City Information Model - CIM : Benefits with an integrated city information model in the area of technical aspects

Abstract: An important part for projects, organizations etc. is to have a good system of how to manage information so that it´s constantly updated, accurate and available for all affected operators. Current degree project is performed on behalf of the IT-company Eurostep AB who has developed a software named Share-A-space for information management and they are now interested to see if there are any demands for Share-A-space in the field of urban development. During the degree project, a model was built using Share-A-space and the model is called CIM (City Information Model). The objective with the degree project was to investigate how information is managed today at the Administration of Urban Development, Stadsbyggnadsförvaltningen, at Eskilstuna municipality and if CIM would facilitate their work. A deeper investigation was made to locate where processes can be more efficient and how functions that CIM contains would be helpful. The degree project contains a literature study, a case study and a result where the literature study contains an environment monitoring, today’s visions of a future coherent digital work approach within municipalities and procedures for urban development. The case study contains information how Eskilstuna municipality is managing information, it also contains a description of how the model was built. The result contain information of how the model operates and the responds from interviews performed after a presentation of the model at the municipality. This degree project concludes that CIM in some ways definitely could be a valid alternative in the municipal work. The municipality didn’t see any benefits by having access to all technical information regarding all specific objects in the city. Processes would on the other hand, become more efficient and CIM would be a helpful tool in planning processes and contribute to make the municipal work more transparent. There were functions in CIM, especially the function to “travel in time”, that was considered extra useful for the employees at the municipality when planning the city but also for private residence to receive a greater understanding of future plans. To implement CIM would, on the other hand, be a resource demanding process which the municipality can´t perform at the moment without receiving financial support.