'Digitalization is not about that one BIM model or an application,' says Tim Lievendag, Manager Digital at BAM. 'Digitalization has to get into our DNA, so that projects are set up digitally and the entire process is geared to it. But in order to do that, we especially need to involve the people on the shop floor in pilots. Only then will you get them on board - that's the common thread!'
'To get people on board, you have to make sure that digital really adds something,' Tim believes. 'You can't set up a pilot somewhere high up in the building with some enthusiasts. Digital is not a separate entity, so you have to make sure that, for example, the work planner or foreman is involved. That's why we work in a demand-driven way, based on a need. At the same time, the project teams also contribute developments. The point is that we do these pilot projects together.'
Persuading people
Lievendag puts it even stronger: "If you don't involve people from the field, you might as well not do the pilot. Then it won't work, because then it becomes a party of the BIMers. The people who are working on new applications anyway and you don't have to convince them. But the money is made on the shop floor, so that's where people have to be convinced!
Steps have already been made in this regard at BAM, Lievendag believes. 'We are now at a stage where those people are willing to co-develop.' But you have to dose that, he continues. It's always busy everywhere, so you have to keep it manageable and spread it out over projects.' It helps that BAM is a large organization with activities in housing, non-residential construction and infrastructure companies, which work well together in this regard. 'Our strength is that we are fully committed to cooperation, because we have a common goal. And when it comes to digitization, what applies to one discipline also applies to the other. That's how we try to achieve a uniform approach.'
Practical
But how do they go into a digital pilot at BAM? 'As mentioned, we often do it demand-driven. There has to be a need. We look at which people we need and they must clearly see the added value of it. We make a business case with them and only when this is solid do we proceed with implementation. The cases are always practical. With AI, for example, you can think about comparing quotations. That sounds dull and simple, but it is very important and with the help of AI people can do such a task in half the time. Then when people get through that it works, they become ambassadors.'
Shortage of personnel
Above all, you should also not think that digitization means becoming a new Google or Amazon, Lievendag explains. 'The goal, for example, is to ease task-oriented operations. But also to help solve social problems, such as sustainability and the shortage of personnel. Because as far as the latter is concerned, we really have a problem. Young people no longer want to become pavers or bricklayers, which is why robotization is so important. Streets can very well be laid by robots and why do masonry in repetitive construction by hand? That is physically and mentally very taxing work. Our people are the most important aspect of our organization. If they drop out at a relatively young age, that's something we should be concerned about. That's another reason why we would like to use robotization and AI.'
Trust
The robots are mainly there to do the heavy lifting, and AI is one way to control robots. 'Right now those robots don't work autonomously yet,' Tim says, 'but it may well be that AI is going to help us with that.' But AI is also going to help us, for example, identify safety issues and risks and suggest improvements. So we can adjust our processes and make them safer. It's an advisory and supportive tool.'
AI does need to be given time to become more effective, Tim argues, "Right now we are not deploying AI optimally, but AI is like a learning child. We also have to learn to trust it to get better and better. Take a task like merging notes. AI has to learn that, it has to learn to see that people store and handle notes in a certain way, for example. Then AI can start preparing that for them in advance. In the long run, people have to start trusting that AI is doing that right.' And it is precisely because of that trust that it is so important that people from the field are involved in the pilots. 'Because only when people are involved can they gain confidence.'
BAM on DigiBouw
At DigiBouw, to be held Nov. 20 and 21, 2024 at Jaarbeurs, Timothy Lievendag and Arnoud van der Heijden (digital manager at Royal BAM) will demonstrate their vision of the rapidly changing construction site of the future. During their presentation, they will address questions such as: How do new ways of building affect people on the construction site, in the short and long term? Which roles will still be there in a few years, and which roles will change?
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