Engineering Documentation Ltd. was founded in 2006 by David Mullen and Tim King initially to fill a gap in the market producing high quality O&M (Operation and Maintenance) manuals and drawings for mechanical and electrical contractors. Our service was different to traditional drawing and documentation services at the time in that it included site attendance by qualified engineers to walk down and redline construction drawings and CAD services to update these to accurate ‘as built’ drawings.
Starting business in the Innovation Centre at IT Sligo, the company achieved local recognition in 2008 as Sligo County Winner of the National Enterprise Awards. The following year, Engineering Documentation was selected as a winner of the Best Emerging New Business at the Small Firms Association Small Business Award in 2009.
During the years which followed and with the downturn particularly affecting the construction industry, the company started to explore new and more efficient solutions – particularly in the use of digital technology and the newly emerging process of Building Information Modelling (BIM).
From an initial challenge of illustrating pipework runs in a plantroom with greater clarity, we dipped our toe into the 3D environment. This proof of concept opened the doors to allowing us provide a much improved service to both clients and end users in terms of accuracy and efficiency. From the initial design of a system to the co-ordination, construction and handover of a building, we have enabled our clients realise a host of benefits from digital technology.
To enhance our services further, we invested in point cloud scanning – a concept which allows us to effectively bring the building site back to our office. Using 3D laser scanners, we can take millimeter accurate measurements from a site installation and replicate that in a virtual environment. Depending on the installation to be surveyed, we can take a number of approaches to ensure a quick and accurate outcome. For larger sites we have invested in drone technology to allow us gather point cloud data from the air.
With the growth of the business following the global recession, Engineering Documentation moved into new accommodation in Sligo town which would facilitate its growth from 6 employees to 25 currently. As part of this move, the company developed a training centre which was certified as an Autodesk ATC (Authorised Training Centre) in 2016. This centre now facilitates both internal and external training in Autodesk drawing products including AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks and BIM360. We have recently launched our Graduate Training Programme – an 8-week training plan where new employees blend learning in our Training Centre with practical experience to help bridge the gap between education and the requirements of industry.
The company is now focussed on the provision of practical BIM support to our clients. These services include Revit modelling, MEP co-ordination, point cloud & drone surveys as well as general drawing support and visualisation. With modern technology, this work can be done efficiently from our office base in Sligo without the need to have employees permanently located on sites as would have been the case previously. This helps to promote a culture of learning within the company and gives younger employees access to the vast bank of experience within the office. We have been lucky over the years to attract skilled and forward-thinking staff and by giving our younger team members access to this knowledge base we hope to which it will greatly assist their future development.
As a company aiming to lead the way in digital innovation, we recently achieved certification for ISO 19650:2018 for Building Information Modelling which we see as a major milestone for the company’s development within the industry. This new standard, in addition to our existing certifications for ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety) demonstrates a dedication to professionalism within the company which we strive to carry through in all our work. As well as providing technical expertise, we pride ourselves on our practical and customer focussed approach. Not every project follows a predictable pattern and we do our best to ensure our clients are looked after along each step of the way.
Over the years our work has taken us to the UK, mainland Europe, Scandinavia, the United Arab Emirates as well as all around Ireland. As we celebrate our 15 year anniversary we look forward to many more diverse and interesting projects in the years to come.
