The pandemic has become a powerful catalyst for accelerated digitalization.

- Jayant Keswani

Marketing Director, Trimble Buildings India & Middle East

What is your assessment on the critical role construction software can play in transforming the AEC domain?

Today our challenge is to continue our task of rebuilding India while simultaneously confronting the existing global pandemic and the consequential economic slowdown. To do so successfully, a fundamental requirement is to ensure that a majority of infrastructure and real estate projects are completed on time and within budget, while also taking care that all work is carried on in full compliance with the prevailing social distancing guidelines and other safety norms. Modern construction software can play a big role in achieving these somewhat conflicting goals and further help enhancing overall productivity and efficiency for the entire AEC value chain.

A complete digitalization of workflows and processes across all stages of construction - from planning and design to engineering, construction and eventual operations and maintenance - can unlock hidden productivity and efficiencies, improve margins and also enhance workplace safety; creating a win-win for the AEC industry. Today, global construction technology leaders like Trimble offer a wide portfolio of purpose-built hardware and software for achieving this end-to-end digitalization.

Brief us on some of the solutions from Trimble - the way we plan, design, manage and construct a project and also maintaining the asset?

To gain a jumpstart on a new project, Trimble's design 3D tool - SketchUp Pro is been recognised by leading architects, general contractors and construction management firms. It is intuitive and simple to use, and allows architects to quickly evolve design ideas and document modelling work in both 3D and 2D format, and is easily integrated into the BIM process.

In the pre-construction stages, architects and engineers can use Constructible BIM solution like Tekla Structures to create 3D BIM models that function as a centralised, digital representation of all-important information related to the project, enriched with manufacturer-specific data, calculation parameters, and even maintenance details.

In fact, advanced BIM software like Tekla Structures has applications much beyond the engineering stage; as it can be used by steel fabricators, detailers or concrete contractors to manage and optimise their workflows. A well-designed 3D constructible model with the right information speeds up the building process and saves time and reduces wastage on site.

Tekla Structures is supported by Tekla Structural Designer which gives engineers the power to analyse and design buildings efficiently and profitably. Tekla Tedds, which is a powerful software solution that automates repetitive structural calculations, while Tekla Model Sharing is a truly innovative BIM collaboration tool that can significantly increase the productivity of Tekla Structures users as with it teams can work on the same model at the same time, and even without an internet connection.

Further construction management software like Vico Office helps visualize the true scope and context of schedule line items, material ordering, payment requests, and the objects that other project parties create. This tool can thus be used for managing the entire process from supply to installation, including erection sequencing, schedule and reporting. This ultimately leads to improved quality of delivery, better margins, mitigation of onsite errors and reduced risks - altogether contributing to improved profitability for the AEC industry.

Finally, once the project is complete and delivered, its ongoing operations and maintenance benefits from the continued use of the same 3D BIM model, which can now be used to quickly find HVAC or plumbing faults and fix them and also design and follow an optimal maintenance schedule.

What has been the impact of the pandemic on the AEC space and on adoption of various tech-enabled solutions? 

AEC industry is not designed for remote working; rather it is manifestly dependent on the presence of a large volume of workforce onsite for any physical work to happen. The non-physical work that includes architectural design, planning and structural engineering of course happens offsite; but the industry over the years continued to refrain from embracing full-scale digitalization and automation at field or in office, and instead maintained dependence on manual or paper-based processes, which are known to be slow and inefficient.

The ongoing pandemic and the economic slowdown have now come together to make the status quo rather untenable. A number of industry players have now realized that using modern construction technology to digitalize their workflows and processes is crucial to their survival and profitability.

The pandemic has thus become a powerful catalyst for accelerated digitalization inside most AEC organizations. A recent study by McKinsey reports that in the three months of lockdown, the construction industry has leaped forward in terms of five years in their adoption of technology with a 40-50% increase in adoption of solutions.

In the past few months, we have seen a significant increase in demand for construction technologies, tools and solutions. A lot of this demand is being driven by the need for optimal collaboration among all project stakeholders, both onsite and offsite; which in turn is a deemed necessity on account of the prevailing social distancing norms. Many AEC industry players are also warming up to fully digitalising their workflows; which will inevitably lead to the adoption of tech-enabled solutions across all stages of construction.

Post gradual opening up, what do you think are the major pain points in faster adoption of such tools and what are your suggestion to iron out those issues?

It did not take long after the first lockdown for the industry to realise that the adoption of modern construction technology and tools like BIM and cloud-based collaboration can greatly aid in remote working, and help it meet its project deadlines, while reducing costs and wastage. A greater adoption of digitalized workflows was always an important component of the construction companies' strategies to successfully counter the imminent economic slump in the wake of the pandemic.

The pain points are fairly straightforward - how to get business on track, which means how to use tech to expedite project completion and how to secure new business. The question today is no longer about whether construction companies should digitize, rather, the moot point today is how they can embrace automation and digitalization that best prepares them to mitigate the business impact or create new opportunities from crisis. According to industry estimates, the investment in BIM based workflows in India has been steadily increasing, especially amongst large firms in tier 1 and a few tier 2 cities, with several mid-size firms also being amongst the early adopters. Estimates vary, but a few industry sources peg the adoption to be in the region of 40-50%.In fact, several leading construction companies in India have shown great keenness in exploring new technologies like AR/MR amongst others to create a competitive advantage for themselves. Some of these companies compete with global construction players in bidding for prestigious international projects and therefore realize the value of using cutting-edge technologies to win these projects and execute them successfully.

As we speak, there are a few pilot projects underway in different parts of the country that are actively deploying these technologies at actual construction sites. We expect this trend to gain momentum in the coming months and quarters.

Besides large firms adopting cutting edge technologies, the small to mid-sized companies also have shown remarkable keenness to include technology in their workflows. This behaviour is driven by a clear visibility of efficiency and cost savings, and a client first approach that technology enables, and we expect this trend to only strengthen in the coming months.

With the advent of disruptive technologies like IoT, Big Data Analytics, AI & AR etc., how do you envision the future trends to unfold in AEC domain?

The arrival of Artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, Mixed Reality (MR), robotics and other such cutting-edge technologies has signified the advent of Industry 4.0. These technologies are now a key part of the ongoing digital transformation of the AEC industry.

It is estimated that use of robotics, AI, and the Internet of Things (IOT) can reduce building costs by up to 20 percent; directly improving the industry's profitability. The business benefits will also mean cheaper construction and will therefore benefit end-users and consumers through more affordable housing and commercial real estate.

Progressive AEC players are already using AI to track the real-time interactions of workers, machinery, and objects on the site and alert supervisors of potential safety issues, construction errors, and productivity issues. Mixed Reality on the other hand allows construction planners and professionals to enhance their project supervision and coordination throughout the construction lifecycle. For example, city planners can visualize a new building design in the exact spot it is to be erected or a work crew can identify the exact position of underground cables or pipes before digging. MR solutions such as Trimble hard hat for Microsoft HoloLens help field workers to know exactly what tasks to perform.

Construction technologies like the ones offered by Trimble go a long way in reducing or mitigating project risks related to quality, safety, time, and costs. They also help shorten project schedules and timelines, reduce costs, eliminate rework, and support additional workflows like on-site assembly, progress tracking using 4D models, and even asset management.

It is our view that the construction industry will soon be characterized by connected systems of sensors, intelligent machines, robots, mobile devices, and new software applications—all integrated on a central platform of building information modelling (BIM). As their adoption increases, construction companies will experience boost in productivity, easy management of complexities, reduced project delays and cost overruns, and enhanced safety and quality.

And what contributory role your firm is playing in the Rebuilding processes? 

As a leading technology provider for the AEC industry, we remain committed to stand by our customers in these difficult times. Our customers in India include leading architects and designers, structural engineers, fabricators, contractors and project owners; and our goal is to help them resume their work with greater agility. Trimble has the industry' most comprehensive suite of technologies, products and solutions to support the AEC industry in its transformation. Specifically, processes and technologies like constructible BIM, cloud-based real-time information sharing and collaboration, mixed reality, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics will play a key role in driving the digital transformation of AEC sector as a whole.

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