Feb 11 - Tekla, Vela System to Implement RFID Tracking

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Tekla, Vela System to Implement RFID Tracking

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ATLANTA, Feb 11, 2009 - Vela Systems , developer of mobile field software for the AECO industry, today announced that Standard Supplies, provider of construction materials and structural steel fabrication to professional contractors, will use Vela’s Materials Tracker software with Tekla Structures’ building information modeling (BIM) solution to do radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging of fabricated steel.

Standard Supplies will use Vela’s Materials Tracker to track RFID-tagged fabricated steel pieces that form the structures for Standard Supplies customer projects. As pieces move through various phases of the production process, RFID information will be fed into Tekla Structures, a BIM solution used by Standard Supplies that covers the entire structural design process from conceptual design to detailing, fabrication and construction.

“Being a long-time Tekla customer, we’re excited to now extend Tekla’s structural model to the field with Vela Systems,” said Standard Supplies CEO, Deborah Murphy. “It’s opened up new ways to create more value from the model and provide a next generation of production management services to our customers.”

In this new integrated model, steel pieces from the structural BIM in Tekla Structures will go into Materials Tracker using the Vela Integration Adapter (VIA) and then get updated as they go through the manufacturing, QA and delivery processes. Standard Supplies customers will gain a view into the supply chain and be able to visualize the status of each piece of the project in the BIM system with up-to-date information from the field.

When enabled with field software and RFID, stakeholders in a construction project can manage critical-path steel fabrication components and visualize the supply chain. The end result is better production and erection management. The joint solution, called Field BIM, enables Standard Supplies customers to feed into BIM the constantly-changing status of steel components from the field.

Standard Supplies will be the first steel fabricator to combine field software, RFID and BIM for integrated production management delivered as a service to owners and contractors.

“Since our contractor and owner customers will be able to see the status of the steel through the supply chain by looking in Vela Systems or in the BIM, they’ll be able to better manage the erection portion of the project,“ said Ebaima Jagana, Standard Supplies Building Information Modeling Manager.“ This new level of visibility allows for just-in-time fabrication and the potential for our customers to save substantial amounts of time off of erection schedules because they’ll have instant access to the status of each of the steel pieces in the supply chain, right in the Tekla Structures model.”

“Leading firms like Standard Supplies will gain a significant advantage over others by using technology to provide superior service and value to their customers,” said Hans Ehrnrooth, President, Tekla, Inc. “The value of the model goes beyond design and pre-construction coordination. There is proven value for our customers tracking precast concrete and those same benefits will now be realized for steel.”

“Eighty percent of project costs are incurred in the construction phase,” said Tim Curran, Vela Systems CEO. “The power of Field BIM, which combines the data in Building Information Models with field processes like materials management, unlocks new ways of construction delivery. It allows our customers to uncover new efficiencies and opportunities for shared information from the site to the model and back.”

About Standard Supplies, Inc.

Standard Supplies is a leading market supplier of steel products to mid-size commercial construction companies for projects such as schools, shopping centers, churches, libraries and more. In addition to fabricating steel, Standard Supplies provides steel erection and is a quality fabricator of structural steel for both residential and commercial applications. The Standard Supplies Steel Division processes more than 4,000 tons of steel per year.

For more information, visit www.standardsupplies.com.

About Tekla Corporation

Tekla Corporation is a leading international software company whose innovative software solutions make customers' core AEC businesses more efficient. Tekla's software products and related services are used mostly in building and construction, but also in energy distribution and by municipalities. Tekla Corporation has area offices and partner organizations worldwide. International operations account for some 80% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is one of the longest operating software companies in Finland.

For more information, visit www.tekla.com/us.

About Vela Systems, Inc.

Vela Systems construction field software automates the execution and oversight of field activities on construction and capital projects for architects, engineers, contractors and owners. Instead of carrying a field notebook and paper plans or specs, jobsite users work with Vela Systems software on mobile computers to electronically access documents and to complete field reports, QA/QC inspections, worklists, punchlists, update BIM and many other critical field activities. Vela's customers routinely save 5-10 hours per week per user, accelerate project delivery by two days per month, capture the true Cost of Quality and reduce litigation risk through standardized documentation. Construction Happens in the Field - Automate it.

For more information, visit www.velasystems.com.

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