GTP Services

Moving MEP shop tooling data from spreadsheets to live models

Construction
Operation and Maintenance

The goal of Colorado's GTP Services is to help companies in the construction industry bridge the gaps within construction workflows. For example, GTP works with busy MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) contractors that can be stymied in their goals to grow their businesses by the time-consuming management of documents, spreadsheets, and plans—tasks that take almost as much time as the manufacturing process itself. To streamline the many MEP project workflows and improve productivity, Colorado's GTP Services chose Forge as the platform for STRATUS, the firm’s procurement, manufacturing, and logistics solution for MEP. In turn, STRATUS empowered GTP customer Dynamic Systems Inc. Mechanical Contractors (DSI) to increase its project load while maintaining the same number of staff.

Challenge

Like most MEP contractors, DSI was seeking ways to improve productivity—driving more revenue without increasing existing staff. But field management teams were bogged down with administrative tasks, such as running BOMs and sharing spreadsheets. Static documents had to be updated constantly, and paper documents and siloed data sources took too much time to verify and update. The company wanted to eliminate these time-consuming workflows and give field management teams more time for customer service and strategic products. A software solution was the answer, assuming it was easy to use and offered common-sense workflows.

GTP, which creates software for the construction industry, saw an opportunity to solve this common problem for the MEP industry. The solution needed to be both cloud-based and collaborative in order to eliminate static, spreadsheet-based workflows.

How GTP Services solved it with Forge

Forge was the natural choice for GTP as it created STRATUS, since most MEP project teams already use BIM 360 construction management software and Revit building design software. The STRATUS solution enables MEP contractors to use data from design applications in the field or in the fabrication shop. Users can filter data by system, building area, specialty, and other criteria, and view it in 3D in Navisworks project review software. To build STRATUS in Forge, GTP used the Authentication and Data Management APIs in their desktop add-ins for Revit and CADmep to publish RVT and DWG model files to BIM 360 Docs. Once the models are published, GTP uses the Model Derivative and Viewer APIs to view and interact with models inside STRATUS.

They continue to use the Data Management API to save additional files to BIM 360 Docs, such as PDF sheets and reports generated or images captured on the project.

For MEP contractors, one of the most important features of STRATUS is its ability to deliver data directly from a live model to the fabrication shop, where it is fed into manufacturing applications such as PypeServer and TigerStop—eliminating the need for manual entry. The access STRATUS maintains with a live model means that data is always up to date and accurate, and changes only need to be made once. Click here for additional reference materials or to request a follow-up from GTP and learn about their BIM 360 integration.

Forge highlights include the following: 

  • Simplifies MEP workflows, saving time for field management teams.
  • Creates a single source for live and always-up-to-data models and data.
  • Connects design models, cloud collaboration tools, and communication channels.

“With Forge, we've built a product based on industry inputs and industry knowledge, using a platform that's sustainable for the future.”—Amanda Comunale, Chief Operating Officer, GTP Services

APIs and Services

Authentication
Authentication
Data Management API
Data Management API
Model Derivative API
Model Derivative API
Viewer
Viewer

Autodesk Products

BIM 360
Navisworks
Revit

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