MAY 2024CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONBy Tassilo Deinzer, Member of the Executive Board, Hilti GroupTHE VITAL ROLE OF SUPPLIERS IN DIGITAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION--A CASE FOR VALUE ENGINEERINGThe construction industry forms a large chunk of every economy in the world, representing nearly 15 percent of the global GDP. The industry is full of promise, but it's also evident that it faces significant challenges, most prominently a perennial lack of productivity.Increasing digitalization and the most effective use of it is being seen as the driver for future productivity in construction. Leading suppliers can proactively become a big part of this transformation by identifying and leveraging the opportunities that will only continue to expand as the digital design & construction sector grows and moves forward. The following is a deep dive into how Hilti, as a company, has been keenly observing this paradigm shift and has consequently embarked on a journey to define its contribution in digital design and construction to deliver substantial productivity gains.Spearheading the Value Engineering EcosystemValue engineering is broadly defined as a systematic approach to providing the necessary functions of a project at the lowest possible cost. Over many decades Hilti has made a name for itself as a leading productivity partner to the construction industry based on a highly differentiated hardware offering combined with industry leading technical advice. Very early on Hilti augmented these offerings with digital solutions like computing software for structural connections and more. At Hilti, we are convinced that the future of any productivity gain lies at the intersection of hardware, software, services and the respective digital representation and subsequent workflow integration of these three elements.Let me elaborate on this using a relevant use case. Our digital design and construction offering for MEP and firestopping, enabled by early project involvement as an integrated project partner with access to the digital model and the common data environment (CDE), helps optimize the design of all fastening and mounting applications for MEP. This range starts with the optimal anchor solution (e.g. cast-in anchor channel or post installed) and includes value-optimized design for multidisciplinary support systems as well as the most efficient firestop design. Hilti has been innovating in all directions to lift productivity gains that can be addressed in a combination of efficient hardware, optimized design, contribution to the model for later use and engineering support "on the ground".Generating Value across the WorkflowFocusing further on support systems, the deeper penetration of digital data models in construction over the past few years has created three big opportunities:· Designing and modeling all supports on the digital model with optimal routing suggestions using the least amount of space and material.· Consolidating supports across trades wherever possible.· Enabling the prefabrication of MEP supports.We have observed that consistent implementation will Tassilo Deinzer
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