Adding value to infrastructure through digitisation

If we look at how other industries have embraced digitisation to improve their performance it’s safe to say that, as a construction sector, we are dramatically behind the curve. Yes, there are some standout performers, as there always are, but there are far too many in the industry who are embarrassingly behind the times. Most have heard of Nokia & Kodak and their failure to anticipate the future. It didn’t end well. There is a grave danger of businesses across the construction sector suffering the same fate!

How long have we been discussing Building Information Modelling (BIM)? On the face of it all would endorse it however it’s hardly embedded in the culture of all organisations. The digital strategy needs to be driven from inception, the structure for the data requirements should be embedded for the remainder of the project and facilitate all of the data generated by the project (and there will be lots) to be used by all parties for the benefit of the whole life cycle of the project. The benefits of this can result in improved identification of project risks, reduced interface clashes, faster transfer of information, digital quantification, improved consistency in tender responses, digital site capture of life time quality records all of these can contribute to adding value previously unavailable on schemes. Can we afford to ignore this?

How can we exploit the benefits of increased digitisation:

• Identify and assess projects which have featured elements of digitisation during development;

• Develop models to justify greater investment in digital tools consistently across the public sector;

• Develop programmes of joint public and private sector workshops to increase knowledge and understanding of the value of digitisation in the construction sector.