Mark, how did you get into the construction industry?
I’m originally from Christchurch, New Zealand. Back in my hometown, I studied mechanical engineering and worked in the quarrying industry.
In 2003, I jumped at the opportunity to come over to the UK to play cricket for Farnsfield cricket club as their overseas player. One of the people with whom I played cricket helped me get a job at Hilton Building Services as a CAD technician. That’s where it all began.
Tell us about your career
When I started out in the construction industry as a CAD technician in 2003. Back then, it was all 2D drawings and sections were created manually. Over the years, the industry progressed to 3D and then BIM (building information modelling).
I’ve always been at the forefront of new developments. In 2015, I decided to set up my own business, Apex BIM Coordination Ltd. Through my business, I manage BIM projects for various construction companies.
Why did you develop ReviCheck?
I’ve witnessed a lot of time and effort being put into ever increasing complex project models. I became increasingly frustrated when an out-of-date paper copy of a drawing was being used on-site.
This is when the ReviCheck app idea was conceived. By using a QR code linked to the BIM model, this gave installers a fast way to clarify that they have the right information.
It’s not a secret that the construction sector has received criticism for being slow to adopt new technology. I see a number of areas where information could be far easier to manage. The ReviCheck app is the first of a number of tools planned to help generate better clarity of information in the industry.
What pain points does Revicheck solve?
The ReviCheck app solves two problems. The first is to eliminate the issue of a sub-contractor turning up on site with drawings they were issued with months ago. (They were never issued with updated copies.)
The second is it creates an early warning system, there may be a change to an area happening in the design office. Typically this change could potentially take weeks to get to site in the form of new construction documents. In the meantime, there may be work being carried out in these areas that is abortive work. Scanning the QR code will indicate to the installers that they don’t have the updated design, allowing them to flag this up before continuing.
Margins are tight in the construction industry, with ever-increasing material costs, no one wants to do something twice, and only get paid once. ReviCheck can prevent that scenario from happening.
What do you hope to achieve with ReviCheck?
The ReviCheck app and Revit plugin is the first of many tools that I plan to release to assist the industry in having 100% confidence in the information being processed.
The next stage is the development of a ReviCheck plugin for AutoCAD to capture the industry that is not using Revit. Following on from that, there are a number of functions planned for CAD technicians to make their life easier when tracking changes in design.
My vision for the industry is a common data environment that is a single source of truth, instead of a static EDMS (electronic document management system) which the industry currently uses.
