Building on the digital future

Rob van Wingerden, CEO of BAM: “It’s not technology, but people who are presenting us with the greatest challenge”

The construction industry is associated more with the professionalism of the workers on the building site than with augmented reality and data analytics. Nevertheless, the digital transformation is having a huge impact on how we build and what we build, says Rob van Wingerden, CEO of Koninklijke BAM Groep. “It’s not technology, but people who are presenting us with the greatest challenge.”

Performing maintenance and rectifying breakdowns before they occur. That will soon be the reality in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. BAM is working in that stadium, together with strategic innovation partners, on a new building management system that collects data using sensors. This system allows predictions to be made about where breakdowns may occur within the stadium complex. Preventative maintenance saves costs and results in lower energy consumption.

Impact of the digital transformation

According to Rob van Wingerden, the project is a striking example of the impact of the digital transformation on the building industry. “New digital technology has major consequences for how we build and what we build. This relates mainly to the fact that buildings and infrastructure are becoming increasingly intelligent because more and more digital technology is being applied.”

Building portfolio for the future

Creating a building portfolio for the future is one of the pillars supporting the strategy of BAM (see box). Digitisation plays a crucial role in that strategy. “BAM has the ambition of being a leader in applying the most modern design and visualisation tools in the building process, so that we can respond effectively to the changing wishes of clients.”

Why is it important for BAM to be a digital leader?

“The digital transformation marks the initial steps in the ‘faultless building’ era. Although we still have a long way to go, new technology means that it is within the bounds of possibility. Smarter building has major advantages when it comes to quality, costs and client-satisfaction. Moreover, applying digital technology results in less waste, limiting nuisance for the surrounding area and lower energy consumption. When you consider that, it’s only logical that BAM wishes to be a leader.”

How does BAM integrate digital technology in the building process?

“We take a two-pronged approach. Firstly, a stepwise integration of all the digital technology applied within BAM in our entire business and in everything that we make. Secondly, we use digital technology as a starting point when considering building in the future. Consequently, that is far more an experimental approach.”

What does that demand of your organisation?

“Achieving our digital ambitions requires us to invest in new technology. The BAM start-up in Amsterdam is a good example. That is a creative incubator where BAM staff develop ideas, together with external partners, about what the building industry could look like in the future. But that also requires creating an attractive environment for exchanging expertise that already broadly exists within BAM. We are talking about applying innovative knowledge that has a direct impact on our day-to-day practice.”

What does digitisation specifically mean for the building process?

“The modern building process is based on the ‘make it before you make it’ principle. The essence of this principle is that first, a digital simulation is made of the entire lifecycle of a building or an infrastructure project. The huge advantage is that we can indicate the problem areas before the first pile is driven into the ground. Not only in the design and construction phase, but also during the period of use. Following completion, we can further optimise the project on the basis of data collected by means of digital technology.”

What challenges does BAM face when doing so?

“It’s not technology, but people who are presenting us with the greatest challenge. Integrating digital technology in our entire business requires a way of thinking that is at odds with the traditional manner of thinking in the building industry. That is to say that every project is unique and so the wheel has to be reinvented on every occasion. Disseminating and exchanging knowledge means having to understand that although every building project might be different, the processes are often the same.”

How does BAM deal with these challenges?

“We focus a lot on reinforcing our corporate culture, in which values such as scalable learning and open cooperation play an important role. If you want to strengthen such values, you must standardise the processes and simplify the structure, so that staff are able to work together more easily. In a business with more than twenty thousand employees, that takes time. Reinforcing the core values starts with a small group and then spreads like an oil slick.”

Does digitisation also have consequences for the way in which BAM positions itself?

“Traditionally, the building industry has never been directly associated with innovation, but the large-scale application of new technology means that things are changing fast. As a result, the industry, and BAM in particular, have become attractive employers for people who might have opted previously for another career. At the same time, we as an employer have a responsibility to manage the digital transition effectively for staff for whom digitisation means change and possible uncertainty.”

Leader in digital building

The strategy of BAM builds on the foundations of the now complete ‘Back in shape’ programme. The aim of that programme, following a series of acquisitions at the turn of the century and the impact of the economic crisis, was to provide the business with a healthy basis for the future.

The ‘Building the present, creating the future’ programme consists of three pillars: focusing on the projects portfolio, shaping the activities portfolio and creating the future portfolio. “In other words, doing things better, doing better things and doing new things”, says Van Wingerden. “The final pillar includes the ambition to position BAM as leader in digital building.”

Who is Rob van Wingerden?

Rob van Wingerden (born in 1961) studied civil engineering at Delft University of Technology. In 1988, he entered the service of one of BAM’s predecessors as a project planner. Van Wingerden held various project management and management positions within the group at home and abroad. He joined the management board in 2008 and has been CEO since 2014.

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Eric de Bie

Eric de Bie

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