At Ephany, we’ve reimagined how AI can transform asset management. Meet Kit, your AI copilot, now equipped with the ability to read PDFs and extract asset data directly into your asset library on Ephany. Designed to save time, reduce errors, and make asset information management seamless, Kit takes the tedious tasks off your plate so you can focus on what matters most.
What makes Kit stand out? It’s no longer confined to a chat window. Fully integrated into our interface, Kit works alongside you, automating manual data entry and enhancing the workflows you rely on every day. Whether it’s processing asset catalogs, reviewing procurement details, or taking a snapshot of project furniture, fixture, and equipment schedules, Kit is here to help.
I believe BIM is experiencing some growing pains, as with any new technology would. I’m starting to see that there is too much data in models, particularly regarding assets such as the furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E).
I do agree that any data that is required for design and construction processes need to be included in the model, especially the information that is shown on the permit and construction drawings. However, in the context of owner furnished items (OFI) for repeatable commercial real estate projects, storing too much asset information within BIM models can lead to inefficiencies, higher costs, and unnecessary complexities. Here’s why.
1. Asset data gets locked away in a model.
One of the most significant drawbacks of storing asset data in BIM models (e.g., data within in a Revit model) is that access to these models is restricted. Only team members with specialized knowledge of BIM tools and the appropriate licenses can manage the data directly.
Therefore, modifying that data in a Revit file isn’t as simple as editing a cell in a spreadsheet. Every update requires careful attention to ensure the integrity of the model, which often involves editing complex Revit Families. Additionally, these updates are often left up to the BIM team because the project-level teams are not permitted to make changes to program-wide standards.
2. Updating Asset Data in BIM is Expensive
Let’s think about a scenario where a Revit Family contains incorrect information about a particular furniture, fixture, or equipment (FF&E). For an owner-furnished item (OFI), the update needs to be made available to the project teams. Sometimes this can come in the form of a formal design bulletin, but for owners who have their own BIM manage, a Revit Family first needs to be manually updated by a BIM manager. Either way, this change needs to be off to the project teams to update within their project models.
For programs with repeatable design, that means rolling out the updated Revit Family to an entire fleet of stores. This process is not only time-consuming for that broader teams and their consultants, but will have downstream impacts on any project which includes the asset (which means added project costs).
The cost of updating Revit Family data.
For most organizations executing thousands of projects, making updates often requires engaging with an architectural firm in which the cost can range from $150 to $200 per hour (or more). Sure, an update to a Revit Family for $150 on a single project, is peanuts, however, now consider the scale of large programs—such as retail chains with thousands of locations—these costs quickly add up.
Think about our earlier example of an entire fleet of retail stores that need an updated Revit Family. Let’s assume the update takes three hours and needs to be applied to 1,000 projects.
$600 in fees x 1,000 projects = $600,000
That’s only for the design work. If drawings need to be resubmitted to the owner or contractor, this cost could easily double or triple.
3. Project Delays Equate to Losses in Revenue.
Moreover, these updates can delay projects, as firms may take days or weeks to complete the requested changes, further increasing both direct and indirect costs.
While BIM models are invaluable for design and construction coordination, relying on them as the primary source of asset data creates unnecessary limitations.
Asset data—such as product specifications, procurement information, facilities management history—needs to be easily accessible and editable for all team members involved in a project.
A Smarter Alternative
By separating asset data from the BIM model and using a centralized platform like Ephany, teams can overcome these challenges:
1. Ease of Updates
With OFI asset data stored in a system accessible to all relevant stakeholders, it can be easily updated regardless of their technical expertise. In addition, the data can simply be modified on a platform which doesn’t impact the design and construction models which means changes can be made quickly, without the need for complicated software or expertise.
2. Cost Efficiency
By reducing asset data that does not need to be published in drawings, you alleviate some dependency on architectural firms or specially trained BIM specialists. As described earlier, this can save a large organization millions of dollars annually.
3. Seamless Integration
Data can still connect back to BIM models through unique asset IDs, ensuring consistency without the need to lock it into the model itself. Ideally, you would implement a platform such as Ephany, which offers connectors to popular BIM and construction management tools. This way, you can maintain synchronization with the assets as shown in BIM models and construction drawings as needed when it’s time to calculate a bill of materials (BOM) or other analysis.
Conclusion
Storing asset data exclusively within BIM models creates barriers that lead to inefficiencies, high costs, and bottlenecks. By moving this data into a centralized platform that integrates with (not relies on) BIM processes, teams can streamline workflows, reduce costs, and ensure everyone has access to the information they need.
If you’re managing large-scale retail or commercial projects, it’s time to rethink how you handle asset data. Let’s talk about how Ephany can help you simplify your processes and avoid the pitfalls of BIM-centric asset management.
Imagine navigating a world where identification numbers didn’t exist. Without bank account numbers, driver’s license numbers, and social security numbers, it would be nearly impossible to look up information about a specific person with 100% certainty that you’re not mixing up people with the same name.
Shouldn’t every piece of furniture, fixture, and equipment (FF&E) in your commercial space require the same standard?
When designing and building commercial spaces, its inevitable that teams will need to cross-reference information between resources, whether it be spreadsheets, databases, construction drawings, or software as it is highly unlikely that all information about anything is stored in one place.
That’s why an identification system is critical for assets — it unlocks the ability to use an ID as a key to reference across all data sources.
Technically, there are two types of asset IDs.
Figure 1 – Illustration of a Type ID (large rectangle) and its relationship to multiple Instance IDs (small squares)
TypeID: Assigned at the program level (not project level) to each type of an FF&E across an entire program. This is useful for design, procurement, and construction processes as it can be assigned to a type of fixture with a specific combination of options.
InstanceID: Assigned at the project level to each instance of an FF&E in any given project. This is useful for facility management and operational processes because it is typically used to track each physical asset’s information such as its location and maintenance history.
For this post, we’ll focus on the Type ID.
Why do we need a type ID?
Yes, it is possible to look up a piece of furniture, fixture, or equipment simply by referring to its manufacturer and model, but sometimes that just isn’t unique enough. Manufacturers will often use a single model name to encompass several variations of an asset’s form, fit, and finish. When this is the case, their customers need to create their own methods to track those variations — this is where a type id applies.
Let’s look at some examples of where manufacturers do not provide a unique model name and would require a design team to come up with their own type ID.
1. Complex fixtures with several accessories leave behind a puzzle to be pieced together.
Sherlock Holmes (2009), Warner Bros. Pictures
Some retail display fixtures have so many optional parts and accessories that manufacturers simply can’t provide an overarching model number for every possible combination.
The image below is an illustration of a Lozier shelving unit. Believe it or not, all of these pieces combined do not have a single model number to tie them all together; only the individual parts have their own part numbers.
Do all of these parts and pieces need to be listed on a set of construction drawings? Let’s hope not. If not, how does the procurement team ensure the correct parts and pieces get shipped to the job site for construction?
A type ID would help tremendously here. For example, if we assigned A-001 as the type ID to this assembly, the design, procurement, and construction teams would know that every instance includes the (2) uprights, (1) back panel, (1) base deck, etc.
2. Same model number, different sizes.
Twins (1988), Universal Pictures
In this example, we see that Hill Phoenix produces an entire line of freezers for physical retail stores under the model name VNRZQA. That’s right, a single model number for five different sizes of a fixture.
Sure, one could find an instance’s size by reviewing drawings or measuring the physical fixture on site, but that is time-consuming, opens up risk for error, and technically blocks automation tools from using VNRZQA as a unique identifier.
This is where a type ID is helpful. Although all five fixtures have the same model name, they could each be assigned a unique type ID like so:
F-001 : Hill Phoenix: VNRZQA : Freezer – One Door
F-002 : Hill Phoenix: VNRZQA : Freezer – Two Doors
F-003 : Hill Phoenix: VNRZQA : Freezer – Three Doors
F-004 : Hill Phoenix: VNRZQA : Freezer – Four Doors
F-005 : Hill Phoenix: VNRZQA : Freezer – Five Doors
This removes any guesswork on which specific size of the VNRZQA is used in a particular project as it can be shown in construction drawings or even on labeled on the physical asset in store.
3. Sizes, shapes, and bases… Oh my!
The Wizard of Oz (1939), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Another common example of where manufacturers often do not provide a unique model number is for tables. Manufacturers often provide several options to enable designers to customize the size, shape, and finish of a table, and it would be complicated for the manufacturer to provide a model number for each and every combination.
Below is the spec sheet for the Tier table by NaughtOne. When specifying this table for a project, a designer will immediately find themselves confronted with several options.
Property of NaughtOne
Based on the above options (plus color options not shown), there are over 6,000 possible combinations for the Tier table, and that’s not including the two-tone color options for the bases!
Although not impossible, it would be difficult for design and procurement teams to track even just a few configurations. Imagine trying to identify two different 600mm circular tables on a floor plan when they are different heights or finishes — they look exactly the same in plan view.
A type ID would eliminate the guesswork by identifying a specific combination of options per ID. This ID would be tagged on floor plans as a way to cross reference between the construction drawings and other resources.
I won’t list all 6,000 possible configurations, but here are just a few examples of how this product line could be broken out:
F-001 : NaughtOne : Tier : Circular – White – 600mm – Black Base
F-002 : NaughtOne : Tier : Circular – Walnut – 600mm – Black Base
F-003 : NaughtOne : Tier : Circular – Black – 750mm – Black Base
F-004 : NaughtOne : Tier : Circular – Black – 900mm – Black Base
F-005 : NaughtOne : Tier : Square – White – 600mm – Red Base
Just like the Hill Phoenix freezer, the type ID system enables teams to identify a specific configuration of a table.
Ok, I’ve got my type IDs assigned to my assets. What’s the best way to manage them?
At its core, Ephany offers a user-friendly way to organize your entire database of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). Finding the exact configuration you need is effortless — Simply search by type ID , manufacturer, model, or any keyword to pinpoint a specific FF&E in seconds.
Let’s look at what the the collection of Tier tables would look like in Ephany.
A list of assets as shown in Ephany.Finding a specific asset by searching by type ID.
Drilling down into an asset reveals metadata for each asset, making it easy to find key information like dimensions or links to the manufacturer’s website.
Basic asset information as displayed in Ephany.
Here’s where Ephany helps manage asset catalogs which leverage the type ID strategy.
In addition to the typical asset information, any given asset can be broken out into individual components. Using the CF-001 table as an example, we can see that every part that makes it up can be listed with the asset (including quantities) which makes it easy for a team to know exactly what parts make up the specific configuration for this type ID.
Components which make up the assembly of a table in Ephany.
This of course can be rolled up into the project view which calculates the total components in a bill-of-materials (BOM).
Fun fact: Ephany can even track components which come from multiple manufacturers as shown below. This simplifies procurement processes for even the most complex fixture designs.
Components from multiple vendors which make up a single asset in Ephany.
Conclusion: Ephany is next-level asset planning.
In conclusion, Ephany takes the process of managing a catalog of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) to the next level by not only enabling teams to track each asset by its type ID, but also by creating relationships to each individual component that make each asset unique. Whether it’s a custom table with multiple finishes or a retail display fixture with specific accessories, Ephany ensures every part is accounted for and tied together seamlessly. This holistic approach keeps your teams aligned, minimizes mistakes, and saves time across projects.
Ready to see it in action?
This is just one way Ephany helps teams with improved their approach to implementing FF&E across repeatable designs. Reach out to schedule a live demo and discover how Ephany can simplify your asset information management processes.
