Construction software company COINS has bought 50% of the shares of BIM consultant Fulcro Engineering Services, a specialist in advising contractors and clients on implementing BIM in projects.
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
Fulcro was estabished in 2002 and works with clients including Mace, Laing O’Rourke, the Crown Estate, Sir Robert McAlpine and Carillion. It has a fee turnover of around £2m a year and a staff of 17.
Meanwhile, COINS says that its products – including systems for subcontractor management, construction cost accounting, procurement and HR – are used by 30 of the Top 100 UK contractors and house builders, including Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Sindall and Kier.
Leaver explained that COINS’ client base recognises the benefits of adopting BIM, whether mandated by clients or not, but contractors tended to bring different emphases and there was no clear template for the development of BIM functionality.
“So we’re speaking to people [Fulcro] that really understand BIM, rather than waiting for client demand – it’s taking too long, and there’s more we can do. We’re using Fulcro as a guide because they’ve already been doing this for contractors for years. They have been using 3D design to cost projects, check coordination, and validate designs for major clients and construction companies for over 12 years and are widely recognised as experts in the world of BIM.
“The main challenge is to get BIM integrated into the back office ERP system, both at the design stage – because all the risk is in the design – and post-contract. When the project is completed, if all the ERP data is linked to a 3D model, the contractor, will be able to see how long everything took, or how profitable a project was. You’ll be looking at the building, rather than pie charts and tabular systems.”
Leaver added that COINS already had the in-house capability to link its software to 3D CAD, but sought Fulcro’s guidance as expert BIM practitioners rather than design consultants.
In a press statement, Ben Haldin, managing director of Fulcro, said: “Fulcro and COINS already have commonality across our customer portfolio, we have also been downloading and using 3D COINS apps from the Autodesk web site to help us in our business prior to having any conversations with COINS.
“As a company reliant on 3D design applications, working with COINS as a supplier but also as a partner will be a great benefit to the Fulcro business and what we can deliver to our clients. They can provide us with capabilities we have been waiting for but have not seen in the market yet.”
