Environment Agency initiates ARES PRISM as carbon and cost estimation tool across all projects

Environment Agency initiates ARES PRISM as carbon and cost estimation tool across all projects

PRISM Estimating adopted for the EA’s for capital and infrastructure projects’ decarbonisation efforts

In order to meet Net Zero ambitions by 2030, the Environment Agency is rolling out ARES PRISM’s newly enhanced estimation and cost management software across its construction projects as the organisation’s cost and carbon tool.

The initial phase of the roll out is nearly wrapped up and involved calculating capital cost and whole-life carbon. Global consultancy firm Aecom was tasked with developing the Environment Agency’s approach, methodology, and datasets to be included in ARES PRISM’s cost and carbon tool. These specifications were configured by the ARES PRISM team into their project estimation software PRISM Estimating so that all of the Environment Agency’s cost and carbon data is held within one solution.

The Environment Agency now has one approach to two estimates– cost and carbon,” Karl Vantine, Customer Customer Officer at ARES PRISM, said. “PRISM makes estimates transparent and simple to maintain from the first concept through to the project’s life cost and carbon operating values.

PRISM Estimating features built-in carbon rates aligned with BCIS CESMM4. ARES PRISM has aligned its solutions to enable organisations like the Environment Agency to deliver the best value for asset. The software is aligned with PAS2080, offering a framework for calculating carbon in all aspects of the asset lifecycle. This dataset is fully tailorable to accommodate whole-life carbon within PRISM Estimating and features a common coding structure. 

The software easily aligns and integrates with many systems and has elemental assemblies built-in to fully align with BIM models. The EA’s cost and carbon estimators can now build project estimates faster, reference previous projects and assemblies, and use these resources as guides for standard processes.

This process is now 12 times quicker in parts, freeing up that time to engage earlier in collaboration and assess suitable options,” Alex Jones, Cost and Carbon Tool Project Manager at the Environment Agency, said. He elaborated on how ARES PRISM is used for decarbonisation, “The platform [lets] us standardise processes and data across regions. We [are] able to develop estimates using master rate libraries and pre-built templates called ‘assemblies’ to speed up estimating of commonly built assets/components.

ARES PRISM uses a centralised rate library that is based on the best available information from industry sources, as well as the Environment Agency’s own historic project data. New cost and carbon data from delivered projects is automatically updated in the rate library as it becomes available.

Phase 2 will begin February 2022, and will focus on integrating PRISM Cost, ARES PRISM’s cost management solution, into Environment Agency’s projects to integrate with BIM and capture project actuals from the supply chain.

About ARES PRISM

ARES PRISM is enterprise project controls software that manages the complete project lifecycle delivering dependable forecasts, cost control, and performance measurement. PRISM is a scalable, robust and intuitive system that harnesses industry best practices and integrates all aspects of the project, including cost and schedule, change management, project cost and carbon estimating, earned value, contracts & procurement, and field progressing. aresprism.com

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