UniClassversion2.xSystemsandElements.

(Asecondrevision)
BrianOHanlon 04thOctober2013 (Additionalmaterialandamendmentsaddedon5thand6thOctober2013) NickNisbetsuggestedthattheremaybeanoverlapbetweentablesEeandSsintheUniClass'2'developmentrelease asofOctober2013.WhichwouldindicateanopportunitytomergethemandcreateanopenslotintheUniClass secondrelease.ThatwouldinturnallowCPItoloadintotheemptyslotsomeclassificationtablethatcouldprovide moreuse. [Updateon6thOctober2013:ReadingoneofthemostrecentpiecespublishedbyTheNBS(Gelder,OmniClassWork Results:acritique,2013),itisnoticeablehowtheaspirationwastoavoidthemistakemadeinnorthAmericawith OmniClass,wheresystemsandelementsdonotrelateproperly,theauthorclaims.]1 NothavingstudiedthedevelopmentreleasetablesaswellasNickandothershavedone,Iwillplacesomestockinhis expertopiniononthis.Itdidpromptmetorevisitsomeofthearticlesthathavebeenpublishedthusfar,whichtryto explainwhata'system'isandwhereitfitsrelativetoeverythingelseintheUniClass. Ausefulintroductiontosystemsisgivenrecentlyin(Chapman,2013).

TheAmericanCSIandCanadianCSC,worktogethertomaintainandupdatetheUniformat,MasterformatandSection Formatconstructionispecificationstandards.ThefirsttwoareintegratedintoOmniClass(anorthAmericanlocalisation oftheISO12006PartOne:2001),andSectionFormatisoutsideofOmniClass.OmniClasswasintroducedinthenorth AmericanconstructionindustryafterUniClass1997versionhadbeenpublishedbytheCPIintheUnitedKingdom.

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SystemsorElements?
ThequestionthatIdidputtoNickNisbetyesterday(4thOctober2013),issimply:Doesapublicclientpurchasea system(s),oranelement(s)? Whilenotclaimingtohavealloftheanswersinmybackpockettoclassificationofconstructioninformation,Ithinkthe abovequestionisuseful.Eitherway,apublicclientwillhavetospendasetamountperannum,andwillpurchase 'elements'or'systems'inquantities,dependingonwhichwaythatoneviewsprocurement. ReflectinguponitinearlyOctober2013,Ithinkthatapublicclientdoesbuyandpayforthings'bytheelement',buta clientneedsa'system'tofunction. AnexampleofasystemofferedbyIanChapmanorJohnGelderinoneoftheirmanytutorialsatTheNBS,issignage.
2

Thinkoftheexperienceofgoingtoyourlocalhospital.Fromthetimeyoudriveintothetown(ortakeabus,lightrailor train),tothetimethatyoufindtheroomthatyourappointmentisin,youareworkingwiththesignagesystemthathas beenprocuredinwhateverfashion,bythatsubbranchoftheNationalHealthSystem. Buyingsomething,andneedingittowork,aredifferentthings. Somebranchesofthestatemaynotwanttoadvertisethemselves.Theymaynotneedasignagesysteminthesame measureatall,asalocalhospitaldoes.Thegovernmentagencythatoperatescovertlymayendupspendingasmuchto avoidsignage,asthelocalhospitalspendstocreateit.Eitherentity,mayendupspendingsimilaramountsofmoney, onverysimilarelementsofconstruction,butwiththeintentionofobtainingtotallydifferentsystems,forvery differentpurposes. Ontopofthat,thepublicclientsometimespaysforawholelotofelementsthatcouldpotentiallybeusedinthe aggregatetocreatea'system'thatwouldprovidefunctionalitybutsomewherealongthepath,thesystem,theyhad wishedfordidnotgetdelivered.Itbecomesaverythornyquestionforconstructionprocurement,wheredoesthe culpabilityforthatoutcomelie?Wasthebriefincomplete,orthedesignadisaster?Orboth? Sometimestheelementofchancecanplayapart.

TheNBS,partofRIBAenteprises,wascontractedbyCPI,intheUnitedKingdomtoworkonseveralpartsofthe upcomingreleaseofUniClassversiontwo.
2

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Apublicbodymaypurchaseaselectionofelements,thecombinationofwhichendsupofferingafunctionality,that hadnotbeenanticipated(itcanhappenwithtechnology,wheretheapplicabilityoftechnologyisnotunderstoodatthe timeofpurchase).Somethingthatwenttotenderfiveyearsago,andendsupbeingdeliveredtoday,mayendup providingarangeanddepthoffunctionalitythatwasnotunderstoodbyitsdesignersorclient.

Howdoelementsmanagetoachievesuchimportance?
Whatiskeytounderstand,isthata'system'hastobedefinedinthefirstplace.Adefinitionofthesystemcanproveto bethemostelusiveiteminthewholeprocurementprocess.Iintendtoprovidesomeexamplelateron,toexplainmy pointsfromareallifepointofview. Hopefully,thesystemwillarriveoutoftheprocurementprocess,inlargeorlesserextent,alongwiththeelements thatmakeitpossibleandfeasible. Thesystemshouldbethehardedged,declarativesideoftheequation. The'flexible'sideoftheequation,shouldbetheElements. Inconstructionprocurementtheequationoftengetsinverted.Weendupwithhardedged,declarativestatements aboutelements,andverysoft,poorlydefinedstatementsaboutoursystems. Thepartieswhocontracttodeliverasystem,needtobeallowedtochoose,basedonexperience,whichelementsare mostlikelytoresultintheactualdeliveryofthesystem.Whiletheclientdoesneedtoknowaboutthesystemingreat detail,thecontractor(and/ordesigner),doesneedtoknowaboutsystemsandelements. Itislessadvantageousforthepublicclienttospecifytheelementsexplicitlyintheircontract.Butelementsaremost likelytobetheitemsthatwillappearontheinvoicethattheclientwillbeexpectedtopay.Thisishowthe procurementprofessionalsparexcellence,theQuantitySurveyorshavemanagedtocarveouttheirniche. Youcanunderstandandappreciateatemptationtofillupthebriefandtenderdocumentation(wheretheclient attemptstoexplaintothecontractortheirrequirements),withlistsofthingsthatlooklikeelements,ratherthan systems.

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Intheworldofprocurement,elementscanbeusedtocompareoneprojectagainstanother.Elementsareusedto forecastwhatthenextprojectwillcost,basedontheevidenceprovidedbythelast,orseverallastprojects(usinga retrospectiveelementalbreakdownsofcivil,buildingorprocessengineeringprojects).

Anexampleofasystemmodernbanking
Takeanexample,ofthemodernbankingsystem. InformationTechnologyexpertstellmethatbackintheday,the'computerroom'inabankwasfullofequipment, neatlystackedupincabinets.Nowadays,Ihavebeentoldthattheroomorspacewhichcontainedalloftheequipment isemptierthanitusedtobe.Someanticipatetheroomwillbecometotallyemptyinthenearfuture,apartfromone terminallocatedinacorner. Alotofithastodowithmodernparadigmsintechnology,likecloudservices. Fromapointofviewofbankingandcustomers,nothingreallyhaschanged.The'system'hasremainedthesame.It raisestheconundrumforprocurementmanagers,astohowonepricesandpaysforthings.Ifthepricingandpayment wasbasedaroundthesystem,nothingwouldchangefromyeartoyear.Butobviously,inbanking,muchhaschanged inhowwebuild,specifyandpayfordifferentthings.Ithastochange,toreflectmoremodernpractices. Inotherwords,ifweweretrackingthingsbyelementinthisinstance,wewouldgetaveryrealviewofwhathad happenedinreality.Themachineroomasoneelements,hasbecomelessimportant.Thatmayinformthedecisionsin futureabouthowtodesignandbuildthebankinginfrastructure. Theelementsthatmakeupthe'system'haveallchanged,comparedtowhattheywerelike.Theelementswillchange again,inthefuture,andagain. Ifonetrackingthingsprimarilybysystem,onemayknowfarless.Thebankmighthavelesstogoon,whentryingto decidewheretheyshouldallocatebudgetresourcestoobtainthebestvalue. Fromthepointofviewofthecontractorwhoensuresthedeliveryandfunctionalityofasystem,andguaranteesits longevityfor'X'periodoftime(andthatitcomplieswithregulations'Y'and'Z'overthatsameperiod),theymayhave toswaparoundelementsofthatsystemafewtimesinordertocomplywiththeircontract(andtoearnprofitfrom it).

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 Forexample,thelabourelementrequiredtomaintainthesysteminoperation,mayundergorevisionatseveralstages duringtheperiod'X'.

Whatendsupinthecontract?
Ireturntomyargumentthataclientpaysforanelement.Theinvoicetheywilllookat,containsafigurethatis assembledfromelements,ratherthansystems. Theguaranteethatalloftheelementswillamounttosomethingattheendoftheday(thatpartwhichwerefertoas 'thesystem')isimplicit,inmostcontractsthatarewitnessedinconstruction.Theelementsthemselvestendtobe explicit,andarethereforecapturedinvariousformsthroughoutthe'contractdocumentation'. Theapproachofmakingelementsexplicit,andthesystemlessso,hasitsadvantagesfromanaccountancypointof view.Butithasitsmanyfaultsfromotherpointsofview.Thatiswheremyexampleslater,mayshedsomelight. Anothergoodarticle(Gelder,RevisingISO120062:2001,2012),containsamentionofsomethingknownas'function'. Function,asmanywhohavestudiedvalueengineeringknow,doeshaveadeepandimportantsignificance.Iwillnot getintovalueengineering.Itcouldbethesubjectofitsownessay:howdosystems,elementsandUniClasssecond edition,alltiebacktovalueengineeringormanagement?

OperationssuchasAgriculture
In(Gelder,RevisingISO120062:2001,2012),oneexampleisgiven.Thatofagriculture.Agricultureisafunction(oran operationasIwillchoosetolabelit),thatcanbeputinfrontofanytablefromthenewUniClass.

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 Agriculturalregions, Agriculturaldistricts, Agriculturalsites, Agriculturalbuildings, Agriculturalactivities, Agriculturalspaces, AgriculturalFF&Esystems, AgriculturalFF&Eproducts. Youwillnoticethatsystemsfitinthere,betweenitemslikeactivitiesorspaces,andproductsattheveryend. Interestingly,intheaboveexample,Johndidnotmentionanagriculturalelement,andhowthatwouldintegrateinto thelist. Any'systemwhichisintegraltotheoperationofagriculturecanbecontextualizedwithinaregion.Thedistrictinwhich anoperationtakesplace,ispartofaregion.Thesiteofoperationsexistswithinthedistrict.Abuildingexistsonasite. Anactivitywhichexistsaspartofanoperation,alsoexistsonasite,(whichcouldexistwithin'aspace',whichmaybe insidea'building',ornot). Whenwegetdowntothelevelofspaces,wemayfindseveralsystemswhichneedtocoexistandcooperate,in ordertosupporttheactivity,whichisneededbytheoperationasawhole. Studentsoftheteachingsofvalueengineeringwillbeusedtomovingupanddownthiskindofstack,whichisusedto understandandgraspfunctionalityinallitsdimensions. Wecanlookatthe'agriculturaloperation'fromthetopdown,aswedidabove. Anoperationsuchaswashingturnipswillrequirewatersystems,disposalsystemsandtransportationsystemsto somehowgeltogethertoallowtheactivitytotakeplace. Lookingatwashingthesameturnips,fromthebottomupinthelistprovidedby(Gelder,RevisingISO120062:2001, 2012),itsuggeststhatasystemismadeupofproductsofvariouskinds. Iguess,theturnipsthemselvesareproductsinthisoperation,aswouldlabour,electricityandboxestoputtheturnips in.Thereareanumberofproductsthatwillbeconsumedbythissingleagriculturaloperation,andfollowinganalysis wecandiscoverwhatthoseproductsare. Itisawayofdescribingthingsthatwouldfeelveryfamiliartovalueengineers.

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TheSystemArchitect
Leavingtheworldofagriculture,Iwouldliketoreturntohighstreetbankingagain. Thesystemthatamodernbankneedstooperate(sotheycanservecustomers),isdefinedbyabankandits shareholders.Thebusinessexecutionstrategytheychoosewillhavebeenagreedbyshareholdersandmanagement.It islikewithagricultureinways.Atsomepoint,someonehastodecidewhattogrow.Lastyearitmighthavebeenbeet roots.Nextyearitmightberaisinglivestock. Havingarrivedatthebusinessstrategy,itisthejobofmanagementtocreatingabankingsystem.Theywillhirethe bestteamofinformationarchitectstohelpthemwiththetask. Thearchitectshavethejobofdesignandspecificationofthe'products'thatwillmakeuptheeventual'system'.They lookatdecisionslike,whatproportionofthe'system'willexistonsite?Whatproportionwillexistonthecloud?Willa cloudbased,orasitebasedproductgetthejobdone?Howcantheychooseaselectionofproductsthatwillfit together? Dealingwithproductsandtheirinteractioncangetmessy. Myownbelief,isthatarchitectscomeupwithelementsinordertodefinelargerbuildingblocks,inordertosimplifythe explanationofasystemtoothers(specificationanddesignwithinabuildingblock,isreferredtoasdetaileddesign, andbeginsafterthebigpicturehasbeenconceivedof).Theexplanatorydiagramscanbeusedastender documentation,withoutdetaildesign(andthatiscommonlyknownasDesignandBuildinconstruction). Atsomestage,onehastogotothemarketplaceinordertoagreepricesanddeliveryofthebundles,whichcontainall oftheproducts. Itwouldappear,thatproductsdomakeupelements,asmuchastheymakeupsystems. Itcouldbearguedthatanelementiscreatedforthebenefitofthedesigner,andforuseintheirsketchdiagrams.But deliveryofafunctionalsystemiswhatmostclientsworryabout. Thearrangementofelementscompriseswhatweknowasasystem.

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 Thisisoneofthereasons,itissodifficult(andpointlessusually),foronedesignertocopytheworkofanother.Onecan reproduce,orrecreatealloftheelements,withoutreproducingthesystem. Thesystemmustcomplywiththerequirementsofthebankingclientsbusinessstrategy,whichmustoperatewithin theconstraintsofafinancialregulator,anombudsman,abudget(approvedbythebanksshareholders),and/or whatever. Doesaclient(public,privateorhybrid,PPPorPFI),purchaseanElementoraSystem? Itpurchasesboth.Themaindifferenceisthatoneisexplicitlydefinedinacontract,andtheotherisimplicitly guaranteedbyadesigner.Thismodusoperandidoeshavemanyproblems,andIhopetoexplainmyargumentlaterby useofexample. [Noteon4thOctober2013:Examplesthatwerepromisedhavebeenomittedfortimebeing.Tofollowshortly,when theyarewrittenup.]

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MoreaboutSystemsandalltherest.3
05thOctober2013

WhatdoesasystemmeaninUniClasssecondedition?
HavinghadsomeopportunitytostudybackgroundmaterialandguidanceinrelationtoUniClasssecondedition,Ihave developedabetterunderstandingoftheinterpretationofasysteminthisnewclassification. Moreimportantly,Icanbegintoseehowandwhytheseinterpretationshaveevolved.Thatis,theideaofmoving beyondtheearlierSMM7type,orBCISclassifications. AcommonpointadvancedbytheguidancematerialforUniClasssecondedition,isthatDesignBidBuildwasusedalot inthepast,andclassificationstandardsgrewaroundthat. Astimehasgoneby,wehaveexploredothermethodsbywhichtoprocureconstruction. In(Gelder,ThenewUniclassWorksectionstable,2011),thereisanindicationofhowthefolkattheNBSarethinking. Thereisthenotionthatsystemsandtradeslooselyaligntogether. Idohavemyreservationsaboutthat.4Ihavebecomeincreasinglyawarethattheconceptofasystemisonethatis problematicforCPIandUniClassatpresent.

IwouldwishtoincludetheexamplesthatIhadpromisedyesterday,inanearlierdraftofthisdocument,butIalso wishtoaddsomeadditionalcommentinthispartofmymemorandum,todiscusssomemorestudytimeIhaveputinto UniClassandmaterialaboutUniClass. 4 Note,thatinappendixonebelow,readerscanobtainatleastsomeideaofwheremyownreservationscomefrom,in relationtoworkattheNBS,CPI(ICE,RICSandothersalsobeinginvolved),andtheBritishefforttostreamlineand modernizeUniClassingeneral.

3

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Doesapublicclientpurchaseanelementorasystem?
TheanswerIsuggestedearlier,isthatapublicclient(orprivate,orhybridPPP/PFI),tendstopurchaseanelement,but needsasystemtofunction. Thetruthis,itispossibletopurchasealloftherightelements,andstillendupwithoutasystemthatoneneedsfor onesoperations. Procurement(inpublic,privateoranyotherhybridsector),isimperfect. Thereisanimportantquestionofwhowillbethebestadvocateforasystemorforanelement. Containedinboth(Gelder,ThenewUniclassWorksectionstable,2011),and(Gelder,Standardsectionstructure revisited,2012),isalotofgoodexplanationandalotofverygood,logicalargument. However,forallofthestrengthsoftheapproachdescribedin(Gelder,Standardsectionstructurerevisited,2012), thereistheproblemoftheconflationofthesystemandtrade,byCPIatthistime. On4thOctober2013,IstartedwithanideafromNickNisbet,toemptyouteithertheproposedUniClasstableSs(for Systems),ortableEe(forElements). Thereby,freeingupatablewithinUniClasssecondedition,whichcouldbefilledwithsomethingelse.Intheearlier partsofthismemorandum,Itriedtodiscusswhatthedistinctionsandrelationshipsbetweenasystemandanelement couldbe. ThekeyexampleofasystemthatIusedinthismemorandumwasthatofsignage.Itisalsoreferencedasanexample in(Chapman,2013). When(Chapman,2013)talksaboutasystem,hedoesnotappeartobetalkingaboutatrade. Butin(Gelder,ThenewUniclassWorksectionstable,2011),wenoticethereferencetothesystemasbeingclosely alignedwithatrade.

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Whoisagoodadvocateforasystem?
Iwouldliketoaskthequestionagain,whowouldbethebestadvocateinconstructionforasystem? TheanswerIthink,couldbequiteinteresting. Butitalmostneveristhedesigner.Designersarenotgoodadvocatesforanythingwhichisntastandaloneproject.The livelihoodofthedesignconsultantisonlyhelpedoutbyastandaloneproject,andisnothelpedoutbythecreation and/orimprovementstoasystemusually. Systemsdonottendtobestandaloneprojects. Itcanhappenthatthetwocoincideandthataprojectbecomesasystemwhenitisfinished.Butthatisrarein construction.Itisfarmorecommon,lookingatitfromtheclientspointofview,thataprojectwillenhancethe properties,orextendtheboundariesofapreexistingsystem. Forexample,anewbusstation,anewbranchsupermarketpremisesorevenanupgradedsupermarketpremises. Butfromadesignerspointofview,theydonotoftenworryaboutthelargerpicture.Theworryabouttheproject,and leavethegrandbusinessstrategytotheirclient. DesignersliketobringthesubjectoftheirownProfessionalIndemnityInsuranceintotheconversationalways. Designersliketoexplaintopeople,howitistheirneckontheline.Inevitably,designersliketoringfencethethings. Thisismypatch.Staytheheckoutofit.ItiswitnessedinBuildingInformationModelling,wherethedesigneris constantlyringfencingtheirwork. Butsystemsdonotlendthemselvestobeingringfencedbyanyone.Systemsdonotwanttobethesubjectofone designer,oneowner.Systemsareimportanttothepublicclient,asintheexampleofthesignageforalocalhospital. Systemssuchassignagearewhatthehospitalscustomersinteractwith. Asystemsuchassignageforthelocalhospitalthatcannotbedesignedfromtoptobottombyonedesigner,atone momentintime.Therefore,thedesignerislesslikelytobeagoodadvocateforgoodsystems.Theclientortheir operationalmanagersandhealthandsafetyofficersarelikelytobebetteradvocates. Adesignerwillalwaysbeamuchbetteradvocateforanythingthattheycanabsolutelycontrolandabsolutelyown frominceptionthroughtobuildstage.Butsystemsoftenfalloutside(andsometimesfaroutside),ofthatscope.

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Systemsareoftenthingsthatkickoffwithsomeverymodestattempt.Onesiteownedbyaclientmayhavenosignage whatsoever.Theclientsfacilitiesmanagementteammaystartoffbycommissioningaverysmallnumberofsignsto beginwith.Itisthosepeoplewhounderstandandwanttoimprovethesysteminaprogressiveoradditivefashion. Straightaway,werunintoconflictwiththenaturalinstinctsofdesignershere,whowanttodoallofthesignageat once,andstamptheirsignatureonit. Butdesignershaveapointtoo(theynearlyalwaysdo). Afteracoupleofdecadesofaddons,andcompromises,withoutanythingcomprehensivetoshow,adesignercanadd value,whentheystepontotheplayingfield.Onsomesites,whatwefindisthatseveralgenerationsofoperations managers,facilitiesmanagersandhealthandsafetyofficershavecreatedsomethingthatisarealmess.Thatiswherea design,ratherthanamanagementapproach,canaddvalueandisneeded.

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StandingbackfromISO120062:2001.
06thOctober2013

Doublinguponmistakes,eithersideoftheAtlantic
Weexistinasituationinregardstoclassificationstandardsinconstruction,wheretheBritishtrysomethingfirstand getitwrong.TheAmericansandtheCanadianslaterhaveanattemptandtodobetter.Then,whattheAmericansand Canadiansgotwrong,theBritishinturntrytofix. Itislikeatennismatchofinternationalstandardsforconstructionclassification,withonesidegettingtoservefora while,andthentheother. Athirdentranthasenteredthefraynowadaystoo.TheRoyalInstituteofCharteredSurveyorswhoarehopingtoextend theirmarketfortheirstandardacrosstheworld. Inarticlessuchas(Gelder,OmniClassWorkResults:acritique,2013),wecanreadonhowtheAmericansmadea conflationofsystemsandproductsintheirOmniClass,whichistheirinterpretationofISO120062:2001. Wereadin(Gelder,OmniClassWorkResults:acritique,2013),howtheBritishwillavoidthismistake,butIthinkare makingawholenewsetofmistakesbyaligningtheirideaofasystemcloselywiththatofatrade. TheNBSconceptionofasystemoratradeisalsoclosetothatofaSubcontractor. ThisiswheretheauthorofthismemorandumwouldhavequestionstoputtotheNBSintheUnitedKingdom,interms ofwhereandhowtheirinterpretationoughttobe.Butletsnotdenythefact,thereissomeverygoodlogiccontained in(Gelder,OmniClassWorkResults:acritique,2013),andtheUniClasssecondedition.

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Exampleofasystemfailure
Theweakpointofalotofconstructionprocurementnowadays,isthatitispossibletohireawholegamutofhighly skilledandtrainedconstructionprofessionals,andtobeoneofthemostimportantclientsinthecountry(something likeanationalhealthcaresystemforexample)butingoingthroughthemotionsofconstructionprocurementthe publicclientacquireseverythingthattheyneed,andstillnothaveproperfunctionality. Theactivitythatonehopedtofacilitatecanproveelusive,afterinvestmenthasbeenmade.Theactivityorservicethat onehadhopedtoenhanceandimprovemayhavetobecarriedoutinawaythatislessthanoptimal. Everyprofessionalintheindustryhasoneortwoexamplesthatstandoutintheirminds,wherethemoneyhasbeen investedandresultsobtained,fallshortofexpectations. Anexamplewhichdidproveinstructionaltome,isaprojectforthefoodpreparationatanationalhospitalinIreland.It wasaprojectwheresixmillionwasinvestedinthehopeofmakingitpossibletofacilitatelargerdeliveryvehiclesatthe hospital,andaccommodatethewastedispatchfromthefoodpreparationactivitywithgreatereaseandefficiency. Theoutcomeoftheprocurementandprojectdeliveryprocess,wasthatsixmillionbudgetwasspentandallofthe elementsneededwereacquired. Theonlyproblemwas,itdidntwork. Theelementsandproductsthatweredesigned,installedandcommissioned(includingthedeliveryyard,vehicle ramps,levellingequipment,andamultistoreygoodslifttoservethepreparationareasabove),couldnotbeused. Allofthesenewitems,justsatthereafterwardsandstaffhadtohaulgoodsupanddownafireescapebyhand. Thenewfacilityasdesignedresultedinacrossingofpathsofdiscardedwasteleavingthebuildingwiththefreshfood comingin. Thisrepresentedahealthriskthatthemanagementofthehospitalcouldnottake,andhavinginvestedthemoneyto acquireanewstreamlinedfacilityextension,theyhadtogobacktobasics. Whatisntshockinghowever,isthatithappened.Whatisshockingwasnoonewasresponsible.

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Infact,undercurrentprocurementprocedures,everyonehaddonetheirjobsperfectlyandtotheletter.Awardsfor designexcellencemayevenhavebeengivenout. ThisiswhatworriesmeabouttheattempttocreateanewUniClass,intheUnitedKingdom.AsgoodastheUniClass secondeditionwillbe,itstillwillhavemanyshortcomingsandcontainmanymisconceptionsandmisunderstandings aboutprocurement. Thereallybadthingaboutmyexample,isthatnowhere,alongthewholechainwasthereanypartyorindividualwho didanythingwrong(saveforthefactthatamemberofthefacilitymanagementandhealthandsafetyteamofthe hospitalhadbeenexcludedfromthewholedesignbidbuildprocess,becausetheexpertshaditundercontrol). Everyonehadcheckedalloftherightboxes. Thedepartmentofhealthwereinvolved,awinningteamofconsultants,andtheworkwascompletedontime,andon budgetwithflawlessexecution.Exceptforthefactthatthewholecollectionofthings,didnotwork. Itofferedelementsofthesystem,butnotthesystemitself.5

WhatUniClasswillnotdo
Whenthepublicclientsignsacontracttoacquirethisorthat,theyfrequentlyendupsigningsomethingthatcontains listsofelementsthatareexplicit(aprofessionalQuantitySurveyorwillpreparethis). Theotherpart,thesystem(forwantofabetterlabel),isimpliedinthecontractandfallsthroughthecracks. Thisgetstotheheartofmatters.Itbringsinthenotionofpostoccupancyanalysisinpublicprocurement. Ifonecameacrossasituationasdescribedinmyexample,usingthenewCPIUniClasssecondedition,howwouldone describethepredicament,whichtheclientfoundthemselvesin? IsthereasufficientclassificationintheUniClasssecondeditiontodescribeascrewup?

Wehavegottothestageofadvancementinprocurement,wherewecanbuildandcommissiontheseperfectfacilities whichdontwork.
5

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Thatis,wherealloftherightelementsdoarrive,butsomethingthatshouldhavearrivedsidebysidewithallofthe elements,wasabsent(Imean,atthebasic,functionality,levelofthings). ItisverycommendablefortheNBStogofurtherintheirnewandimprovedsecondeditionofUniClass,thantheolder OmniClassstandardusedinnorthAmerica.ButIthinktheconflationthattheNBSinsistsupon,ofmakingtradesinto systems,maymissthetarget. Systemsshouldbedefinedinsuchaway,soastohelpoutapublicclient,whoistryingtobuysomethingfromthe constructionindustryinBritain,Ireland,orelsewhere. AndiftheISO120062:2001(andlocalizedinterpretationsofthesame),cannotachievethat,thenithasmissedouton whatitsmostfundamentalobjectiveshouldbe.

Inthelongrunwearealldead
Thebasicproblemwiththearrangementatthemoment,wherebytheCPIintheUnitedKingdomhavecontractedwith theNBS(partofRIBAenterprises),todevelopasignificantproportionofUniClasssecondedition,comesoutintheir articles(Gelder,OmniClassWorkResults:acritique,2013)and(Gelder,OmniClass:acritique,2013). ItissomethingthatIhavetriedtoexplainearlierinthismemorandum. Itis,thatarchitects(designers),lovetoputtheirarmsaroundsomethinginitstotality.Theyliketocontrol.Theyliketo ownsomething(foraslongasittakestogothroughtheRIBAstages),andbyreputationandprestigebyextension, afterwards.Thatiswhydesignershavesomanyawards.Itisawayofextendinginvolvementwithsomethingwhichis largerthantheenterprisewhichdesignedit. Architectsaretrainedandbred,tolikecontrol. Itpresentsasmallproblemwhenitcomestotheideaofsystems. Facilitiesmanagersseethingslessasonebigstatementofdesignintent,andmoreasaslow,organiceffortspread acrossmanyyearanddifferentdepartmentstoachieveexcellentoperation.

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Theenterpriseofdesignhasalottodowithmaintainingcashflowandsalariesinsideasmallconsultancybusiness. Somethingverysubstantialhastobeconstructedinonecomprehensiveeffort,inorderfortheconsultanttogenerate enoughfeeincometomaintainitsexistence. Designerstendtoliketalkingaboutthingsthatareverysolid,physicalandelemental. Facilitiesmanagerswhoarenottiedtoonceoffpaymentsandwindfalldesignconsultationfees,arepositionedtotalk aboutphasing,aboutstageddevelopmentandimprovingtheimprovementofsystems. Asystemmaybecomposedofseverallittleprojects(unconnectedtotheuntutoredeye),whichhappenovertime. Andtime,isnotawordthatmanydesignersliketohear. EconomistJohnMaynardKeynessaid,Inthelongrun,wearealldead.Andinseveralyears,alotofsmall architecturalanddesignconsultantsmaycomeandgo.

Respondingtothesite
Oneofthethingsthatwearetrainedtodoinarchitectureschool,fromtheyoungestage,beforeaproject,istogoby bustovisitasite. Thatactivityresultsinalotofyoungpeoplestandingaroundafieldorvacantlotinthemiddleofacity(usuallyinthe darker,coldermonthsinOctoberorNovember),withnotebooksandsketchbookstryingtotakeitallin. Thissitevisit(presumingthatonebotheredtogoatall),isfollowedbydesktopstudies,examinationoftheclientsbrief andsoon.Iteventuallyleadstowallhangingandcriticalanalysisofearlyideas,sketchesandpapermodels.Thatisthe rightofpassagethatarchitectsmustgothrough. Outintherealworld,youcancomeacrossadesignproblemsuchastheconstructionorupgradeofafoodprocessing facility. IrelandisaverysmallislandnationonthewesternedgeofEurope,withasignificantoutputofagriculturalgoods relativetoitslandareaandpopulation.Wehaveseveralcompaniesontheislandwhoown,operateandmaintainfood processingorpackagingfacilitiesservingthismajoractivityofgrowingandharvestingfromtheland.

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IusedtoworkindesignandengineeringoffoodprocessingfacilitiesinIreland.Itwasinteresting,tocomparedifferent approachestakenbyconsultantarchitectsversusthosetakenbyoperationsmanagersandprocessengineers. Iwouldalwaysrecognizethetextbookapproachtakenbyourconsultantarchitect.Manyofhissketches,wouldtryto respondtosomethingonthesiteornearthesite.Thelocationofthesuninthesky,ortheexistenceofthechurch steepleinthedistance. Architectsusedtotalkalotabouttheexperienceofthefoodprocessingfacilitiesworkersastheyarrivedtoworkin theircars,andwalkedtowardsthefrontentrance.Itwasgood,upuntilthepointatwhichtheworkershadlefttheir lockerroomandhadwalkedintotheplant.Afterthat,thearchitectlostinterest. Ontheotherhand,thatisexactlywheretheprocessengineerandoperationsmanagergotinterested. AnimportantaspectofthefoodproductionindustryinIreland,isforeignmarkets. Therewillneverbesufficientpopulationdomestically,toconsumehalfofwhatIrelandcanproduce. Irelanddependsonlocatingmarketsthatareclose(asintheUnitedKingdomorEurope),andsometimesfaraway(the MiddleEast,NorthAmericaorAsia). WhatfascinatedmewasthatprocessengineersandoperationalmanagersIworkedwith,respondedtothesite. However,thewayinwhichtheydefinedasitewasentirelydifferent. Totheprocessengineers,thesitewastheglobalmarket. Everythingelse,everydecisionafterthataboutwhattobuild,andhowtobuilditflowedfromtheirrecognitionofwhat thesitewas. Icanrecallonseveraloccasionswherewehadcarriedoutfeasibilitystudiesfortheupgradingofacollectionof facilities,toserveanewdemandsinChinaorAmerica.Theprocessengineerswouldcarefullystudythefoodimport regulationsforthosemarkets.ItdidnotmatterwhatregulationswereinIreland(orthelocationofthesun,orthe churchsteeplenearby).Whatmatteredweretheregulationswereinthecountry,whichwasthepotentialmarket. TheflowpatternsofproducewithinthefacilityinIreland,andwhatcouldbeallowedtohappenatvariousstages,was informedbywhatwasextractedfromtheregulationsofaforeignjurisdiction.Thisledtomany,manychangesatthe basicstructurallevelofmanyfacilitiesinIrelandusedforfoodprocessing,beforeourclientscouldevenconsider exportingtothosefarawayplaces.

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Ifrequentlyfoundthatdifficulttoexplaintomyarchitects. ThisisthemessagethatIwouldliketorelaytotheteamworkingattheNBSandRIBAEnterprisesintheUnited Kingdom. Therearesomeblindalleysthattheteamhavemanagedtogettrappedinside.Ifitisnotpossibletofixsomeofthose problemsinthissecondeditionofUniClass,thenIfeelsurethatsomegenerationwillhavetodoitanyway. BrianOHanlon

References
Chapman,I.(2013,January).AnintroductiontoUniclass2.RetrievedfromTheNBS: http://www.thenbs.com/topics/PracticeManagement/articles/anIntroductionToUniclass2.asp Gelder,J.(2011,November).ThenewUniclassWorksectionstable.RetrievedfromTheNBS: http://www.thenbs.com/topics/practicemanagement/articles/newUniclassWorkectionsTable.asp Gelder,J.(2012,January).RevisingISO120062:2001.RetrievedfromTheNBS: http://www.thenbs.com/topics/practiceManagement/articles/revisingISO120062_2001.asp Gelder,J.(2012,January).Standardsectionstructurerevisited.RetrievedfromTheNBS: http://www.thenbs.com/topics/designspecification/articles/standardSectionStructureRevisited.asp Gelder,J.(2013,May).OmniClassWorkResults:acritique.RetrievedfromTheNBS: http://www.thenbs.com/topics/PracticeManagement/articles/OmniClassWorkResults.asp Gelder,J.(2013,May).OmniClass:acritique.RetrievedfromTheNBS: https://www.thenbs.com/topics/PracticeManagement/articles/OmniClassCritique.asp

AppendixOne:Crosstraining,orlackthereof

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 (ThefollowingwaswrittenandcirculatedviaLinkedInbytheauthoronOctober2nd2013)

Absenceoftherightlenstofocuswith,attheNBS
IhavetoconfessthatIhavemissedmanyofthearticlesthathaveappearedthatwerewrittenbythepeople attheNBSthislastsummer. http://www.thenbs.com/topics/PracticeManagement/articles/ Ihavetoadmittoonlyplaying'catchup'oflate.Inreadingitemsongroupslikethisone,Igotcuriousabout whattheBritishconstructionprofessionalsaretalkingabout,intermsofUniClass. BasedonacrashcourseoftheNBSinformationresourcesIundertook,Ididmakesomeobservations.An articlebyJohnGelderfromNov2011,showsinitsTable03,asuggestionof'poorcorrespondence'between UniClass(01)tablesG,JandL. http://www.thenbs.com/topics/PracticeManagement/articles/unifyingUniclass.asp IknowthisarticleisfromatimewhenIwasonlyfiguringoutabouttheexistenceofBS1192:2007,whichJohn mentionsatthetopofhisarticlefrom2011.Thatwaswhenitwastimeundergraduatesinmyprogram,to chosedissertationtopics.Ourteachers(thosewhosawfittolookoutsideofIreland,toUK,orAmerica),were talkingalotaboutBIMandacommitmentmadebynationalgovernmentsorstateagenciesinthoselocations. Towardstheendofthe2000'sdecade,whenconstructioncompanieswereeitherclosingupshop,orwhole propertyempiresweregoingwalloponthegreenisland,IbegantolooktoCibse,andBERandmanythings associatedwith'Green'construction(civilorbuilding).Itsparkedacuriosityaboutaccountingsystems.Coming outofthisstudy,Idecidedtheremustbesomecriticalinteractionbetweentraditionalbudgetaryaccounting systemsandthenewgreenregulations.Theproblemwas,thatbeingtrainedina'design'field,architecture,I knewnothingaboutaccountingormanagementsystemsusedinconstruction. TheproblemInoticeintheUK,isthatasimilargrouplackingininsightareattemptingtorewritetherule book.Thisisalarming.Therearetwoproblems.ThereareQuantitySurveyingwhoknowallabout managementsystems(comingouttheirears,topheavyonthatside),whodon'tunderstandevenbasicstuff

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aboutdesign.Therearedesignerswhoknowdesignprocessbutdon'tknowtheformer.Constructionhaswhat aprojectmanagerwouldterm,ahumanresourcesnightmare. Thesubsetofpeoplewhocancommandatrueandmeaningfulinsightintodesignprocess,theQuantity Surveyingprocess,andthedigitalsystemstyingitalltogetherisnow,zero.Weallowedthistohappen, encouragediteven.We,did. QuantitySurveyorswillmaketheadmission,thattheyareperceivedasprovidinglittleforalongtime(inthe earlyRibastagesbeforeissuingoftender),andthenarrivedownlikeMosesfromthemountainwithtablets containingthingsinaclear,typedoutformat.Anawfullothappenstomakethosetablets.Alotofithastodo withtables'G'and'J',whichJohnmentionsinhisarticle.Buttheprocessisentirelyopaquetolargepartsof ourindustry. Ithasrecentlydawnedonme,thatinthecurrentattempttorationalizewhatisUniClass2etc,thattheNBS andrelatedbodiesdonothavethenecessarycrosstrainedindividualsneededtofullytackletheirchallenge.I noticeditinpracticeasearlyas2008. Icouldobservearchitectssittinginfrontoftools,knowingonlyhowtoaccessafractionoftheirfunctionality. Theaccountingandmanagementsideoftheirtools,wasopaquetothem.Thisconfusionhasfeditswayright uptothetoplevels.Thingswerealwaysonacollisioncourse. Withmybackgroundinarchitecture,andcomputeraideddesign,IwishedtotacklepartsIdidnotunderstand. Thecarbonandcostaccountingsideofconstruction.Itwasajourneyoffouryears,whichIrecently completed.Weneedmorepeopleinvolvedinregulation,tomakethatsamejourney,orIpredictthiswillend badly.

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