Creativity and innovation has always been core to international design and engineering consultants KEO - and that means being able to collaborate seamlessly with internal and external partners.
By adopting Autodesk Construction Cloud, KEO has been able to:
Founded in 1964, KEO has over 60 years’ experience shaping iconic skylines and building sustainable communities. With 2,600 staff in 10 offices around the world, KEO has delivered projects in more than 30 countries. The company prides itself on being a creative organisation, with innovation in its DNA. For 21 years, it has been recognised by Engineering News Record (ENR) in its list of the Top 225 international design firms. More recently, KEO was named as the number one firm in the Middle East – a title held by the business for four consecutive years.
In 2016, it began a digital transformation journey with the adoption of BIM360 Docs as its common data environment (CDE). This paved the way for KEO to enhance its capabilities in this area and in 2019 it received BSI Certification for BIM within the ISO 19650 Framework.
This meant the company was officially recognised by the British Standards Institution (BSI) for its Building Information Modelling (BIM) processes in line with the ISO 19650 standard. This signalled the team’s commitment to maintaining internationally recognised standards for BIM processes and management.
Transitioning to ACC was a natural evolution, allowing KEO to take collaboration to the next level. ACC offers several improvements for enhancing operational efficiency and supporting long-term goals.
“KEO is committed to staying ahead of the curve. ACC is a strategic step to optimise project lifecycles, enhance collaboration and drive growth. It supports our commitment to using industry-leading tools and best practices.” noted Juan Tena Florez, KEO’s Digital Service Director.
KEO has already been able to significantly improve efficiency on projects with the data capabilities of ACC. The platform’s centralised correspondence tool for Build, Model Coordination and Design Collaboration also enables efficient communication between stakeholders in all areas of a project, which is particularly important given that KEO on average has 150 projects on the platform with collaborators from 250+ organisations.
ACC allows KEO to streamline how projects and accounts are managed, while the built-in model viewer makes it easier for stakeholders to track ongoing projects. With greater flexibility and control over permissions and project naming, the platform complies with ISO19650 standards.
Additionally, ACC’s Bridge feature allows seamless sharing of project information across projects and accounts. This fosters closer cross-team collaboration and reduces the need for rework, enabling KEO to meet the precise timelines so important to its clients.
The Forms functionality allows KEO to create digital, trackable forms in a centralised location, while the ability to interact with project schedules directly improves project management. Finally, advanced reporting capabilities like additional exports, Power BI templates in Autodesk Docs and Insights offer better oversight on projects. This helps KEO to make more informed, data-led decisions.
KEO’s transition from BIM360 to ACC was carefully planned to ensure seamless integration into its existing operations. The process was carried out in 2022, focusing on testing the new features and planning. By late 2022, KEO had no active users and no live projects on ACC. To date, KEO has successfully enrolled over 700 monthly active users and over 120 projects on the platform.
Digital leaders at the firm assessed the platform’s maturity to ensure it could support their processes. KEO’s Autodesk Customer Success Manager held awareness sessions to highlight the key differences between BIM360 and ACC, showcasing the product roadmap and benefits of the transition.
They also created sandbox projects, helping users familiarise themselves with the platform without risking live projects. KEO also encouraged users to complete free online ACC courses and hosted internal training sessions.
As part of the transition, CDE documentation, automation routines and data exchange procedures were updated to fit the new ecosystem. Crucially, KEO set a cut-off date of January 2023, marking the point when new projects would be created within ACC rather than BIM360. To ensure continuous improvement, KEO used analytics to track ACC usage trends. This identified areas where further training might be needed.
The main challenge the firm faced was the need to comply with two distinct standards and sets of procedures, as ongoing projects continued in BIM360 and new projects began in ACC. This meant it was simpler to begin new projects in ACC rather than migrating existing ones, to avoid potential risks and streamline the transition.
Another crucial insight was the need for tailored training even for occasional users. This ensured all stakeholders were adequately prepared.
Transitioning to ACC has enabled KEO’s teams to work together seamlessly, with many praising the benefits of its new features and improved performance and the platform’s ability to support the company’s vision.
Matuesz Lukasiewicz, KEO’s Associated Director, Digital Technology, explained: “KEO has successfully transitioned from BIM360 to Autodesk Construction Cloud through an agile and structured change management process led by Digital Advisory Services. The transformation shows KEO's vision of excellence in digital project delivery, unlocking new opportunities by equipping our teams and supply chain with the next-generation platform and innovative digital tools.”
ACC’s on-platform communication features have led to a 70% reduction in email communication. Data comparing monthly active users from January 2023 to October 2024 also shows continuous growth and user engagement.
Overall, the platform has improved document management, while KEO has been able to digitalise processes with ACC. Multi-project and multi-hub transfers using Bridge have also streamlined information sharing.
KEO is no stranger to the importance of digital transformation. The firm’s Digital Advisory Services team helps its clients successfully optimise and transform their operations.
KEO has fully embraced ACC as the foundation of its digital strategy, with plans to implement new features and fully digitalise workflows. The company is exploring the potential of integrating the platform with AI solutions to streamline operations and boost efficiency. In addition to improving its own workflows, KEO plans to offer Autodesk feedback to shape ongoing development.
By shaping the latest digital construction tools, KEO will help to drive the transformation of the construction industry as a whole, both in the Middle East and around the world.
Damir Jacksic, KEO’s Chief Information Officer noted: “Innovation isn’t just about adopting the latest technology; it’s about reimagining how we work, collaborate and create value. At KEO, our transition to Autodesk Construction Cloud exemplifies our commitment to leading the industry forward – bridging today’s capabilities with the possibilities of tomorrow.”
Learn more about making your organisation dramatically more efficient with Autodesk Construction Cloud.
