BIM visionary Andreas Bauer (Pro Engineers) in an interview: „One‘s own imagination is the limit“

In an interview, Andreas Bauer, General Manager of Pro Engineers AG, provides insights into the world of BIM-based optimization solutions for the construction industry and the visionary mind-set, being behind it.

BFT International: Mr. Bauer, as a specialist in digital efficiency, you are developing tailor-made software solutions for the AEC industry with your company Pro Engineers in Switzerland. A question at the outset: How does one become an expert on efficiency, in fact?

Andreas Bauer: During my studies in construction engineering, we had already been working with various CAD software a lot. At that time, I have often asked myself, why certain works are not been automated or been shortened otherwise. Basically, this already gave rise to the idea of Pro Engineers – for reason of self-protection, so to speak.

BFT International: What does Pro Engineers do exactly?

Andreas Bauer: We develop individual plug-ins and add-ons for CAD programs, which make operating processes more efficient. In the first place, it is about optimization. The majority of our tools is ranging in the field of building information modeling. At the same time, we extend the possibilities of BIM with each new solution.

BFT International: Which processes are optimized by your support – and above all: how? Can you give us a few examples?

Andreas Bauer: Our solutions are always customer-specific and therefore they differ accordingly. For a leading Swiss precast concrete producer, for example, we have already developed several plug-ins, undertaking different tasks respectively. One of our first tools for this company allows, for instance, reducing the entire detailed planning for the retaining wall elements of a complete station platform to two lines, representing the slope of the track bed. Subsequently, it is even possible to transfer the data for the individual precast concrete elements directly from the CAD program to the production by means of an ordering system created by us. Another tool automates planning of sewer manholes to such an extent that the planning period is shortened to just 6 minutes from originally one workday and the throughput time in the factory is reduced by 80 %.

For an industry hall constructor, we have programmed a configurating tool that breaks down hall planning to the entry of a few basic parameters and the selection of the building components. These are just a few examples from the field of automation. Besides, we are building bridges, so to speak, where none have been before. An example for this is a kind of online-shop function in the CAD program for manufacturer-specific BIM building components. For this purpose, we have integrated the building component library of the manufacturers into the software so that annoying detours via the internet including online search etc. are eliminated. The libraries are automatically updated with their online source in this process.

For another customer, we have made interfaces to ERP systems. In this way, bills of material and order lists can be generated in the CAD program immediately and can be directly transferred into the ERP software from there. The other way round, we have developed a tool taking the characteristics of precast concrete elements from an ERP database or Excel spreadsheet and using them to generate BIM models for each precast component including annotation fully automatically in the CAD system. In this case, the computer gets jobs done within minutes for which a skilled employee would need weeks or months – which brings us back to automation.

BFT International: Do you address your services to companies in the precast construction sector primarily?

Andreas Bauer: Our target group comprises the entire range of planning and design in the construction industry as well as the construction supply industry and building contractors; from architecture to structural design, foundation engineering and geotechnical engineering, building services, etc., wood construction, steel construction, through to detailed planning and directly to production.

BFT International: How do you proceed when developing your special solutions?

Andreas Bauer: In the meantime, clients often contact us with a specific idea, which we have already implemented similarly at another company. Then, we more or less draw upon our existing portfolio. But frequently new or existing clients simply want to increase the efficiency of their processes in general. Then we have a look at which points we can start. Which software programs are used in which way? How is the current workflow running? Which processes can possibly be automated and, if so, how? Where could additional interfaces or program integrations be worthwhile? In doing so, we time and again find something that nobody else – us included – has done before. This visionary developing is fascinating me particularly. We often come up with ideas for new solutions while we are already about to program another solution. It is really a highly creative work, what I appreciate very much.

BFT International: Speaking of visions: For some time now, you also develop solutions in the field of VR, AR and MR. What may clients expect from Pro Engineers in this respect?

Andreas Bauer: In this regard, we are working in a customer-specific way, too. This can be an AR or MR application in building construction, for example, starting with a QR code at the construction site and suddenly you have the model in front of you on the mobile phone. In civil engineering, e.g., the visualization of road pipelines from public data would be of interest. Imagine, you want to renew a road section and by means of mixed reality you can virtually look into the street and know where the excavator may dredge and where not. These would be just two of many ideas. Often such applications are a by-product from the development. It depends on our customers which solutions we realize in the end. Our motto is: One’s own imagination is the limit.

BFT International: What gives you the self-confidence to break new ground again and again?

Andreas Bauer: In the end, it is all BIM, and that should not be anything else as industry 4.0. This is an area we know very well, which we have learnt from the automobile industry. Basically, we dare to do everything here – and that what we dare to do, we normally realize as well.

BFT International: Mr. Bauer, many thanks for the interview!