Interesting draft manifesto on how 4d modeling services can help.
I wonder if we have been going about this all wrong. 4d modeling services should be an outgrowth of the contract administration role that all projects require, not just to help the contractor plan his work.
Starting in the 90's a lot of building sites in London started installing webcams to monitor site progress. Contractors were not happy about being spy'd on like this because it make any Extension of Time or delay claim more difficult. Even if there was a legitimate hold up, if the client could show sufficient inactivity on site using his webcam he could mitigate the claim by arguing that there was an opportunity for the contractor to recover and therefore estopped from claiming the full amount. All building contracts require the contract administrator to record progress on site with the specific aim of arbitrating these kind of claims which are inevitable on large jobs. He/she usually has to do this by logging site progress (usually pics taken on site visits). Bad administrators just write huffy letters just reminding the contractor of his obgligations when replying to claims :-)
So, convincing the employer to pay for a progress recording service should be a no-brainer. Bentley seems to be have all the tools for this. ContextCapture on Azure to record and triangulate / orient the photos (don't actually have to generate the reality mesh). imodelHub to store the results in a timeline. Sychro to 4D model stuff if needed. ProjectWise, eB etc on Azure to keep track of what was issued when.
This would also be a good entry point for Bentley's products and services: Client subscribes to Bentley Digital Twin cloud service to track construction progress on site. Bentley cable guy rolls up and installs a starter webcam (usually mounted on top of a neighbouring building). Eventually, cams will need to be installed within the building. There might even be some droning required as well i suppose. Or GoPro-type sweeps through the site.
The 'Big Brother', 'Reality TV' info capture would provide the basis for the 'upstream' workflow outlined in the manifesto. A Synchro-centred workflow would provide the mainstay for the 'downstream' forward planning and briefing workflows. Together, they should provide a bi-directional feedback mechanism that should help management anticipate problems, calibrate their assumptions, identify and reward best practice and even help reduce friction between subcontractors because who did what when would be fully accessible at any time.
This would allow Bentley to sell the service to the contractor. I can see clients writing it into their contracts with the contractor, requiring that the contractor maintains the incumbent or equivalent alternate service.