Partner profile TARCON: Optimizing the construction process with Simplebim

29.09.2022

In the first in a series of partner profiles, we’ve been speaking to Taavi Liiv, founder of Estonian reseller TARCON, to talk all things BIM, how he became involved in the world of construction technology and his experience of being a Simplebim reseller.

TARCON, who have been collaborating with Simplebim for more than four years, offers BIM coordination, training, and consultancy services to construction companies in Estonia, optimising the construction process using digital tools, including Simplebim!

SB: Tell us how you became involved in building information management?

Taavi Liiv (TL): Initially, I worked as a construction manager and it was then I realised that the digitalisation of the construction industry is really lagging behind. There are so many, often simple, things that could be done much better than they are, and I thought digitalisation, including BIM, could really help.

So, I set up my own business to support construction companies with using BIM. Although I soon realised that BIM coordination or consultation was not enough. We needed to find some partners on the software side as well, which is when we came across Simplebim.

SB: What kind of work does TARCON specialise in?

TL: Our main clients are construction companies, although we work with designers too. We provide them BIM management with BIM training and consultancy, which involves helping them set up BIM workflows.

SB: Where does Simplebim fit in?

TL: Our use of Simplebim is two-fold. We use it for our BIM coordination and consultancy work. It saves us a lot of time, for example, if we’re calculating quantities for cost estimating. I don’t understand how BIM coordination companies can manage without Simplebim!

We also offer Simplebim training, so teaching others all about what the software can do so they can use it themselves, that is what actually makes much more sense in the longer run.

For companies, BIM is not thing that they buy, it is more of a workflow that needs to be part of every team member’s everyday work.

SB: Tell us a bit more about the services TARCON offers.

TL: We work with a lot of construction company cost estimators who need to get reliable data from models that are often very unreliable e.g., the data is missing or inconsistent. This is where Simplebim comes into its own.

Out of the top ten Estonian main contractors, I think there’s only few that don’t use Simplebim, all others are using it. And the reason is that if you’re a cost estimator, extracting the data a via Simplebim is so much quicker and more reliable than doing it in the old fashion way.

SB: How do you see the BIM industry progressing?

TL: The market in Estonia is relatively small. On the one hand, it keeps us back because there is not enough resources for innovation. On the other, a small market makes us agile to test different and new things as well as integrate new workflows to our daily routines quickly.

I personally feel that change management is key to making innovation possible. We do not have technical obstacles for smooth BIM workflow, especially if we have software like Simplebim. We have only mental ones inside our heads.

SB: Who are your main types of clients?

TL: We’re currently working with main-contractors around cost-estimation, but we are also starting to work with sub-contractors too. Another growing market is design companies. They are starting to see the value in using tools like Simplebim for aspects such as automization.

SB: How do you enjoy being a Simplebim partner?

TL: I really like it. Visiting Tampere at the end of every summer and meeting the Simplebim team has been great. The most important aspect for me personally is the technical knowledge I’ve gained. Jiri and Sakari have taught us a lot and they are very generous with their time.

I also like the fact that I can give feedback from real use cases, and they really listen and take it on board.

SB: Would you recommend being a Simplebim partner?

TL: If you’re passionate about digitalisation and BIM, as I am, then I’d definitely recommend it. As I mentioned, I’ve learnt so much about BIM from the team.

There’s so much more to Simplebim that you might think. I’m always discovering new features when I have call or meeting with Simplebim guys.

***

If you’re a construction technology business that’s passionate about digitalisation and BIM, we’d love to speak to you about being a Simplebim partner.

Get in touch with the team to find out more.