Working together for the city of the future

An intelligent collaberation platform is helping to implement BRICKS AG's major "Klybeck-Areal" project. The platform grows with the project and adapts dynamically.

In Short

CHALLENGE

Many participants and a project organization that is constantly changing.

SOLUTION

Collaboration platform based on Sharepoint Online, Microsoft Teams and Azure.

BENEFIT

Platform brings individual projects and processes together and creates transparency.

Our Solution

Basel, like many other cities, is opening up previously unused areas for future developments. What was once an industrial site larger than 40 football pitches – known as the Klybeck area – will be transformed in the next twenty years into an attractive urban quarter. Ideally, it will create living and working spaces for roughly 30,000 inhabitants and 40,000 jobs. One of the major challenges of the project is that the Klybeck area comprises a number of construction sites with wildly different specifications.

A megaproject with countless stakeholders

The project development and general planning of a large part of this area will be carried out by BRICKS AG. This first phase of the project will be focused primarily on creating efficient, structured project management as well as the possibility to work together on all types of documents – strategy concepts, contracts, photographs, blueprints, drafts, etc.

As the project continues, the project organization will grow exponentially. An increasingly large number of stakeholders – project leads, consultants, architects, civic institutions, construction companies, craftspeople and many more – will need to have access to current and unified information as the foundation for efficient collaboration. But how can such lofty plans be carried out with countless stakeholders? By using an intelligent collaboration platform that grows with the development of the project and adapts to it dynamically. BRICKS AG has tasked Trivadis with developing this platform.

Digital platform creates transparency for everyone involved

Trivadis has built a collaboration platform based on SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams and Azure. This platform converges all data in the cloud, allowing it to be shared according to predefined permission settings. The solution comprises an online portal for the entire “KlybeckPlus Rheinwiese” development project, which is divided into additional websites for individual projects (areas, buildings etc.). The key here is a flat folder and file structure that allows users to get to the location or document they are looking for with just a few clicks. In addition, it features a global search that utilizes pre-configured metadata. The user interface of each project website is designed to be clear and intuitive. This gives users a list of current documents, news about the project, contact information, personal tasks and important upcoming dates and meetings, for example.

Clear roles, rights, processes facilitate transparent project development

Project stakeholders can use Microsoft Teams and OneNote to work together directly and communicate in online meetings. Dates, schedules and task delegation are sent out using the new Microsoft tool Planner. The Trivadis collaboration platform distinguishes between internal and external co-workers. Roles and rights are also regulated accordingly from the start, which makes work considerably easier for administrators.

SharePoint’s internal versioning is used to ensure that the documents, planning data and contracts are only saved once on the platform and are always up to date. Trivadis has set up the system so that all changes that have been made can be tracked (who changed what and why). If needed, older versions can be restored. Previous versions are archived automatically.

Optimized collaboration

The collaboration platform initiated by BRICKS AG and implemented by Trivadis bundles the countless individual projects and processes and creates transparency. The rate of errors caused by obsolete, duplicate or contradictory documents is significantly reduced. Approval processes and collaboration can be carried out directly online, making them faster and also binding. And because Trivadis is using standard tools from Microsoft for this customized solution, the platform can be expanded as planned while remaining future proof.

ABOUT BRICKS AG

BRICKS AG is a Swiss land-use planning and development services company based in Muri bei Bern, with branch locations in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. Its range of services include investment, planning, development, marketing and monitoring of real estate projects.