Pilot Project for a machine-readable data exchange of Construction Products

AI Quick Summary

GS1 Switzerland is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation (CH: 'Verein') that develops and maintains global standards for business communication. The purpose of this Pilot Project is to demonstrate / for selected Sectors within the construction industry (e.g. Concrete, Wood), / the machine-readable exchange of product information ('interoperability') / between all actors within the Construction value chain ('transparency') / across the entire product and building lifecycle ('sustainability'). What problem would you like to solve?​· One of the key problems in the supply chains of the construction industry is the fact that data are collected and managed in many different data silos which makes it difficult, to share data, to build up knowledge out of data or to automate processes. When considering the entire supply chain, the Stock Keeping Unit Code (SKUC) of a product often changes when the product changes hand from one stakeholder to the next. This is often related to the fact that a stakeholder assigns its own material number or its own internal name in the ERP-system. This could lead to a situation where one product from company A could have the same SKUC as another product from company B – this ambiguity makes the traceability of a product and the associated data impossible. This could be further complicated by the fact that the related product master data exist in different versions and are stored in different databases. Who are the customers and how will they benefit from your solution?​· The customers are all stakeholders in the supply chain, i.e. raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and end customers. Additional benefits will be created by the fact that the product master data will remain available across the entire product lifetime, i.e. design, procurement, assembly, operation, change/decommission and re-use/re-cycle. The use of a globally unique identification key for a construction product ensures that the product related (master) data are accessible from a common database to all stakeholders within the value chain. Based on globally unique GS1 identification keys for trade items, the related product master data will be made available in an open access database and will help quantify the huge potential in terms of machine-readability (‘automation’), transparency (‘efficiency’) and interoperability (‘one common language’). Who are the existing persons/companies in your team and what is their role?· Uwe Rüdel, GS1 Switzerland, is currently in the process of identifying suitable partners for this project. Potential partners are buildup, Rigips, HGC, Lignum, Madaster and Holcim. How does your challenge have a positive impact on the planet (e.g., material reduction, CO2 emission reduction)?​· The sharing of product data in a common database between all stakeholders throughout the construction value chain ensures that information about valuable substances (i.e. rare-earth metals), assembly/disassembly instructions or the energy content from polluting sources (‘grey’) remains available until the end of the product’s lifetime. This ensures that based on actual data, the product can then prepared for a second lifecycle, in the form of re-use, re-condition, repair, re-furbish, repurpose, re-manufacture or re-cycle. Has your idea been tested before?· The concept has been created and optimised for the global Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry since 1974 and has since been adopted by the health industry. In the Swiss construction industry, however, the use of a globally unique identification key in conjunction with a common data platform is not common yet. In contrast to this, in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland), the use of the GTIN is mandatory when public buildings are to be erected. What are you planning on working on throughout the booster (e.g., developing the business model, building an initial prototype, material for prototyping etc.)? What will you deliver at the end of the booster?Aim of the project:To demonstrate for selected Sectors within the construction industry (e.g. concrete, wood, HVAC), the benefits of machine-readable exchange of product information ('interoperability') between all actors within the Construction value chain ('transparency') across the entire product and building lifecycle ('sustainability').The following objectives are planned:1) Identify suitable stakeholders based on:o position within the supply chain (manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, ….)o type of construction product (e.g. concrete, wood, HVAC)o experience and maturity level in terms of data handling and managemento willingness to share findings2) Preliminary discussions with project partners on roles, responsibilities, risks and opportunities; What are the expectations of the stakeholders? Which technical set-up is necessary?3) Describe today’s product data exchange based on stakeholder’s experience.4) Develop a project plan for each stakeholder.5) Implement a pilot project with adequate IT infrastructure, e.g. through a commercially available database6) Assess the data quality and the benefits of the data exchange Deliverable:· A data exchange platform that allows the machine-readable exchange of product data to all interested stakeholders in the construction supply chain. Product data may contain product master data but also event data such as when was a product assembly and by who? What are you expecting from the booster (e.g., looking for specific partners, expert support etc.)?· It is expected that this pilot project demonstrates the quantitative and qualitative advantages of open and machine-readable standards for the exchange of product data to all stakeholders in the value chain. · This pilot project could also be regarded as a pre-study to the concept of a building passport. Here, all activities from cradle-to-grave are captured in a log-book like data environment, which may later serve as a snap-shot of when? was which product? being assembled to the property of interest?

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Pilot Project for a machine-readable data exchange of Construction Products
• Date: 11/9/2021 3:08:38 PM
• Administrators:
  • Uwe Rüdel

Project Idea Description

What problem would you like to solve?​

· One of the key problems in the supply chains of the construction industry is the fact that data are collected and managed in many different data silos which makes it difficult, to share data, to build up knowledge out of data or to automate processes. When considering the entire supply chain, the Stock Keeping Unit Code (SKUC) of a product often changes when the product changes hand from one stakeholder to the next. This is often related to the fact that a stakeholder assigns its own material number or its own internal name in the ERP-system. This could lead to a situation where one product from company A could have the same SKUC as another product from company B – this ambiguity makes the traceability of a product and the associated data impossible. This could be further complicated by the fact that the related product master data exist in different versions and are stored in different databases.

Who are the customers and how will they benefit from your solution?​

· The customers are all stakeholders in the supply chain, i.e. raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and end customers. Additional benefits will be created by the fact that the product master data will remain available across the entire product lifetime, i.e. design, procurement, assembly, operation, change/decommission and re-use/re-cycle. The use of a globally unique identification key for a construction product ensures that the product related (master) data are accessible from a common database to all stakeholders within the value chain. Based on globally unique GS1 identification keys for trade items, the related product master data will be made available in an open access database and will help quantify the huge potential in terms of machine-readability (‘automation’), transparency (‘efficiency’) and interoperability (‘one common language’).

Who are the existing persons/companies in your team and what is their role?

· Uwe Rüdel, GS1 Switzerland, is currently in the process of identifying suitable partners for this project. Potential partners are buildup, Rigips, HGC, Lignum, Madaster and Holcim.

How does your challenge have a positive impact on the planet (e.g., material reduction, CO2 emission reduction)?​

· The sharing of product data in a common database between all stakeholders throughout the construction value chain ensures that information about valuable substances (i.e. rare-earth metals), assembly/disassembly instructions or the energy content from polluting sources (‘grey’) remains available until the end of the product’s lifetime. This ensures that based on actual data, the product can then prepared for a second lifecycle, in the form of re-use, re-condition, repair, re-furbish, repurpose, re-manufacture or re-cycle.

Has your idea been tested before?

· The concept has been created and optimised for the global Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry since 1974 and has since been adopted by the health industry. In the Swiss construction industry, however, the use of a globally unique identification key in conjunction with a common data platform is not common yet. In contrast to this, in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland), the use of the GTIN is mandatory when public buildings are to be erected.

What are you planning on working on throughout the booster (e.g., developing the business model, building an initial prototype, material for prototyping etc.)? What will you deliver at the end of the booster?

Aim of the project:

To demonstrate for selected Sectors within the construction industry (e.g. concrete, wood, HVAC), the benefits of machine-readable exchange of product information ('interoperability') between all actors within the Construction value chain ('transparency') across the entire product and building lifecycle ('sustainability').

The following objectives are planned:

1) Identify suitable stakeholders based on:

o position within the supply chain (manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, ….)

o type of construction product (e.g. concrete, wood, HVAC)

o experience and maturity level in terms of data handling and management

o willingness to share findings

2) Preliminary discussions with project partners on roles, responsibilities, risks and opportunities; What are the expectations of the stakeholders? Which technical set-up is necessary?

3) Describe today’s product data exchange based on stakeholder’s experience.

4) Develop a project plan for each stakeholder.

5) Implement a pilot project with adequate IT infrastructure, e.g. through a commercially available database

6) Assess the data quality and the benefits of the data exchange

Deliverable:

· A data exchange platform that allows the machine-readable exchange of product data to all interested stakeholders in the construction supply chain. Product data may contain product master data but also event data such as when was a product assembly and by who?

What are you expecting from the booster (e.g., looking for specific partners, expert support etc.)?

· It is expected that this pilot project demonstrates the quantitative and qualitative advantages of open and machine-readable standards for the exchange of product data to all stakeholders in the value chain.

· This pilot project could also be regarded as a pre-study to the concept of a building passport. Here, all activities from cradle-to-grave are captured in a log-book like data environment, which may later serve as a snap-shot of when? was which product? being assembled to the property of interest?

GS1 Switzerland is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation (CH: 'Verein') that develops and maintains global standards for business communication.

The purpose of this Pilot Project is to demonstrate

/ for selected Sectors within the construction industry (e.g. Concrete, Wood),

/ the machine-readable exchange of product information ('interoperability')

/ between all actors within the Construction value chain ('transparency')

/ across the entire product and building lifecycle ('sustainability').