharepoint
In the work that IMAGINiT has done with multiple state National Guards, we’ve often found organizations relying on tried-and-true methods – like keeping documents, warranty information, and “as-built” structure plans on Sharepoint sites and in networked shared drives. While this system has stood the test of time, it’s not always the most effective way.

Unfortunately, even the most organized and well-labeled shared drive will create version control issues and other challenges when used for storing facilities data. In these instances, the most recent files and information are often lost or difficult to identify. Files can often be deleted or stored in the wrong place. Also, since each base or organization within the larger service will invariably have its own systems and naming conventions, there is often a lack of a single standard for storing and identifying the most accurate and up-to-date data.

Then, there’s the issue of organizational knowledge and employee turnover. Very few military personnel end their career in the same base or facility they began it. Soldiers are reassigned, relocated, deployed, and eventually retire. As this changeover happens within the organization, valuable institutional knowledge is lost. The one soldier or citizen employee who might know exactly how to find a set of plans or maintenance data for a facility could be reassigned to a new organization or a whole different base – leaving the facilities management organization to figure out where everything is.

While tools like shared drives and Sharepoint are still valuable productivity and information-sharing solutions within an organization, they’re no longer the most effective solution for facilities data. A new generation of data management solutions designed specifically for facilities data has taken their place.

…even the most organized and well-labeled shared drive will create version control issues and other challenges when used for storing facilities data. In these instances, the most recent files and information are often lost or difficult to identify.

For example, in its work for the National Guard, IMAGINiT organized all of the organization’s facilities data into a single place that made it easy to find using Autodesk Vault Professional.

Vault’s data, document management, and storage capabilities can be hosted locally on a network or in the cloud. It also integrates with other design solutions – including Autodesk Revit and Civil 3D – making data workflows and collaboration easy and seamless. This eliminated version control issues, made it easy to find all necessary facilities data, and even made it simple to identify the most recent and up-to-date data.

Whether it’s saving lives in emergency scenarios or simply saving military budget dollars by making structure warranty and maintenance data more available and accessible, having access to up-to-date facilities data is essential for organizations like the U.S. Army. While the tried-and-true tools – like Sharepoint and shared drives – may have served their purpose in the past, they’re no longer the only options. New solutions – including Vault – are capable of making accurate and up-to-date facilities data more available and accessible when its needed. And that could be a lifesaver for the Army.

To learn more about IMAGINiT’s work on behalf of the National Guard, click HERE to download the case study.