Anker's Year in Review and Looking Ahead Into 2024

Last spring, in 2023, we at Anker embarked on a mission to redefine the boundaries of user-centric BIM data management, opening our doors to customers and introducing a cloud-based BIM data management platform for AECO.

Reflecting on our first year, we are thrilled to share the milestones we've achieved through dedication, continuous learning, and valuable insights from our users and industry experts.  

Our journey has been marked by significant product developments, enhancing usability and forging new pathways to consistent and high-quality BIM data. Our development philosophy is anchored in responsiveness to user feedback. We are committed to iterating and enhancing our offerings, ensuring that every update reflects our users' needs and preferences.

Here’s a look at the highlights that have defined our year.

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Our Progress in 2023

Upgraded Core Functionality

Our commitment to improving Anker's user experience led us to refine core features like Validation and Population. By embracing feedback from our community, we've made strides in creating a more intuitive and user-friendly environment. Our goal has always been to streamline workflows, ensuring that every user interaction with Anker is seamless and productive.  

Enhanced Platform Stability and Robustness

Understanding the critical role of stability and robustness in supporting large-scale projects, we've focused on enhancing Anker's performance. From speeding up file synchronization to optimizing table functionalities and supporting extensive data exports, our efforts are aimed at bolstering Anker's capability to handle mega projects with unparalleled efficiency.

Advanced CDE Integrations

During our journey this year, we have made significant advancements in CDE integrations, particularly with BIM360/ACC platform and CatendaHUB. In both platforms, we have added settings that automatically synchronize data in Anker whenever there is a new version of your files. Once you set it up, you don't have to do anything manually in Anker. All you have to do is your everyday work and upload it to your cloud solution! We are very close to achieving a fully automated two-way integration between Anker and BIM360/ACC. After you have made the necessary updates and fixes to Anker, your models in BIM360/ACC will be automatically updated with any changes made in Anker's cloud, without the need to open any files! We believe this is a significant step towards improving data management and collaboration.

Improved UI/UX for Enhanced User Engagement

Focusing on user engagement, we've revamped Anker's UI/UX. From simplifying user flows to incorporating in-app guides, introducing a project dashboard, and enhancing user onboarding, our platform now offers a comprehensive overview of recent actions, project health, and task suggestions. Our evolution towards becoming a BIM data platform is ongoing, with new features being added to enrich user experience continuously. Expect continuous rolluouts of UI/UX improvements in the coming quarters.

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Looking Ahead: Innovations on the Horizon

Going forward, we're excited about the immense opportunity to enhance your experience through the introduction of insights, the advancement of collaboration features, and the integration of various AI tools within the platform. These enhancements are designed to help you achieve unparalleled BIM data quality.

Anker.AI

Anker is already using AI to automate numerous data processes. As we advance, our focus shifts towards leveraging AI to automate them further, particularly in project onboarding. This initiative aims to minimize manual efforts, making project management more efficient than ever and provide a seamless experience for new users from the moment they begin their journey with Anker to acquire good quality data.

Classifier.AI

We understand that BIM professionals often get exhausted while spending countless hours manually setting up their project requirements. Are you tired of going through numerous documents just to find the right parameters? At Anker, we want to assist you.

‍We have come up with an innovative AI-powered classification solution that aims to transform your workflow and boost efficiency. Our solution tackles the challenges of manual configuration by automatically analyzing uploaded documents like PDFs and Excel sheets. With the help of advanced AI algorithms, Anker efficiently validates and fills in project requirements, saving you time and effort. Soon you will no longer need to rely on expert knowledge or go through tedious manual processes. Anker understands the language of your documents and finds the answers you need.

openBIM and IDS Support

Initiatives like buildingSMART's openBIM standards aim to facilitate smoother data exchange and integration, ensuring that information can flow freely between different BIM tools and project stakeholders. With traditional manual processes posing significant challenges, such as tedious document sifting and expert knowledge reliance, Anker recognizes the need for a more efficient and standardized approach.

‍By integrating Information Delivery Specifications (IDS) and embracing openBIM principles, Anker empowers users to effortlessly navigate project requirements, ensuring clarity, consistency, and compatibility across the board. Anker's IDS integration will simplify the complex task of specifying validation and population rules for IFC formats, making it accessible to users of all expertise levels. Say goodbye to cumbersome manual configurations and hello to a seamless, intuitive experience powered by cutting-edge technology.

Sustainability calculations

Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. We're exploring ways to enable users to perform sustainability calculations effortlessly. Anker is placing a strong emphasis on sustainability in BIM projects. We are aware of the increasing demand for detailed reporting on materials, energy, waste usage, and carbon footprints.

To address this need, Anker aims to add sustainability estimations that can be integrated seamlessly into project workflows. By simplifying the evaluation process, the company wants to empower users to accurately assess the environmental impact of their designs, make informed decisions in alignment with sustainability goals, and contribute to more sustainable and regulation-compliant construction projects.

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The journey ahead promises even more exciting developments, and we're committed to continuing our pursuit of excellence, making Anker not just a tool, but a catalyst for transformative BIM project management. Stay tuned, because we have so much more to share with you this year.