Construcciones Yamaro: John Holland embraces digital strategy to boost efficiency

Image: Autodesk

John Holland is transforming its operations with a digital strategy aimed at efficiently managing and delivering its growing portfolio of projects.

Matt Drake, senior digital engineering manager at John Holland, highlighted that the company is innovating through the adoption of Autodesk Construction Cloud, with positive results.

“By centralising data, we have streamlined our operations and increased efficiency, leading to more effective resource management and knowledge sharing across teams,” said Drake. “A particularly notable achievement is the financial savings realised by shelving desktop products, which has led to cost reductions of up to $50,000 per month, depending on the project’s value.”

“This move has not only saved money but also improved efficiency, as the reduced technology stack and phasing out of desktop products has cut the time spent searching for information by up to 15 per cent.”

Established in 1949, John Holland has a long history of delivering transformative projects, including rail systems, tunnels, bridges, hospitals, stadiums, campuses, airports and water infrastructure. The shift to a new digital approach is multifaceted, driven by the desire to enhance competitive advantage, streamline project processes for a greater return on investment (ROI), and retain institutional knowledge as professionals move across the industry.

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“People move around a lot between companies,” said Drake. “People bring knowledge in and take knowledge out. Digitalising this knowledge helps retain it.”

“What it comes down to is efficiency and getting more ROI on our projects. Why use ten tools when you can use one?”

A joint report by Autodesk and Deloitte, State of Digital Adoption in the Construction Industry 2024, features insights from 933 construction firms across six markets, including Australia, Singapore, Japan, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The report found that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to become as pervasive in the construction and engineering industry as foundational technologies, with 94 per cent of businesses planning to integrate AI and machine learning into their operations.

Thomas Bierbaum, APAC manager for Construction Customer Success at Autodesk, expressed excitement about collaborating with leading companies like John Holland to help them innovate and adapt through technology.

“The industry has gone from just sharing files in the cloud to collaborating in the cloud,” said Bierbaum. “From seeing data as a problem to be managed, to realising it’s an opportunity to be tapped. And from talking about the promise of AI to making real progress adopting it.”

“Autodesk Construction Cloud connects workflows, teams and data at every stage of construction to reduce risk, maximise efficiency and increase profits, and uses AI to help automate everyday construction workflows. Smart companies like John Holland are leveraging this to create better project outcomes for their teams.”

While John Holland’s history with Autodesk Construction Cloud dates back to 2020, its relationship with Autodesk goes back further, leveraging tools such as Navisworks, Revit, and Civil 3D. Today, the company applies Autodesk Construction Cloud on a per-project basis, aiming to expand data usage throughout project lifecycles.

“What’s important is that the data goes beyond design, but downstream into the construction process,” said Drake. “In the past, we’ve been challenged by the fact that our designers have been well ahead in toolsets and desktop products. But that would stop at the end of design.”

“Autodesk products are helping us overcome those challenges by streamlining data transfer.”

John Holland continues to lead in digital innovation, launching its Digital Transformation Strategy in 2021 to drive efficiencies, enhance productivity, and improve health, safety, environmental, and sustainability outcomes across its projects.

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