"Because Cadac also realises that we can only meet the major challenges of the future with smart technology"
Wilo is one of the world's largest developers and manufacturers of water pump systems with over 7400 employees, 16 production sites and locations in 60 countries. The company has great ambitions, wants to digitise extensively and has engaged Cadac Group for this purpose. In the almost 150 years of its existence, Wilo, founded in Dortmund, Germany, has developed from a modest copper and brass goods producer into a company that annually generates around 1.4 billion euros in sales and service of water pumps.
"And not only that," corrects Ralph Huysers, as a business developer responsible for a large part of Wilo's European market, including the Netherlands, "we actually do everything that has to do with water displacement. Pump systems for heating and air conditioning indeed, complete drinking water systems, fire-fighting water installations in public buildings, storage and processing of wastewater, utilisation of rainwater, and so on. We have thousands of different products, focused on clean and waste water transport. I don't have to explain the importance of this sector to anyone. Moving water to the desired place is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Especially now that the climate is changing, the world population is growing rapidly and urbanisation and energy transition are continuing at a rapid pace. It's up to us to come up with solutions to keep up with the changes."
Responsibility
A luxury position for a company like Wilo that can only grow, but that is not the thinking path of the German family business. "On the contrary," Ralph Huysers continues. "Companies like Wilo have a broader responsibility. It's not about selling more products, the question is how we can contribute to smarter and efficient construction. In the coming decades, cities will grow strongly, many millions of new homes will be needed. The construction sector in its current form cannot cope with that. It is a conservative industry in which digitisation is still in its infancy.
We are only taking the first steps with BIM, Building Information Modelling or digital design. Wilo wants to give a boost to BIM, think along and take the first steps. That is why we are going to organise our products and services digitally. Clients, architects, contractors and installers must be able to come to us for the best solutions in the field of water and climate control. Essential systems in all buildings that we want to make completely ready for digital processing in the final digital construction drawings. This allows for faster and better construction."
Wilo wants to give a boost to BIM, think along and take the first steps. That is why we are going to organise our products and services digitally.
Ralph Huysers
International Business Developer - Wilo
Failure costs
And with less waste, Ralph Huysers continues. "The failure costs in construction are enormous. According to McKinsey, 1.7 trillion dollars in failure costs go down the drain every year. Thirty percent of the total expenditure. With digitisation, we can undoubtedly cut back on that considerably. The 'profit' can be invested in the necessary acceleration of the construction tasks.
Make no mistake, entire metropolises are being built in Asia. Including shopping malls, metro, infrastructure, schools, and so on. Things may not go as fast in Europe, but here too the task is great. The Netherlands must also build at least one million more homes. That's no small thing."
Building Information Modeling
Water transport may be Wilo's core business, but the larger framework is BIM. Looking for like-minded cooperation partners, Ralph Huysers ended up at Cadac. "We cannot and do not want to solve it alone. We need partners who have the knowledge and drive to digitise and to feel the urgency. Who think along from strategic to operational level and contribute to our digital agenda.
Cadac is such a company. Strong in managing data and that's what it's all about: how do I arrange my data and how do I make it accessible to other parties? We had known each other for some time through various automation projects and two years ago we strengthened ties. Now we are working together on fundamental solutions. We are on a journey of discovery in the digital world, we are pioneering for ourselves and for others. The market needs forerunners. It is not for nothing that our slogan is 'pioneering for you'."
Digital
Initially, the focus is on building Wilo's intelligent 3D building blocks in the cloud. "Wilo's many thousands of products must be available digitally," says Stijn Lockefeer, operations director at Cadac in Vianen. "That may sound simple, but we are talking about a product range in sixty countries. With different legal provisions and rules, different units of measurement, prices, service, and so on.
We have now reached the point where customers are taken directly to the right content database via a button. The system sees which country the application comes from and shows all available options. Another major advantage of the cloud solution is that there is only one version of each product. Changes in the product range, technical adjustments; everything is processed centrally. Thanks to this set-up, Wilo saves a lot on information management costs."
Basis
The digital database is the basis for a well-functioning BIM, Stijn Lockefeer also knows. "Such a library is essential for modelling or virtual construction. Wilo's products are now available to the other parties involved in a new building. Of course, Wilo determines what is and is not public. BIM can only really work well if all those parties share their information in the same way. From design to supply chain, maintenance and service. The complete chain is needed to successfully design a building digitally."
"And to test it in advance with simulations," adds Ralph Huysers. "And not in three dimensions, but in six. For example, you can take into account weather influences, energy consumption, maintenance. The complete life cycle , in other words. During the simulations, you can adjust and experiment to your heart's content, test materials, take sustainability into account. Provided that all data is available in real time ."
Invest
Both Wilo and Cadac are investing heavily in this business case. "We are on the same page," says Ralph Huysers. "It does help that the Netherlands, together with England and Russia, are doing the most work on BIM. Dutch builders are at the forefront, as are the architects, because they are also active a lot across borders. They see the huge projects, score assignments and realise that construction has to change. We as suppliers are going along, Cadac is serious about digitisation."
That's right, nods Stijn Lockefeer. "These kinds of partnerships are expensive, but they are also indispensable to boost BIM. We have set up the Content Creation for Architecture, Engineering and Construction department for this purpose. Enabling digital , in other words, as we also profile ourselves in the market. Wilo is one of the first companies to work with us to manage their content library from their master data. A basis to build on. Like Wilo, we are convinced that digitalisation is crucial if we want to manage construction demand in the future and find solutions for climate change and energy transition."