Annalisa Quaglietta: What makes Simplebim unique? 

27.02.2024

With over twenty years’ experience working with construction software, Annalisa Quaglietta is well placed to know a good product when she sees it.  

A qualified civil engineer, she believes that the construction industry has been held back by sticking to traditional methods of working, which has led to digital tools not working as efficiently like they do for other industries.  

Annalisa joined Simplebim as a Network Development Manager in late 2023 after discovering the BIM data-wrangling software.   We spoke to her about Simplebim and the power of partnerships.  

Simplebim: So, tell us about your background.  

Annalisa Quaglietta: The world of construction has fascinated me since childhood: creating and managing spaces where people can live and interact, where services and goods can be moved.   

I am grateful to have studied at an innovative university in Italy, where the teaching in Civil Engineering was very practical, and BIM was already being used alongside CAD when I started my architecture course in 1999. It has been fascinating to see how the concept of BIM has developed over the years and how software possibilities have improved.  

I specialised in structural engineering and worked in this field for several years, both in planning offices and construction companies of different sizes and nationalities. During my career I have worked with different types of construction software.  

SB: What makes good construction software?  

AQ: The idea behind software is that it should help you to do your work and create an environment where you can express your expertise. The software should adapt to your needs because you are the expert, and not the other way around.  

The construction industry is known for being a traditional one. Regarding BIM, it means that software was often developed following the same traditional approach. Nowadays, good software should make it easy and efficient to manage information through the whole construction process, from design to construction and facility management. 

SB: How and when did you discover Simplebim and how is it different from other BIM software?  

AQ: I discovered Simplebim whilst working as a business development consultant. I needed to understand the features of the software to present it to potential partners. Straight away I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a really revolutionary approach’.  

What makes Simplebim different is that it allows you to freely express your expertise in your discipline. It sounds obvious, but there’s always been a paradox among construction specialists that you have to adapt your workflow or even your professional role to some external requirements, in order to create value from a software. This means that you have to do extra work before using the software, or do extra work afterwards, to make results useful for the next step down the line.   

Simplebim’s revolutionary approach is that everybody along the construction process is able, free and welcome to use the software according to their own role.   

SB: What are the benefits of using Simplebim in construction projects?   

AQ: From the moment you import the IFC model, you decide how you want to add value, you set the requirements, you adapt the data and create new.

And when you have completed your part, you export the file and give it to the next user, who will now add their expertise, enjoying the same freedom and efficiency as you did.    

Simplebim’s automation capabilities magnify these advantages, producing appreciable time and cost savings.  

SB: What do you hope to achieve while working for Simplebim?  What do you enjoy most about working with the team?  

AQ: I’m really enjoying being part of the team. I know that I am contributing to a unique, revolutionary product and that I’ve found an ideal environment where I can put both my technical and communication skills to the service of our users and partners.   

At Simplebim, everybody is a specialist in their own field; combine this with our open and straightforward communication, and you can be sure that every action is the result of expert points of view, and that if some unexpected issue arises, a very clever solution will be found in the team.  

SB: Tell us about the role partners play at Simplebim.  

AQ: Our partners play a fundamental role in the success of Simplebim, with their knowledge of local needs, challenges and BIM use cases. Most importantly, they add value helping Simplebim users optimise their workflows.   

Working with our partners is my favourite part of the job. Our partners really understand the uniqueness of Simplebim and its position in the market. That’s because we provide them with both initial and ongoing training.   

So, not only are they able to add an innovative product to their portfolio, they also get first-hand insights into the most advanced BIM technologies.    

As well as selling Simplebim licences, partners can also offer additional services to their customers, supported by the Simplebim team’s expertise.  

We also support our partners in their marketing activities, like promoting content, sharing campaigns and jointly attending exhibitions.  

SB: How do you see BIM evolving over the next few years? How will Simplebim lead this change?  

 AQ: BIM will be used more and more widely over the next few years and at a certain point will be mandatory in the construction process, as it already is in some areas.  

Its potential is not fully used yet and not even completely understood. BIM should produce value in a simple way; if it doesn’t, it’s not real BIM.  

Thanks to its unique approach, Simplebim has the potential to lead the change, to show what BIM is capable of.    

We are currently working on our Cloud portal. Simplebim Cloud is the most ingenious and innovative BIM data wrangling product that I can imagine. It brings BIM to levels that I have never seen before. We just launched it in Finland, and it will be available soon globally. So, stay tuned!  

  ***

If you’re a construction professional and you want to benefit from Simplebim’s revolutionary software, or if you are interested in becoming a Simplebim partner, speak to Annalisa, or contact one of the other experts in our team.