Digital Construction Week 2022 recap – use case comes first, tech second

by GenieVision Product Manager, François Snoeck

The GenieVision team and I were fortunate enough to exhibit at this year’s Digital Construction Week event, where we showcased our innovative smARt Viewer technology to a packed-out audience. Our powerful AR technology – which visualises a 3D BIM on a portable screen so construction professionals can run a quality check against an accurate ‘digital twin’ of their construction site – was certainly turning heads at this year’s event.

This annual show brought thousands of people together to learn more about the latest innovations in the construction industry and place a spotlight on those technologies that are addressing the industry’s most pressing challenges. The evolution of BIM and IM were key themes for this year’s event, which is especially topical when you consider that BIM is often underestimated or not used to its full potential.

It’s with those thoughts in mind that I took to the Tech Stage to host a presentation entitled ‘Can one smARt 3D BIM visualiser really get you those smart savings?’ It was there I was able share some interesting insights into how our innovative solution makes the BIM not only relevant again but realistically cost-effective for everyone involved in a construction project. Those that couldn’t attend the session could still watch my last webinar on 3D BIM smart viewer.

First, we analyse

One of the key talking points on my session was this: if you had an hour to innovate, you should spend 55 minutes of your time addressing the problem, and only five minutes on the solution itself. That’s why both our team and our clients are investing a vast majority of our time to better understand where the issues are and, more importantly, where we can make impactful improvements. For us, it’s all about creating a product that solve these problems, while our clients are always on the lookout for tools and technologies that can help them better understand how and why something could be improved. By capturing a momentum, you might avoid a string of problematic consequences throughout the process.

Then we assess

Why do you need to focus on the bigger picture? The construction process has become incredibly complex in recent years, which in turn brings a greater risk and overbearing sense of unpredictability. Decreasing margins due to high failure costs are common, especially when you consider fewer than 5-10 percent of construction companies enjoyed double-digit growth and margins for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation in 2021 according to research by McKinsey. The truth is, it’s becoming harder and harder to avoid these factors and properly measure the impact they’re having.

Nonetheless, by assessing the most suitable solution (adjust the on-site reality or adjust the BIM) any construction professional can assess to rectify any situation how, when, where and by whom they see fit. In the end, smart thinking will save you more money than smart doing.

Then we improve

Which brings me to one of my major takeaways from DCWUK: UK construction professionals rarely question the technology, but rather the use cases themselves – especially when the focus is on the increasing control of quality and preparation of the works. But if you’re not truly addressing the root of the problem, there’s no way any solution will truly solve or correct it.

So, what do you need to do to solve this issue?

1. Face the music and leverage your investment in BIM.
2. Maximise the collaboration of your experienced employees with your (often young) BIM team. Today the preparation of the works is more and more digital through the use of BIM, but the access to the on-site reality is often limited to that younger BIM team. Open the communication lines.
3. Maximise its potential throughout centralised collaboration with all professionals on-site and off-site throughout the construction process. Make them talk to one another so each member can leverage another team member’s expertise.

A better BIM management will be the first step in the right direction. All the use cases shown at Digital Construction Week illustrated that leveraging the technological digital revolution improved construction businesses everywhere.

Ready to make it happen?

Get sure to get all the knowledge by watching my webinar, or secure a demo today or download our new white paper to learn more industry secrets on the power of BIM and how it can unlock an optimised construction process throughout every phase of the building process.

And tell me – will we meet at next year’s edition?