195: Adopting the Digital Building Lifecycle with Microsoft

Salla Eckhardt, Director of Transformation Services at Microsoft, joins us for episode 195 of Art of Construction.  Salla is an innovation leader and an industry change agent directing Microsoft's entrance into the world of construction. Her main focus is advocating for the industry-wide adoption of the Digital Building Lifecycle, an overall framework she's developed that encompasses the entire building lifecycle, from design all the way to operation. Just as Office 365 is an all-encompassing platform for companies to operate their daily activities within, the Digital Building Lifecycle is Salla's vision of the overall platform that every company that takes part in designing, building and operating buildings could work within. Salla's vision for the Digital Building Lifecycle is all about having one set of data from start to finish. With this common set of data, she envisions: "Design doesn’t get out ahead of what’s practical for construction or feasible for a real estate owner. All parties are informed about construction cost and operational cost implications earlier for educated decision making. Fewer final decisions are pushed to the construction phase when the cost to change them is high, and no final decision is slipped into an after-thought when the cost of changing them is the highest." Music to our ears. But how do we actually get there? How can the average general contractor or architect begin adopting the Digital Building Lifecycle right now? Listen in and find out!