GroupBC, one of the world’s leading digital project and asset information management platforms, is pleased to announce a new contract with the prestigious University of Birmingham.
The University of Birmingham is in the midst of one of the most transformational campus redevelopments since the first phase of building was completed in 1909. The development programme, worth £1 billion as part of a 10 year investment starting in 2016, is creating outstanding new facilities for students, staff and the community.
GroupBC’s involvement
Due to the scope of this multifaceted programme, it was crucial for the University of Birmingham to employ a solution which would securely support delivery and transition from ideation to operation.
The high-profile and demanding programme requires a world-leading solution to manage the university’s current and future built assets. The University of Birmingham undertook a G-Cloud tendering process, selecting GroupBC as it offers the leading Common Data Environment (CDE) solution.
Speaking on GroupBC’s appointment, Wes Simmons, GroupBC’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with such an ambitious and informed organisation that is truly committed to digital transformation and BIM (Building Information Modelling) adoption.”
A UK-owned and hosted CDE will ensure the University of Birmingham can access all documents, drawings, 3D Models and data regarding its assets from a single, secure platform. This will form the basis for its One Estate Initiative.
The asset information management solution
The University of Birmingham required a CDE and project management system within its Estates Office to improve project governance, 
portfolio and information management. Currently, project and asset information resides in multiple disparate legacy systems and is also held by the university’s external supply chain.
With GroupBC’s assistance, the University of Birmingham is implementing a single system which can be utilised by the university, design teams and contractors to track and report upon milestones, changes and key decisions for project governance purposes. In effect, this will drive efficiency within its existing estate and the delivery of capital projects. It will also improve the delivery, visibility and control of important information and data across the department.
It is also important that the university mitigates the risk of information loss in the event of a supplier dispute or insolvency during the design or construction phases, especially with such significant investment plans for the future.
The implementation of a CDE will mitigate the above risks whilst at the same time substantially improving efficiency and availability of data for the university’s Estates Team.
This new CDE will assure the safe storage and access of all data and is fully compliant with the university’s security requirements including ISO 27001, a specification for an information security management system.
Commenting on behalf of the University of Birmingham, Trevor Payne, Director of Estates said: “The University of Birmingham is excited to be partnering with GroupBC, a sector leading provider for effective portfolio and project management solutions. The system will provide us with the foundation to open up our documentation and data, making it easier to link, interpret, find and manage information. Implementation of this initiative will deliver transformation of operation and service delivery, strengthening the University’s position as a world-leading institution.”
About the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is one of the United Kingdom’s foremost research led institutions. Set in 230 acres of parkland campus in Edgbaston, the University has been leading the way since 1900 with internationally renowned research that influences the modern World.
Birmingham ranks highly in the UK for research excellence; it is also one of the largest Universities in the UK with around 27,000 undergraduate students, including nearly 5000 international students from 147 countries worldwide and over 6,000 academic and support staff members.
The University of Birmingham is one of the 24 Russell Group universities. They operate globally, attracting international students and academic staff from many different countries, they also have a strong role and influence within their regional and local community and are committed to the highest levels of academic excellence in both teaching and research. Russell Group universities make an enormous impact on the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of the United Kingdom.
Birmingham has continued to be a university unafraid to do things a little differently, and in response to the challenges of the day. It was a founder member of the National Union of Students, the first university to be built on a campus model amongst other ambitious initiatives.
