The future of installation and maintenance companies
The installation and maintenance industry is constantly evolving – gone are the days of pencil and paper. Two technology trends, automation and machine learning, are driving this change, taking the sector’s efficiency to a new level. Automation and machine learning are inextricably linked to the future of plant design and deployment. These technologies allow designers to perform their work more effectively and efficiently. With the help of intelligent software, designers and project teams can bypass repetitive manual processes, focus their expertise on new challenges, and improve the overall efficiency and quality of the project.
Automation
Automation makes processes in the installation and maintenance sector more intuitive. Intelligent software, backed by artificial intelligence (AI), can extract information from multiple sources, uncover inefficiencies, and bring these insights together to help industry professionals achieve their goals. In plant design, automation is used to create algorithms that improve the accuracy of designs. Rule-based software is used to automate standard design processes. Generative design software considers predetermined design goals and parameters, such as materials and costs, and uses this information to develop design options. The software runs permutations at an incredible speed, so designers don’t have to. Automating design processes pushes the boundaries of BIM. Supported by intuitive software solutions, designers can reduce costs, improve ROI, and, most importantly, reuse successful processes to facilitate continuous improvement.
Machine learning
According to McKinsey, the installation and maintenance sector is slower than average compared to other industries in terms of adopting machine learning. However, the fact that the technology will also impact this sector remains the same. Machine learning, a form of AI, refers to devices capable of processing data and learning independently. This means that machines can make improvements independently of human influence. In the installation and maintenance sector, this offers many potential benefits to improve the design and execution of installation projects:
- Historical data: machine learning makes it possible to archive historical data independently of each other, which MEP engineers can use for future projects. It can recognize what worked in the past and didn’t and then make suggestions.
- Internet of Things (IoT): the Internet of Things creates an automated feedback loop between the people in the office and on the construction site. IoT devices feature technology that allows them to communicate over the internet. This offers many applications for installers: automatic status notifications, remote condition reports, remote management, instant updates of 3D models, etc.
- Digital Twins: Digital Twins are exact digital representations of physical elements. These models are automatically updated by changing conditions in reality. They are copies that reflect their counterpart’s status, interactions, updates, and physical properties and orientation, such as shape, position, gesture, or movement. Digital Twins align the real world with the virtual world and help uncover the impact of the environment on a building element.
As automation and machine learning become integral parts of the plant and maintenance industry, their importance to design and implementation in practice will become apparent. Advances in automation and machine learning are making models more tailored to the installer’s needs and improving execution accuracy, efficiency, accuracy, and profitability of construction projects.
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