Trial / Demo
Waterman Group (Waterman) uses IES TaP to offer real-time insights into project status for BREEAM certifications, both for new builds and refurb and fit-out assessments.
Waterman’s consultants are appointed by developers, design teams and contractors to help them conduct BREEAM assessments for new-build and refurbishment schemes. They use IES TaP as a central reference point for uploading evidence to achieve BREEAM certifications as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Having tried other software in the past, Waterman's team found IES TaP to be the most effective and intuitive tool for managing the BREEAM process. Their fee proposals specify that all contractors involved in a project must deploy IES TaP for BREEAM assessments. Every stakeholder who needs to supply evidence has to submit all their documentation - in the relevant sections against specific criteria - in IES TaP’s centralised, online location.
“It’s easy to upload information onto IES TaP and we can show team members how to do it. It’s very straightforward and intuitive - you just drag the file you want to upload and drop it into the relevant location. It’s that simple.”
· Sam Holmes MEnvSci, Principal Sustainability Consultant for Waterman Group
The different stages of BREEAM assessments
Waterman generally manages BREEAM assessments for around 60 projects simultaneously. They are often at different stages of completion, so they wouldn’t necessarily all be active at once. However, there are still vast amounts of information to correlate and manage, which is why IES TaP is so useful. It gives each construction project design team complete visibility of the BREEAM requirements and responsibilities.
Typically, building projects take about three years, from the initial brief all the way through to the handover of the building. BREEAM has several distinct stages:
· Pre-assessment stages (RIBA Stage 1 & 2) which incorporate strategic pre-planning up to concept design.
· Post-planning stages (RIBA Stage 3 & 4) which is the evidence collection.
At the end of stage 4, Waterman submits interim certification to BRE, which gives a design stage certificate, demonstrating that the building can achieve a particular rating. At the construction stage, the builder (usually a separate contractor) will implement the design into the constructed building, and Waterman makes a second submission to BRE at the end of the build.
Once a project reaches stages 3 & 4, Waterman sends out monthly tracking reports generated from IES TaP, which enables the construction project managers and their teams to see the exact status of the project.
Tailored templates enhance project efficiency
IES TaP has a useful and flexible feature that enables Waterman to set up their own evidence requirements. Waterman use a customised project template on IES TaP which boosts efficiency by minimising redundant data entry for each evidence module. By tailoring default settings to exclude unnecessary elements for new projects, Waterman can enhance the user experience and avoid time-consuming manual amendments.
BREEAM assessments are centred around supplying evidence. The evidence is assigned to individual project team members in IES TaP, clearly indicating who is responsible for what, how much evidence they need to provide, and by when.
Another useful feature of IES TaP is the ability to assign certain requirements to a discipline, rather than an individual. For example, if the project manager has not yet appointed an acoustician or an ecologist, the discipline requirements are temporarily allocated to the project manager. Once the relevant consultant has been appointed, the project manager can move all the tasks over wholesale to that team member, making it very easy to reassign roles and responsibilities.
Total transparency and complete project oversight
Once the evidence has been reviewed, Waterman’s assessors award credits. The different stages in IES TaP cannot be ticked off until all of the evidence is complete. For example, if 21 pieces of evidence are required, IES TaP might show that 6/21 are complete, meaning that 15 pieces of evidence still need to be submitted by a particular individual. Waterman’s assessors can accept, supersede (if only a few minor adjustments need to be made) or reject documents. If they have to reject a piece of evidence, IES TaP allows them to add a note to explain why, and what still needs to be completed.
If other changes are required, such as a new team member or somebody leaving, the client informs Waterman who implement the changes on IES TaP on the client’s behalf. The automatic email notifications in IES TaP serve as useful prompts when a new item has been uploaded to the platform.
“IES TaP provides real-time insights into project progress so the project team always has full visibility of what still needs to be completed. I frequently contact IES for customised templates and they consistently provide responsive and helpful customer service.”
Sam Holmes MEnvSci, Principal Sustainability Consultant for Waterman Group
About Waterman Group
Waterman Group is a leading engineering and environmental consultancy dedicated to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for the built environment. Founded in 1952, the company operates from offices throughout the UK, Australia and Ireland. With a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and driving positive change, Waterman is at the forefront of low-carbon design, leveraging its expertise across a wide range of sectors to drive sustainable progress. Waterman has an experienced team that delivers a wide variety of certification services including BREEAM, WELL and Fitwell. Waterman also supports building certifications with a host of reports, from building simulation and Operational Energy to Life Cycle Carbon Assessments and pre-demolition/pre-refurbishment audits.
