This is the profit of digitization in construction

What is the profit by using digitalization, Pim van Meer Redert asks himself. First he shows the hard numbers, then the gains that really count.

These are the numbers everyone is asking about. In capital projects, better digital supply chain alignment shows some 12 percent less repair work, according to McKinsey. The British government linked BIM programs to around 20 percent CAPEX savings in case studies. TNO shows that digital twins in construction logistics reduce disruption and waiting time. Case-driven studies on AI + digital twins report around 25 percent lower maintenance costs and around 20 percent lower energy consumption once asset data is correct. And European regulations are pushing toward digital product passports, finally making material data "hard". Nice.

What do I see in practice? On the Zuid-as we once sat a whole floor off. In The Hague, parking spaces disappear because building, construction and installations are not integral. An outdated wind nuisance analysis cost 1 million. Houses don't match the buyer's program; shafts grow out of control; sometimes houses are too big for the investor, costing us tons (and this didn't occur on just one project!). The good news: because we saw it in the model, we were able to make adjustments before the concrete. And for those who want a sense of the order of magnitude: within VORM, over a year and several projects, from area development projects to management and maintenance projects, I see roughly ± 100 million euros in errors or potential risks that we spot and eliminate just in time. That is the real harvest of data-driven work.

Profit now on the project

Gain in quality. We set requirements as threshold values per room (daylight, noise, energy, accessibility, affordability). The model turns green/orange/red. Quality becomes testable instead of negotiable.
Profit in time. Variants calculate along with it: change in it, quantities and effects along with it. Decisions move along at the rhythm of design and construction team meetings-without extra "coordination weeks."
Profit in money (failure costs). Unclear specifications, wrong assumptions and clashes surface early. Better ten small choices like "frozen assumption" too early than one expensive correction late.
Gain in predictability. One source of truth for planning, quantities and decisions, with a short decision log. Less ping-pong, less i thought...
Gain in support. You not only show the 3D image, but also why something can go through the gate. That gives peace at the table and speeds up moments of agreement.
Profits soon in government and delivery
Profit in decision-making - lean planning. We colloquially call this parallel planning: working together with municipal stakeholders to create a single joint plan in which the right analyses and digitally testable goals are looked at at set times by the right civil service teams. Everyone looks at the same 3D dataset at the same time, with the same definitions and the same windows for stop-go-fix. Less noise, quicker clarity.
Gains in quality assurance. Issues, photos and checks live with the model as a dataset. Completion points are traceable by space/part. No more email archaeology.
Profit in handover. Handover = data delivery. Management gets complete asset info (type, serial numbers, maintenance, warranties, location). Breaking in is not a scavenger hunt.

Later in management, portfolio and policy

Profit in maintenance and energy. With reliable asset data you can maintain predictively and really optimize. Fewer breakdowns, less kWh, more uptime.
Gains in circularity and compliance. You know what sits where and with what environmental score. Reports become a printout instead of a project. Your 3D model is a materials passport!
Gain in steering power (portfolio). Projects become comparable: lead time, risk, CO₂, quality, failure costs. Scenarios (interest, grid congestion, standardization) become calculable. You govern by rhythm, not instinct. Different projects uniformly lead to a dream portfolio.
The best gain is in learning ability and creativity. Yesterday's data feeds tomorrow's choices. You reuse details and decision rules. Because preconditions are clear, you can be more safely creative: more variants in less time, with demonstrable impact. This benefits the architecture and the end product!

The filleting moment

Digitalization yields financial gains?
Yes, but that's not the most important thing. Money is the by-product of something bigger: better quality, higher predictability, faster and fairer decisions, smoother handover and an organization that learns. That's what you do it for. The euros follow naturally-and often only become truly visible when you organize the entire process (from area to management) as information production with governance.

About Pim's digital maze
In this column, Pim takes you through the sometimes wondrous, tangled but rapidly changing world of digitization. He draws on his experiences as director of digitalization at VORM. Pim is outspoken, critical, but above all wants to help you. Are you stuck in the digital maze? Pim helps you find the way out.... Do you have a question for Pim or are you looking to get in touch with him? Follow Pim on LinkedIN.