A minute-by-minute look at the ground breaking work with Building Information Models being conducted by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. They have a total of 210 million square feet of space around the world and are using BIM web services to improve quality and reduce costs.

1. U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs
Publicly available Health Care Facilities Management Information
BIMStorm Lifecycle
Benefits for the Building's Entire Life
A Presentation of Findings by
U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
10 July 2013
Team Approaches to Web Business Benefits for Building Owners
Four video links from ONUMA, Inc. and Professional Colleagues
Summary by Michael Bordenaro, BIM Education Co-op, A BIMStorm Agent
U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have
both begun use of buildingSMART® open standards and web-based business processes to gain
significant savings on facilities.
Through individual efforts and collaborative activities, both entities have determined that public
distribution of their findings will contribute to building industry-wide adoption of web-based tools and
business processes. Industry-wide adoption improves benefits to both private companies and large
entities such as the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
This summary provides a written description of videos to assist comprehension and encourage action.
BIMStorm Lifecycle Video Series Outline
Part 1A – Introduction to the Lifecycle – Kimon Onuma, FAIA
Part 1B – Max.gov – Serving Up Project Data – Andrew Schoenbach, Max.gov
Part 2 – Space and Equipment Planning Systems – Strategic Plan
Part 3 – Operations and Maintenance Road Map – Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support

2. One thin iPhone equals a closet of 33 rpm records. Vinyl is preferred by many aficionados. But the large amount
of songs accessed from one small devise is compelling. It changes the way we conduct music business.
Creative Commons
Other industries have adopted web business processes and experienced tremendous gains in
productivity and profitability. The building industry is behind other industries and is ripe with
measurable benefits resulting from proven web business processes.
Adoption of web business processes is disruptive of traditional processes. Dramatic efficiencies
eliminate days, weeks and months off of schedules and eliminate steps from industrial age processes.
Proper planning is needed to successfully gain the benefits of information age processes AND move
building industry professionals forward with meaningful career options.
U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have
publicly stated they prefer to work with private companies to gain web-based BIM benefits in
collaborative fashion so all parties can get to significant savings quicker. To achieve this, both entities
are willing to make their findings available to private companies, institutions and other government
entities and are actively seeking industry partners to share in the direction and development of
solutions. In other words, they are taking leadership steps needed to continue development of the
dramatic benefits that web-based tools and processes bring to the building industry.
A simple way to understand the potential savings is to envision a Private using a cell phone to validate
completion of a successful equipment repair instead of walking back to an office to validate the task.
Having all Privates serving the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs validate work orders
with a secure cell phone can save millions of dollars each year, according to the presentation.
Improving the work order systems of both U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs with
readily available, proven web business processes can lead to other dramatic savings.
U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are
members of the buildingSMART® movement in the global building industry. The buildingSMART
approach advocates use of open standards to allow easy transfer of data among software programs
that produce and manage Building Information Models (BIM). These entities are also members of the
buildingSMART Healthcare BIM Consortium.
Kimon Onuma, FAIA, is a buildingSMART Board of Direction member and the creator of BIMStorm –
an online Brainstorm using Building Information Models. BIMStorms have been endorsed by Dana K.
“Deke” Smith, FAIA, executive director of buildingSMART North America. Smith has written a journal
editorial stating that BIMStorms are one way to explore the dramatic savings and wide spread impact
of web-based Building Information Models on an enterprise.
U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have worked with ONUMA, Inc. and other
companies to explore the impact of web-based Building Information Models on planning, design,
construction, operation and facility management. (See videos for all listed participants.)

3. The findings of U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems, U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs and those who work with them were presented in a seminar/webinar called BIMStorm Lifecycle.
The presentation was recorded, edited and is available in four videos, each about 30-minutes long.
The intention of posting the videos is to assist widespread education and training with web-based
Building Information Models and Geospatial Information Systems to improve our Veterans' health care.
Held on 10 July 2013, BIMStorm Lifecycle was a public presentation of work-to-date and future plans
to bring Veterans measurable cost reductions and quality improvements in health care facility
management.
BIMStorm Lifecycle makes public the business processes, web-based software and hardware used to
assist the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health Systems and U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs. Information related to national security is not made public, but information that makes U.S.
facilities more effective is generously shared.
Complex relationships can be clarified, improved and repeated in a way proven to provide positive benefits.
Background
The U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are leveraging the previous work of the U.S.
Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Community Colleges and others. They join
with a growing group of owners requesting the collaborative benefits that come with buildingSMART®
open standards and web-based business processes.
Transitioning from Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools and processes to web-based Building
Information Models (BIM) across the entire Department of Defense is too large as an initial task.
Therefore the Department of Defense Military Health Systems has first created a Road Map and is
working in conjunction with the MacroBIM effort initiated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

4. Part 1
Part 1A and Part 1B provide a grounding in what has already been achieved by owners of large real
estate portfolios using web-based data management.
Part 1A – Introduction to the Lifecycle – Kimon Onuma, FAIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFrO7FWzdG4&feature=youtu.be
In what amounts to a focused BIMStorm History, proven case studies and web-based business
processes are shown to prove the viability of buildingSMART open standards and business processes
as demonstrated in BIMStorms, created by ONUMA, Inc. Supporters and users of BIMStorm include
the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Community Colleges, and others.
In Part 1A Kimon Onuma, FAIA of ONUMA, Inc., explains the dense history of events contributing to
BIMStorm Lifecycle.
00:00 Introductions and Overview
01:00 “ “
02:00 “ “
03:00 “The shelf life of a good idea is 6 months.” This will be a lesson in data sharing.
04:00 “ “
05:00 DoD is asking for partners to achieve benefits together.
06:00 Introduction of Space Equipment Planning System (SEPS).
07:00 Introduction of VA MacroBIM.
08:00 Introduction of Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support.
09:00 History of Geospatial Positioning Systems – Fast moving.
10:00 Yelp! Use of GPS web services as part of life – foreshadowing web business processes.
11:00 And it's free.
12:00 “ “
13:00 Current business processes are broken – a revolutionary approach is needed.
14:00 U.S. Coast Guard started working this way 10 years ago.
15:00 McKinsey Report on distributive technology – BIMStorm leverages top four benefits.
16:00 Record shelves compared to an iPod – Twitter map – Google Glasses.
17:00 “Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.”
18:00 I did not sign up to manage data – WRONG!
19:00 The real value is understanding what all the data means.
20:00 “ “
21:00 White House Data Strategy for the Future.
22:00 Free Data from software applications.
23:00 Sharing data from one application to another with imports and exports.
24:00 DOD IT Modernization.
25:00 California Community Colleges – 5,200 models 75 million square feet.
26:00 Fred Harris recorded message from California Community Colleges.
27:00 “A whole different business model based on collaboration . . . web services.”
28:00 “Partnering is our R&D. We want to grow that model.”
29:00 “ “
30:00 1,000 users working on BIM light is a key – people using BIM without knowing it.
31:00 “ “
32:00 California Community Colleges uses web services – vendors are using it now also.
33:00 Mash-Up of GIS and facilities data – communicate in a common format is priority
34:00 “ “
35:00 Kimon's 5 Main Points – 1) Start with data you have 2) Use open standards 3) Share via web
links 4) Keep it simple 5) Adopt existing tools.

5. Part 1B - Max.gov – Serving Up Project Data – Andrew M. Schoenbach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhzrkrIDG0k
Part 1B features Andrew Schoenbach Max.gov Policy Lead, chief, Budget Systems Branch, Office of
Management and Budget where he develops Max.gov. He explains how the well-established and
growing federal data sharing portal can work with web-based business processes to supply the
information needed for use in web-based Building Information Models and Geographic Information
Systems.
Shahid N. Shah, Chief Architect of Max.gov and an executive at Netspective.com, is credited as the
Chief Architect of Max.gov.
00:00 Kimon states “Max.gov is very much in line with what we are talking about.”
01:00 For the government entities there was so much Return on Investment potential that there was
no question about using Max.gov.
02:00 Agile, lean, resource constrained, open standards, web services – these are the key issues.
03:00 Stop monolithic computer systems. The days of monolithic systems are dinosaur days.
04:00 Serving business needs is what ultimately matters. If you are passionate about architecture and
building you can stop worrying about software.
05:00 10 things needed.
06:00 5 things needed to be effective – Analytical Tools, Collaboration, Knowledge Management, Data
Collection and Tracking, Document Production.
07:00 Inter agency collaboration is needed in the Office of Budget Management so they developed
ways to collaborate.
08:00 From experience, the Office of Management and Budget knows a fortress mentality fails.
09:00 Business owner drives decisions – not technology.
10:00 There is secure collaboration government-to-government and government-to-partners.
11:00 Build component systems that are plug and play. Shared services drive ongoing benefits.
12:00 Today we can create systems in an hour.
13:00 Convert human functions into web services that can be provided to many.
14:00 Use whatever is practical – when something does the job better, swap it out.
15:00 Max.gov Authentication Services can be used today – Adopt Log In for all Federal Departments
16:00 85,000 federal staff can log in today with two-factor identification (HSPD-12 PIV/DOD CAC).
17:00 Federated Login Partners exist.
18:00 Cost of Max.gov is miniscule.
19:00 Features include group calendering – cross agency calendering and more calendering abilities.
20:00 Features include diagramming with live links – multi-stage work flow diagrams.
21:00 Features include Microsoft document sharing in the background – Directory creation is a free
benefit of Max.gov.
22:00 Includes powerful search engine for specific government document retrieval.
23:00 Hosts discussion forums – 300 apps and can do another in an hour – Major Publication Abilities.
24:00 Publication Workflow Outline is included.
25:00 Knowledge Management is key. System must be built on a content management engine.
26:00 Accessing the data is the foundation for Knowledge Management.
27:00 It is a non-proprietary platform that follows standards. Make one change and knowledge
management occurs automatically.
28:00 The idea of a cooperative is key.
29:00 We make improvements to Max.gov available to all. We are growing, we are providing more
solutions.
30:00 Kimon said that the secure Log In itself is a significant benefit. As is the concept of building one
solution and sharing it to gain measurable, cumulative benefits.

6. Part 2 - Space and Equipment Planning Systems - Strategic Plan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM7okahmOTI
The Space and Equipment Planning System (SEPS) has been used as a data organization
mechanism for many years by the U.S. Government. Typically, SEPS is used to generate the program
requirements for healthcare facilities, including spaces and equipment. This is critical information to
include in Building Information Models.
Starting st the 17 minute mark there is a series of steps listed to achieve SEPS deployment at an
enterprise level.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs MacroBIM project is described starting at minute 26.
Visualizing every object in a room is the start of understanding management of every object in a building, in a
portfolio of buildings or in an entire enterprise.
00:00 Introductions
01:00 DoD is making information public because partnership will yield the best results.
02:00 SEPS 3.0 web-enabling SEPS was started before the project began.
03:00 SEPS on Max.gov now.
04:00 White House Digital Strategy – Decouple data from applications – allow links.
05:00 The more simple it is use, the more people will use it, the more valuable it is.
06:00 The opportunity for web services – dramatic savings.
07:00 Near term schedule of implementation by November 2013.
08:00 Existing solutions prove the concept.
09:00 SEPS requirements can be followed and improved with web services.
10:00 Show the users the data in a way that is easy to use.
11:00 Create machine readable data to gain web benefits.

7. 12:00 As you edit data make it available live on the web immediately.
13:00 How to do this for many types of users.
14:00 Budget numbers for SEPS deployment up to 2017 – 1691 on the web.
15:00 12 functioning proofs of concept are at this web link.
16:00 What number is this room and how many square feet is it – a big problem.
17:00 Live SEPS.
18:00 Proofs of Concept 1 – 6 and 7 – 12 (12 is SPES for Private Health Care).
19:00 808 room types – 50 pieces equipment per room – many attributes per asset.
20:00 Publish all of this data on an iPhone.
21:00 Start with simple blocks and add detail.
22:00 Automatic update of data.
23:00 Current processes are broken. Automated Web Processes free time for other work.
24:00 Specification improvements – Early blocking and stacking with Beck Technology.
25:00 MacroBIM – VA Project - Improved data sharing.
26:00 dProfiler and ONUMA System xml data transfers – Reduce from 3 months to 30 min.
27:00 Naming and numbering rooms is a huge challenge.
28:00 Smart phone and Tablet Proof of Concept – app economy for process improvements.
29:00 Google Glass description.
30:00 Wearable computing options.
Space Equipment Planning Systems can provide data to be visualized as bubble diagrams, floor plans, 3D
rooms, 3D buildings and entire campuses. Web services make these visualizations powerful collaboration tools.

8. Part 3 – Operations and Maintenance Road Map - DMLSS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbESBCEqV6U&feature=youtu.be
“The Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS) Automated Information System (AIS) has
joint interoperability requirements which directly support the Department of Defense medical
community's core mission-functional areas. The focused objective of the DMLSS program is to support
the Military Health System (MHS) health care delivery mission by providing timely materiel, facilities,
services, and information resources essential to patient care in both peacetime and wartime.”
(http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/washops/dmlss.html)
Like Max.gov and the Space Equipment Planning System, the Defense Medical Logistics Standard
Support provides existing information sharing capabilities that can assist in the creation and use of
Building Information Models and Geographic Information Systems.
There is a description of step-by-step deployment of Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support
connections with Building Information Models at minute 10:30
At minute 15 there is a description of the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support Ecosystem that
can be created when multiple data sources are allowed to share information for representation in
Building Information Models and Geographic Information Systems.
Kimon Onuma, FAIA, makes an important statement at minute 17. He indicates that it is not about
whether or not you are BIM, or GIS, or SEPS or DMLSS – you are in data, that is all that is important.
Making sure the data is accurate is the key. Showing the data in multiple real-time, web-based
systems is the best way to constantly show the data is accurate.
A little into minute 18 the presentation links to the concept of making an intelligent object for every
mission critical object. This is possible and highly effective in assisting mission success as proven by
the U.S. Coast Guard, California Community Colleges and others.
These processes have been around, have been used and have been proven. Wide-scale deployment
is now and has always been the issue. A formally aligned group of independent health care facility
owners can assist in the rapid deployment of government sponsored research and development of
such powerful tools dramatic results can be projected with more surety than previously thought
possible.
00:00 Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support – Facilities Management Road Map
01:00 Just save the time walking a work order around and you have tremendous benefit
02:00 Avoid data overkill – Provide the data that is needed
03:00 How do you update the data in the Building Information Model?
04:00 Using Legacy Data and Web Services in the background
05:00 Schedule for Web Services use with Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support
06:00 Transitioning current CAFM system for web services
07:00 Other solutions need to be found – data needs to be decoupled
08:00 Current system - $100,000s for new field added – we don't want monolithic systems
09:00 DMLSS and SEPS Aligned Strategy
10:00 Proofs of Concept 1 – 12 (See more at this web link)
11:00 Underlying systems need to be maintained – web services can help with this
12:00 Consistent naming and numbering is still a huge challenge – this is key
13:00 We want a simple way to get to our data – create a genetic code of the facility
14:00 Layer DMLSS data with SEPS – make it available to other systems – find patterns
15:00 Create a Project Ecosystem – publish data through web services – look at work flow

9. 16:00 “I am in Data.” It is doesn't matter which application you use – open standards benefits listed.
17:00 Security is overlaid on all of this – Classify by type of data and access it in many ways.
18:00 A Big Data concept of Facilities – By 2015 share data across applications – Yelp!
19:00 Question about assets and services.
20:00 Chicago and El Paso case studies mentioned - Todd from State Department 19,000 facilities.
data warehouse and make data accessible – and make it work.
21:00 Proof of Concepts mentioned again and CCC case study mentioned – BIM server Value.
22:00 Decouple Data from Application – Web services increases security.
23:00 Airline analogy – Designing a vacation and designing a building will be similar.
24:00 Worst security risk is not having access to the information.
25:00 Can you or can't you work in web services?
26:00 BIM at different levels of detail – publicly available information is highly useful.
27:00 Free tools replaces what formerly cost tens of thousands of dollars – standard are important.
28:00 iPad applications and other simple apps can be highly valuable – how does it link?
29:00 ROI on a 70 minute work order reduction by 20% is a high return – save on walking.
30:00 VA is involved in the SEPS project.
31:00 Establishing ROI is a challenge – if you don't use mobile apps you won't be competitive.
32:00 Work Orders is one area where we identified savings.
33:00 Clayton Boenecke mentioned the challenge of identifying and measuring savings.
34:00 It is good to identify savings, otherwise you do business as usual.
35:00 Unnecessary costs eliminated – how do you get people to see that? (Hint: BIMStorm)
36:00 Professor Barry Yatt asks: “Can we prevent threats to the data?” Distributed structure is safer.
37:00 And distributed data structures help avoid down time.
Systems are in place to create a more effective facility management ecosystem today. Decoupling data from
software applications and the use of open standards allow the ecosystem to thrive.

10. Special thanks are due to the National Institute of Building Sciences.
The BIMStorm Lifecycle presentation was hosted by the National Institute of Building
Sciences at it's Washington, D.C. headquarters.
The National Institute of Building Sciences is the home of the buildingSMART alliance, North
America's chapter of the global buildingSMART movement. buildingSMART advocates use of
open standards to assist data sharing that drive dramatic savings.
The National Institute of Building Sciences provided a newsletter report about the BIMStorm
Lifecycle in it's monthly e-newsletter. The report is at this web link and is copied below.