Award-winning innovation at Newcon Builders
Singaporean construction company Newcon Builders Pte Ltd (Newcon) has designed and built institutional and industrial projects since 2007. Recently completed projects include upgrading Dunearn Secondary School, the Changkat Primary School alterations, and the spectacular 8-storey learning hub at Nanyang Technological University. The team has also built residential and commercial projects in the Woodlands and Bedok neighbourhoods.
The company started using Autodesk Construction Cloud in 2022. And yet, in a short time, they’ve significantly improved overall productivity and project workflow.
The Cultural Shift to Digitising Newcon’s Construction Projects
In 2022, Newcon wanted to digitalise their Request for Information and Approvals (RFI/RFA) processes. Mark Villanueva, Corporate BIM Manager, describes how he and his team took the initiative to differentiate Newcon from the competition by embarking on a digital transformation project.
“We chose Autodesk Construction Cloud due to its user-friendly interface and the multitude of features it offers. Our decision was not solely based on one solution, but rather on the comprehensive set of capabilities it provides,” says Mark.
However, changing to a digital platform came with its challenges.
“Convincing teams to adopt Autodesk Construction Cloud posed a challenge, primarily because it was a new platform to them,” says Mark.
But staff followed suit as soon as the management were on board with the software. Newcon ensured continuous support for staff, consultants and clients’ inquiries both during and after the implementation, offering feedback sessions to address questions and concerns, which aided in the successful implementation.
“It was like a cultural shift – at first, there was some resistance to change,” says Mark. “But after using Autodesk Construction Cloud, they quickly recognised its benefits. That’s the reason we continue to use it.”
Reducing Admin Tasks from Hours to Seconds
Newcon uses Autodesk Construction Cloud for digital design, construction, and asset management, with the platform acting as its Common Data Environment (CDE) to complete end-to-end projects. With the most up-to-date information readily available for all team members, collaboration has increased.
Newcon also saves time on administration tasks. Manually handling and tracking RFI/RFAs took the team days to complete. Autodesk Construction Cloud reduces the process to a couple of clicks.
Exporting Revit files into Navisworks was slow and difficult to coordinate between team members. Now, digital progress monitoring, BIM-based collaboration, and as-built verification and documentation run more efficiently on projects than before.
“Autodesk Construction Cloud decreases the time and effort needed for every bit of administration, especially the clash reports,” says Mark.
Clash reports were taking Mark a whole day to create. Clashes were uploaded into PowerPoint, with details like photos, grids, and descriptions. These files were then shared via email, WhatsApp, or other messaging services, so tracking was difficult.
In a week, Newcon has to process numerous clashes. Clashes are created in Navisworks with the help of the Coordination add-in – meaning clash reports are generated in just a few minutes. Each report is stored in the cloud and can be viewed by all stakeholders with a single click.
An End-to-end Solution
Newcon uses Autodesk Construction Cloud as its end-to-end solution, starting with early design work. As a project progresses, point clouds are uploaded to Autodesk Construction Cloud, allowing the team to perform as-built verification.
The team works in Autodesk Construction Cloud up until the final digital handover. Mark reports that the whole team finds the BIM-based collaboration and coordination feature makes coordinating faster and easier.
Newcon is currently uploading past projects into Autodesk Construction Cloud to take advantage of the benefits of a single source of truth. Now, drawings and projects that would otherwise be stored on Google Drive or Dropbox are available for all team members to access.
When Newcon stores project tender files, it has found the process more manageable with Autodesk Construction Cloud, as information is quickly accessible from past cases.
Newcon’s digital transformation over the past year has improved the productivity and efficiency of its projects.
An Instinct for Innovation
Mark estimates that Newcon currently uses 80% of the functionality in Autodesk Construction Cloud. Going forward, he plans to have other departments using Autodesk Construction Cloud.
So far, feedback has been positive. Site contractors, in particular, have seamlessly taken to the technology, as they’ve found it intuitive and user-friendly.
“Our subcontractors greatly appreciate using Autodesk Construction Cloud because it makes processes so much easier for them,” reports Mark.
Newcon’s initial adoption of Autodesk Construction Cloud was driven by an instinct that transformation would be crucial for future success. Today, Mark and his colleagues are thankful they took the initiative and made the move. Some in the company even consider the transition to a digital platform a requirement for the building industry’s future.
“We need to use a solution like Autodesk Construction Cloud for the entire project cycle. It’s a must now. The demand from the project requirements will be pushing us to implement digital deliveries,” says Mark.
We chose Autodesk Construction Cloud due to its user-friendly interface and the multitude of features it offers. Our decision was not solely based on one solution, but rather on the comprehensive set of capabilities it provides.”
Mark Villanueva
Corporate BIM Manager, Newcon
The partnership between Newcon and Autodesk places them both at the forefront of the construction industry. Thanks to Newcon’s curiosity in Autodesk Construction Cloud, they have evolved over the past year, increasing their efficiency and collaboration.
“Some consultants and clients may prefer other solutions,” says Mark, “but since Autodesk Construction Cloud delivers what we need, we haven’t wanted to use any other platform.”