Co-sponsored by Sablono and NBS, the Transformation Hub at Digital Construction Week focuses on business transformation, including digitisation, project controls, EPR and emerging tech.

In the run-up to DCW 2022, we catch up with Florian Meichsner, Co-Founder at Sablono, to hear about the future possibilities for digital construction…

Tell us more about what Sablono offers…

Sablono is the world’s first construction execution platform specifically designed for large and complex construction projects.

We bring greater transparency and collaboration by connecting everyone working on a project together in one digital platform. 

Sablono empowers better working in construction supply chains by providing access to an unprecedented granularity of real-time execution data right down to the activity level.

Project controls and performance analytics allow for detailed insights into your production data ensuring a reliable golden thread of information and a clear digital audit trail. 

And as the first solution to combine quality and progress related information in one system, Sablono not only allows insights into how your project is performing in regards to the progress or quality of work – it also gives a holistic understanding of how delays or defects impact the wider project performance.

Why is digital transformation so important in the construction industry?

Technology has become a way of life. Embracing digital transformation in construction has the potential to be a huge lever when it comes to efficiency gains and transforming ways of working. 

Specifically, I would say the biggest thing that we can change with the help of digital technology is collaboration. In construction, there are numerous different stakeholders who are responsible for building the same building, yet we often find that they live, think and work in silos. 

The current silos in the construction industry prevent the flow of information which results in a lack of clarity and ultimately leads to wasted time and money. Digital technology has the power to change this by bringing people together to break silos and make information accessible for everyone working on a project.

What are the most exciting future applications for digital technology in construction?

Aside from all the talk of drones and robots, there are some really useful applications that often get overlooked, yet have the potential to solve some of the big problems the industry faces. 

Construction is very fragmented with projects distributed across various locations. One exciting application includes using technology to bring these different locations closer together.

For example, if you’re getting facade panels delivered from Asia to your site in the UK, the ability to seamlessly understand what’s happening in Asia without having to send someone there on a regular basis is invaluable. 

Digital technology in construction will eventually allow for a fully integrated digital supply chain and provide a transparent production process no matter where you are in the world.

This is undeniably one of the most exciting things that this industry can achieve over the next couple of years if we really focus on embarking on a digital transformation journey.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in digital construction?

First of all, I would congratulate this person since construction, and digital construction in particular, is such a great industry to be in.

My advice would be to stay on top of the latest developments because there’s so much going on at the moment. Try to make up your own mind as to what’s valuable and what’s not in order to choose the right technologies moving into the future, and then really stick with it.

As we go forward, digital construction is going to be needed more than ever. I believe that there will be plenty of job opportunities connected to digital technology in construction and having the right knowledge will be something that sets apart those who lead in the industry from those who simply follow. 

Sablono is the world’s first construction execution platform for managing and monitoring of large-scale construction projects.

With a clear focus on processes, our unique system integrates all aspects of time, quality and costs in one central digital software for seamless real-time project controls in even the most complex project environments.

Visit the Sablono website.