NBS Create enables you to produce professional outline, performance and full specifications with architectural, structural, building services and landscape content more efficiently. It is an essential tool for delivering BIM projects.

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NBSWith pressure to achieve high-quality and innovative construction projects within tight budgets and in less time, it is essential that project teams maximise efficiency and control. Complications from diverse project teams, conflicting processes and volume of information lead to delays, compromise and exposure to risk.

Our specification, building product and construction knowledge services connect construction professionals and their project teams with the right tools and information at the right time in the right way, enabling them to deliver outstanding projects collaboratively, efficiently and with control.

ContentsNBS 03

Introduction 05

Why use NBS Create? 06

Construct your BIM future with NBS 09

Content 10

Software key features and functions 12

Support 14

Training 15

Purchase 17

NBS software licensing 18

Other NBS tools and services 18

Discover more at theNBS.com

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Introduction NBS Create is our most advanced specification tool and the most efficient means of producing robust outline, performance and full specifications with architectural, structural, building services and landscape content.

Specifications are at the heart of a linked BIM environment and NBS Create makes it easy to access this information, direct from your modelling software.

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Why use NBS Create?Professional specifications that ensure peace of mindProduce professional specificationsDrawing on the most comprehensive library of maintained, pre-written linked technical clauses in the UK construction industry, NBS Create encourages peace of mind when it comes to producing precise and robust specifications.

As you make decisions and complete system outline clauses, your specification is assembled, improving consistency and saving you time.

Get specialist help with your specification, every step of the wayNBS Create provides easy access to the latest technical guidance, including the latest regulations and standards from the Construction Information Service.

Regular software and content updates, our NBS Create eLearning course and direct access to technical and software specialists are all included in your subscription – it’s like having an NBS specialist on your project team, every step of the way.

Help you meet the Government’s BIM mandateCo-ordinate your project information as it is modelled and specified. Specifications are at the heart of a linked BIM environment and NBS Create makes it easy to access this information, direct from your modelling software, in one click.

Benefit from consistent specifications across your practiceBy using an industry-standard tool with a consistent information structure, all project teams and all disciplines across your practice reap the benefits of a single, optimal process.

With NBS Create you don’t need to worry about maintaining master specification information or discussing process with colleagues – the software does it for you.

Develop specification information throughout the project timelineYou may have to write an outline or performance specification for a client on a design and build job, or you may wish to develop the full specification through the concept to technical design process. NBS Create allows this information to be built up through the timeline from system descriptions to, if required, full technical record specifications.

Multidisciplinary content enables the entire project team to produce specifications to the same structure and format. Linking these specifications in a BIM environment gives a co-ordinated data set, meeting a requirement of Level 2 BIM.

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9Call us on 0345 456 9594 theNBS.com/Create

Construct your BIM future with NBSOur suite of tools enable you to produce co-ordinated digital design information that flows throughout the construction process, helping you to work efficiently and meet Level 2 BIM requirements.

NBS Create – efficient, collaborative specification tool. Essential for BIMDue to the way NBS Create supports you through the project timeline it was awarded the Construction News Digital Built Britain Award by the UK Government’s BIM Task Group.

Start with an outline specification and add to your design as it develops to capture performance requirements and provide structured information for FM.

NBS BIM Toolkit – free-to-use project management tool for Level 2 BIM projects The free-to-use NBS BIM Toolkit is designed to benefit both public and private sector construction projects, providing step-by-step help to define, manage and validate responsibility for information development and delivery at each stage of the asset lifecycle.

An indispensable way of delivering projects to meet the requirements of Level 2 BIM, in preparation for the government-mandated use of this on all public sector projects by 2016.

Accessible through the NBS BIM Toolkit is the unified classification for the UK industry Uniclass 2015. Covering all construction sectors, it contains consistent tables classifying items of all scale from a facility such as a railway down to products such as a CCTV camera.

Visit the NBS BIM Toolkit

NBS National BIM Library – free-to-use library of product manufacturer BIM objects The NBS BIM Library contains an extensive number of generic objects you can use from outline design stages. There is also a vast range of specific manufacturer objects for use later on in your project. Our BIM objects are authored by our specialists, ensuring consistency and currency.

Visit the NBS National BIM Library

NBS BIM Object Standard – defining the standard for the information, geometry, behaviour and presentation of BIM objectsIncorporated into the NBS National BIM Library, the NBS BIM Object Standard is the standard intended for construction professionals, manufacturers and other BIM content developers to assist in the creation of BIM objects that operate in a Common Data Environment.

NBS Plug-ins – connecting your specification and design modelNBS Plug-ins allow you to co-ordinate the information between your specification and your CAD model.

Our latest free plug-in, NBS Plug-in for Autodesk® Revit®, is compatible with Revit® 2015, 2016 R2 or 2017, allowing direct linkage between NBS and Autodesk® Revit® at an object-to-object level, making the task of putting together a co-ordinated set of drawings even easier.

Download NBS Plug-in for Autodesk® Revit®

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UniclassUniclass 2015 is a unified classification for the UK industry covering all construction sectors, containing published tables for Products, Systems, Elements and Spaces/Locations of Uniclass 2015, all of which can be accessed through the NBS BIM Toolkit.

NBS Create content is arranged by system using Uniclass 2, the precursor to Uniclass 2015, and includes linked contract, outline, performance, product, execution and completion clauses. NBS Create will be updated in line with Uniclass 2015.

UpdatesThe technical content of NBS Create is stored online, enabling us to update it regularly. This gives you peace of mind that you are always accessing the latest clauses, guidance and NBS Plus manufacturers‘ product information, without needing to apply content updates yourself.

Plus, regularly released software updates can be downloaded as part of your subscription.

ContentLibraries of pre-written specification clauses, guidance and manufacturer product information are authored by our in-house team of industry specialists and automatically updated regularly via the web. Content is arranged by sections, covering multidisciplinary content, which means that a single logical project specification can be written in less time, avoiding the risk of duplicated or conflicting content.

Choose from four regularly maintained content libraries to access the content you need:

• Architectural

• Services

• Landscape

• Structural

Discover the full scope and contents at theNBS.com/Create

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Software key features and functionsOutline, performance and full specifications with project managementSpecification evolves from briefing to detailed design. With NBS Create you can start your specification earlier by creating an initial outline specification, then developing performance and full detailed specifications, making the most efficient use of your data.

Pre-written linked clausesAssemble your specification by adding system outline clauses. As you make decisions and complete the system outline clauses, the remainder of the specification is assembled, ensuring that the project specification is precise and highly relevant.

Many of the clauses contain drop-down values, making it simple to select exactly what you want, and are linked to guidance and product information.

Relationships make specifying easier than ever before, as NBS clauses are organised by sections with their corresponding products pre-authored. Each system has related performance, execution and completion information.

Quick and easy specification of manufacturers and their products Specify construction products quickly and accurately, either in generic terms or by selecting manufacturer and product references through NBS Plus, a library of over 21,000 product specifications from more than 650 construction manufacturers. All manufacturer products within the software are directly linked to specific clauses, meaning that you only see relevant manufacturer products for that system.

System products linked to system clauses also mean that you can swiftly specify a product that creates a complete system or a major component of one.

Capture your office knowledge NBS guidance can be supplemented with personalised, company-specific information, helping you to specify quicker in the future.

Track and compare NBS Create enables you to track changes as information in the specification is added or amended. Milestones take a snapshot of the specification and date-stamp the content. Two milestones can be compared to view any differences, down to individual keyword level.

Smart reporting Smart reporting, including on-screen reports, gives you instant access to a range of information, such as every clause that requires the contractor to submit proposals or samples, or all of the manufacturers who are listed in the specification as an appendix.

Link to your design toolCo-ordinating the information in your specification and your design model is key to robust, co-ordinated project documentation. NBS offers a range of plug-ins that support the design team and enable the production of co-ordinated digital information.

COBie outputAs part of Level 2 BIM, the UK Government Construction Strategy states the requirement for software and data to be exported in Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) – a spreadsheet data format containing digital information about a building in as complete and as useful a form as possible.

NBS Create is the only master specification system that allows the export of project information in COBie format.

Intuitive interface Screen panels can be positioned to your preference, meaning that content can be viewed in a new way. The use of hyperlinks throughout enables easy navigation of the job, allowing access to referenced documents from the specification text.

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SupportAs an NBS customer you’ll become part of the NBS community with free access to our specialists and learning resources whenever you need them. We also provide many opportunities for you to provide feedback.

Software support Our experienced NBS Software Support team is here to help you with any NBS software-related queries you may have, and can be contacted via email, live chat and telephone from 9 am until 5 pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Our knowledge base also provides the latest information and advice.

Technical supportYou will have access to the extensive team of industry and technical specialists who author the content of NBS products, to assist you with any content questions you may have.

NBS Create Help Centre The NBS Create Help Centre has all the information you need to get started, including a dedicated page for new users to help you:• understand NBS Create• create new specifications• specify products• use NBS Create on Level 2 BIM projects• set yourself up as an administrator

YouTubeA series of free short training videos are available on YouTube, showing you how to get the best from NBS Create, simply and quickly. Subjects include: • How to edit your job details • How to add content to your job from the

resource panel by system• Using NBS Create and NBS National BIM

Library to maximise the benefits of BIM

Also available: attend the free RIBA CPD accredited eLearning introduction course.

eLearningA new series of free eLearning training modules for construction professionals and students covering NBS Create.

Broken down into individual modules, each one focuses on a particular function or task to give you an excellent grounding in the subject. All courses are CPD accredited by the RIBA and earn double points. Each module consists of a short demonstration, an interactive training tutorial and a short quiz.

NBS eLearning provides a basic introduction to NBS software, which can be built on with a bespoke on-site training session with one of our expert trainers.

Research and Beta testing Customer research is essential to the development of our products and tools. At NBS, we have a dedicated research team and NBS Beta Test Programme, gathering information and intelligence enabling the development of our products. They are also used to produce industry-leading reports, such as the NBS National BIM Report.

Our team of industry, technical and software specialists are on hand to answer your queries and help you get the most from NBS.

TrainingOur dedicated NBS training team runs two interactive training courses to enable your company to get the most from NBS Create. These RIBA CPD accredited courses can be delivered online, at a public training venue or on-site in your office. A full training guide is also provided.

Find out more at theNBS.com/training or call us on 0345 456 9594.

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17Call us on 0345 456 9594 theNBS.com/Create

PurchaseChoosing a new software solution for your business is an important decision that you have to get right. That’s why we find it best to discuss your requirements in detail and explain how our tools and services might best fit with the needs of your company.

Not sure which product is right for you? Quickly compare our specification tools before calling us to discuss your requirements.

Licences to NBS Create are available as a subscription for a minimum of 12 months that includes:

Choice of technical libraries:

• Architecture library

• Services library

• Structure library

• Landscape library

Discounts available for additional licences and two or more year subscriptions.

Free access to eLearning, technical and software support.

Regular software and content updates.

The subscription cost of NBS Create is dependent upon the libraries and number of licences you require.

Call us to discuss your requirements on 0345 456 9594 or email sales@theNBS.com

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Other NBS tools and servicesDiscover the full range of industry-standard specification, building product and construction knowledge tools at theNBS.com

Other NBS tools to consider

• NBS Building Industry-standard design stage specification tool for building projects.

• NBS Landscape Industry-standard specification tool for hard and soft landscape projects.

• NBS Scheduler Ideal for refurbishment, alteration and small new build projects.

• View product comparison table

Relevant products

NBS Create customers also use:

• The Construction Information Service

• NBS National BIM Library (free to use)

• NBS BIM Toolkit (free to use)

• NBS Plug-ins (free to use)

NBS software licensingWhether you have networked or standalone computers, NBS Create can be installed on any number of machines, as it works on a ‘per client’ subscription. Licence management controls the number of computers which can run the software concurrently.

View the system requirements for NBS Create

AppleNBS products and services can be run on an Apple Mac under Apple Boot Camp and with Windows emulation software.

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