Top News > Eaton – Eaton and Autodesk help simplify and accelerate delivery of increasingly complex electrical systems in commercial buildings

Eaton – Eaton and Autodesk help simplify and accelerate delivery of increasingly complex electrical systems in commercial buildings

September 10, 2026
Eaton

  • Eaton Workbench 360 is designed to connect engineering expertise, equipment information and project visibility across Autodesk Revit, Forma and Tandem
  • Eaton’s collaboration with Autodesk creates a connected ecosystem from design to operation to deliver projects faster

 

Pittsburgh – As buildings become more complex, project teams face growing pressure to deliver faster while managing labor shortages, technical complexity and coordination challenges across the building lifecycle. To help address these challenges, intelligent power management company Eaton, and Autodesk, the leader in design and make technology, are expanding their collaboration to connect equipment information, engineering expertise and project data across design, construction and operations workflows. To support these workflows, Eaton developed Workbench 360, a connected experience designed to bring its electrical equipment data, engineering expertise and project information to Autodesk® Revit®, Autodesk Forma® and Autodesk Tandem®, helping teams maintain visibility and context across the building lifecycle.

By helping keep critical information connected throughout the building lifecycle, Eaton and Autodesk aim to reduce manual handoffs, improve visibility and enable teams to better manage increasingly complex building projects. Workbench 360 is designed to help project teams maintain context and visibility as projects progress from design through construction and into operations across building, campus, healthcare and data center environments.

“As buildings become more electrified and infrastructure projects become more complex, customers need new ways to connect design decisions with project execution and long-term operations,” said Justin Carron, director of buildings and campuses at Eaton. “Our collaboration with Autodesk helps bring together the expertise, information and workflows needed to make better decisions earlier, improve coordination across project teams and deliver critical infrastructure with greater speed and confidence.”

 

Through Autodesk Revit, engineers can access Eaton BIM content, product information and application engineering support earlier in the design process. As projects move into execution, Workbench 360 is designed to extend visibility through Forma Build™ into equipment status, submittals, order milestones, shipping information and project updates. In operations, connected equipment and project data can support Autodesk Tandem and Eaton Brightlayer digital energy twin capabilities, helping customers transition from project delivery to long-term asset management and energy optimization.

“One of the biggest challenges in delivering complex projects is keeping critical information connected as work moves from design to construction and operations,” said Sid Haksar, Head of Construction Strategy & Partnerships, Autodesk. “By bringing Eaton’s electrical expertise and equipment data into Autodesk workflows, we can help customers reduce friction between project phases and maintain the context they need throughout the building lifecycle.”

 

Eaton will demonstrate Workbench 360 at Autodesk University, booth 2216.

 

 

SourceEaton

EMR Analysis

More information on Eaton: See full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on Paulo Ruiz Sternadt (Chief Executive Officer, Eaton): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on David Foster (Senior Leadership Team – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Eaton): See full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on Eaton’s 2030 Growth Strategy (Lead, Invest and Execute for Growth) by Eaton: See full profile on EMR Executive Services

 

 

More information on Electrical Sector by Eaton: See the full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on Heath Monesmith (Senior Leadership Team – President and Chief Operating Officer, Electrical Sector + Corporate Responsibility for Eaton’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, Eaton): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on Mike Yelton (Senior Leadership Team – President, Electrical Sector, Americas Region, Eaton): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services

More information on Justin Carron (Director, Buildings & Campuses, Electrical Sector, Americas Region, Eaton): See the full profile on EMR Executive Services

 

 

More information on Eaton Workbench 360 by Eaton: No website available yet + Eaton Workbench 360 is a digital, connected software platform launched by Eaton in collaboration with Autodesk that links electrical equipment data, engineering insights, and project updates directly across the entire lifecycle of a building. It is specifically built to unify data between different construction and operations phases—spanning commercial buildings, campuses, healthcare facilities, and data centers

Instead of being a physical workbench table, it acts as a digital thread integrating with Autodesk tools to streamline workflows. 

Eaton Workbench 360 is a connected experience designed to bring its electrical equipment data, engineering expertise and project information to Autodesk® Revit®, Autodesk Forma® and Autodesk Tandem®, helping teams maintain visibility and context across the building lifecycle.

 

 

More information on BIM by Eaton: https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/support/business-resources/consultants-engineers/consultant—engineer-resources-for-medium-voltage-power—eaton/bim-models-and-drawings.html + Eaton offers Building Information Modeling (BIM) files for a wide range of electrical distribution products to reduce rework, enhance coordination and accelerate project delivery. Whether you’re a consulting engineer, design-build contractor, or end user, you can quickly incorporate Eaton equipment using our extensive library of standard models or request customized models for configured-to-order products.

 

 

More information on Brightlayer by Eaton: https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/digital/brightlayer.html + Brightlayer is Eaton’s portfolio of power and energy software and services to help you manage today’s challenges, optimize performance and be ready for what’s next in a world that won’t stop changing.

Brightlayer software captures real-time data to provide insights, control and predictions so you can reduce downtime, cut costs, and respond faster to risks. Our software helps you:

  • Protect people, equipment and investments
  • Do more with less, so every watt and work hour goes farther
  • Maintain uptime and recover faster
  • Reduce energy consumption and waste

The Brightlayer portfolio is built on the foundation of Eaton’s deep electrical expertise. Eaton’s connected hardware combined with Brightlayer software and expert services deliver integrated solutions that help you manage power infrastructure with greater control, efficiency and sustainability.

 

 

 

More information on Autodesk: https://www.autodesk.com/home + Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made.

Our technology spans architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, and media and entertainment. We empower innovators everywhere to solve challenges, big and small. From greener buildings to smarter products and more mesmerizing blockbusters, Autodesk software helps our customers design and make a better world for all.

Over 100 million people use Autodesk software, like AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, SketchBook, and more, to unlock their creativity and solve important design, business, and environmental challenges. Our software runs on both personal computers and mobile devices. It taps the infinite computing power of the cloud to help teams around the world collaborate, design, simulate, and fabricate their ideas in 3D.

We provide exceptional compensation and benefit packages, and we’d love for you to join us. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, gender, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. 

We are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and have over 10,000 employees worldwide.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, BIM 360 and Fusion 360 are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

More information on Andrew Anagnost (President and Chief Executive Officer, Autodesk): https://www.autodesk.com/company/newsroom/corporate-info/executive-bios + https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewanagnost/ 

More information on Sidharth Haksar (Vice President, Head of Construction Strategy & Partnerships, Autodesk): https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/construction/author/sid-haskar/ + https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidharth-haksar-536761/ 

More information on Autodesk® Revit® by Autodesk: https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview + Autodesk Revit: BIM software to design and make anything

Design buildings and infrastructure in 3D. Build greener projects. Transform the world.

Autodesk Revit helps architects, engineers, and construction teams design, coordinate, and deliver projects with precision and confidence.

More information on Autodesk Forma® by Autodesk: https://www.autodesk.com/nz/products/forma/overview + Forma Site Design is your go-to AI-powered cloud software for data-driven planning. Combine Forma Site Design with your favourite tools such as Revit, ACC and more. Architects and designers use Forma Site Design to:

  • Stay ahead of deadlines: Set up projects in just a few clicks, get automatic area metrics and use AI automations to cut tedious manual tasks and free up more time for design.
  • Leave the guesswork behind: Make informed decisions with contextual data and real-time AI analyses for noise, wind, embodied carbon and more.
  • Improve teamwork in the cloud: Present a convincing design vision, stay aligned and speed up design reviews with Forma Board.

More information on Autodesk Tandem® by Autodesk: https://www.autodesk.com/products/tandem/overview + Autodesk Tandem is a digital twin platform that transforms BIM data into an intelligent, interactive replica of a physical facility. It unifies systems, assets, and documentation into one decision-ready source, linking near real-time and historical data for monitoring, insight, and optimization.

More information on Autodesk University (AU) by Autodesk (September 15-17, 2026 – Las Vegas, Nevada, United States): https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2026/web/page/overview + At AU 2026, the Design & Make community comes together to build skills, strengthen connections, and shape what’s next. From AI and connected data to integrated workflows, gain the clarity and enable the capability to move your work and your business forward.

For designers, engineers, creators, team leaders, and executives shaping the future of Design & Make.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EMR Additional Notes:

  • BIM (Building Information Modeling):
    • BIM refers to a digital, information-management process that spans the entire life-cycle of a building or other built asset, from its initial design and planning to its operation, renovation, and eventual demolition or decommissioning.
    • It is an intelligent information-rich, model-based process that may require a BIM execution plan (BEP), depending on the project and contractual requirements, for owners, architects, engineers, and contractors to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure.
    • BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility or built asset, incorporating structured information in addition to geometric or 3D representations.
    • A BIM is a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle; more precisely, BIM provides a framework for creating, managing, exchanging, and using structured and reliable information throughout the asset life cycle. The term BIM can refer both to the information models themselves and, more broadly, to the processes used to manage that information. BIM is used for creating and managing data during the design, construction, and operations process. BIM integrates multi-disciplinary data to create detailed digital representations that are managed through controlled information-management processes and, increasingly, through common data environments (CDEs), which may be cloud-based but are not necessarily “open cloud platforms,” for real-time collaboration. The ability to share relevant data with all of the project’s participants makes BIM an excellent collaboration tool in general.

 

  • BMS (Building Management Systems):
    • Building Management or Automation Systems (BMS or BAS) are integrated hardware and software systems that control and monitor various building functions.
    • BMS are combinations of hardware and software that allow for automated control and monitoring of various building systems such as HVAC systems, lighting, access control and other security systems**, and may also integrate equipment such as electrical distribution, metering, fire and life-safety interfaces, lifts, shading, and other technical building services, depending on the system architecture and local regulations.
    • The hardware and software technologies of the BMS were created in the 60’s. Over the years, the BMS IT infrastructure grew organically and added layers of communication protocols, networks, and controls. Modern BMS/BAS architectures increasingly use standardized communication protocols and integrate with IoT devices, cloud services, analytics platforms, and broader building or enterprise management systems.

 

  • BEM (Building Energy Management System – EMS): 
    • BEM or BEMS (Building Energy Management System) is often a core part of a modern BMS, that focuses exclusively on monitoring, controlling, analyzing, and optimizing energy efficiency and energy consumption.
    • BEM is a computer-based system that monitors and controls a building’s electrical and mechanical equipment such as lighting, power systems, heating, and ventilation. The BEMS is connected to the building’s service plant and back to a central computer or distributed control platform to allow control of on/off times and operating schedules, temperature setpoints, lighting, humidity, etc.
    • Cables connect or, increasingly, wired and wireless communication networks connect various series of hubs and controllers around the building to a central supervisory computer or management platform where building operators can control the building. The building energy management software provides control functions, monitoring, and alarms, and allows the operators to enhance building performance. They can efficiently control a significant proportion of your building energy consumption associated with connected and controllable building systems; however, the proportion varies substantially depending on the building type, equipment, system integration, and operational practices.

 

  • => BIM vs. BEM: BIM is a comprehensive, digital modeling and information management process for a building’s or built asset’s entire lifecycle. BEM is a system used during the operational phase specifically to monitor and manage a building’s energy consumption and systems to optimize energy performance. BEM/BEMS can use asset, equipment, system, and operational information originating from BIM models, although the two systems do not have to be directly integrated. BEM is often a key part of the data used in the operational phase of a BIM project and can contribute operational data to a broader digital representation or digital twin of the building.

 

 

 

  • Digital Twin:
    • Digital Twin is most commonly defined as a dynamic, digital software representation of a physical asset, system, or process that is continuously updated with real-time (or near real-time) data from the physical world, designed to monitor, simulate, and enable detection, prediction, prevention, and optimization of performance through advanced analytics to deliver business value.
    • A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its entire lifecycle (design → operation → maintenance → end-of-life), is updated from real-time data (via sensors, IoT, or integrated data sources such as SCADA, ERP, or MES systems), and uses simulation models, analytics, and optionally machine learning/AI to support decision-making and continuous operational optimization.
    • A key characteristic of a digital twin is the bi-directional data flow between the physical asset and its digital counterpart, enabling not only monitoring but also scenario simulation (“what-if analysis”) and feedback into real-world operations.