The Swiss construction industry in digital transformation

The digital journey

Digitalization has also reached the Swiss construction sector for some time — but only reluctantly, as recent studies show. The construction industry is facing a paradigm shift, because in the future, it is probably not necessarily low prices that will be decisive for success, but increases in internal effectiveness and efficiency, particularly through digitization. In order to survive in the future, construction companies must stand out from their competition through holistic approaches, sustainability and digitization.

The upheaval is underway, as more and more technologies and tools are already being used in the construction industry today. But new technologies and innovation alone do not add value; people are needed to support them. In order to drive innovation through digitalization, it must penetrate all areas of the company. Not only are there a need for supportive management models, but also new digital solutions that involve all employees along the entire value chain.

BIM - Digitalization of the Construction Industry

In the construction industry, digitization is often equated with Building Information Management (BIM). BIM is a method of collaborative planning, execution and management of buildings using software solutions. It digitally depicts the entire life cycle of a building. This “digital twin,” as it is often called, performs the function of a central, multi-dimensional data model that is available to all parties involved at any time. On the one hand, the digital model documents the current status of the project and, on the other hand, can simulate the development of the building with all functionalities. In addition to the spatial dimensions (3D), the model can be supplemented with other dimensions such as time (4D), costs (5D) and operational information (6D). The multi-dimensional data model BIM therefore includes information not only about the building itself, but also about time and cost planning as well as the operation and maintenance of the building.

With the help of digital information, which is available on a central platform, the construction process is documented, from planning to construction itself and operation of the building with possible expansion, conversion and dismantling projects. This digital twin of the real building supports the construction project by making information available centrally and easily. In addition, the early involvement of the parties involved promotes cooperation and reduces coordination efforts. Virtual progress tracking and the ability to simulate construction in advance allow problems to be identified at an early stage. As a result, planning security increases and efficient execution of the construction process is guaranteed. Linking the digital model with operating data also increases the traceability of maintenance and repair measures.

That's the theoretical definition... but implementation is still lacking. Today, only around 40% of the digitization potential in the construction and construction related industries (according to Industry 4.0 Digital Scorecard) has been exhausted.

Mobile workforce - We bring digitization to your construction site

The more information the digital twin receives, the more useful it becomes. As a result, the existing databases, ERP and CRM systems, and planning and collaboration platforms are important components of the BIM ecosystem. Only with the seamless integration of these systems can the potential of digitization be exploited. Employees are another decisive factor. They are the heart of the company and form the basis for economic success. However, it remains a challenge to adequately involve mostly mobile workers. Whether on the construction site, in logistics or building maintenance at the front, simple, practical mobile solutions are required. In order for the paradigm shift to take place consistently even in a heterogeneous environment such as the construction industry, all employees must jump on the digitization bandwagon.

With our expertise in the areas of collaboration, integration, development, ICT consulting and project management, Linkyard accompanies you through all stages of digitization, from interactive customer portals and process control to classic automation and system integration to the processing and analysis of real-time data and the application of machine learning. Even when introducing new management systems with OKR We are happy to help.

Linkyard also specializes in technically sophisticated integrations and customers with particularly high standards of information security and data protection. The linkyard information security management system is certified in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001:2013. With this set of experience and know-how, we bring digitization to your construction site.