Gilbane Relies on Datastream to Help Protect $200 Million Airport Project

Gilbane provides premier management, real estate, and construction-related services to develop, build, finance, and manage facilities for its customers. Since 1873, Gilbane has built thousands of facilities of every conceivable type. Gilbane is nationally recognized for its award-winning project management approach—offering clients a wide range of services from the earliest planning stages through project commissioning.

Today, Gilbane integrates its expertise in finance, planning, development, management, and construction to provide solutions that optimize the performance of its customers' real estate and facilities. Ranked as the fifth largest domestic builder, Gilbane maintains its headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island and operates offices in 20 cities nationwide. 

The Challenge
T. F. Green Airport, the main airport for the state of Rhode Island and southern New England, is one of Gilbane's clients. Passenger count had far exceeded capacity for the old, outdated airport facility. So, charged with the revitalization of T.F. Green, The Rhode Island Airport Corporation hired Gilbane to build a new main terminal with accompanying airside work and new roadway and parking lots. The total investment was $200 million. Yet, in the spirit of project management, Gilbane did much more than build a new terminal. As a value-added service, Gilbane introduced T. F. Green to Datastream's asset management software to ensure its client's long-term investment in its facilities.

The Solution
"Datastream empowers the maintenance and facility personnel at T.F. Green Airport with the tools they need to manage their entire airport," says Robert Gagliardi, CFM, CPM, manager of property management at Gilbane. "By utilizing Datastream solutions as value-added services, they now have the means to successfully operate and maintain their new facility."

Datastream software contains all the powerful functions expected in a full-featured CMMS and asset management software package, including a flexible security system, sophisticated analysis and reporting capabilities, and a complete set of tools for managing work orders, equipment histories, and inventory information. It also offers innovative features such as multi-tasks, purchasing, audit trail, statistical predictive maintenance, asset management, budgeting, service requests, multiple wage rates, and warranty tracking.

By integrating Datastream software as part of its construction services, Gilbane captured all the facility data prior to turning the airport back over to the owners. The maintenance and facility operators were then better prepared to handle monitoring equipment performance during warranty periods, collecting historical data from the inception of operations, scheduling preventive maintenance to meet manufacturer's requirements, and preserving warranty status.

"The relational database feature that Datastream software provides also allows multiple disciplines, including operations, accounting, and purchasing, to operate on the same page," notes Gagliardi. "The ability to access this information eliminates the duplication of effort and inconsistency in data that plagues most maintenance functions."

"For our clients investing in multi-million dollar construction projects, the minimal expense associated with installing Datastream software is the best insurance policy for the long range performance of their facility," concludes Gagliardi.

The Results
"Datastream's asset management system was a natural extension from construction to operations," says Irwin D. Crowley, project manager, Rhode Island Airport Corporation. "We were able to capture all pertinent data during construction of our new terminal and commission the building with a comprehensive, clean slate."
In fact, according to Gordon W. Fletcher, project financial manager of Rhode Island Airport Corporation, Datastream's cost-control features and ease-of-use quickly convinced the them to expand its use to other airport operations.

"The historical data collected for equipment maintenance and inventory items allows us to mesh our facilities and purchasing functions," says Fletcher. "That way we can better assess our needs and maximize our purchasing power. This $200 million project represents a significant expenditure and Datastream will greatly assist in preserving our investment."