DUBAI, UAE, 10 February 2022: ALEC, a part of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), appointed Andy Boutle as its Head of Digital Construction. Making the announcement through a Press release, ALEC said that Boutle, in the newly created role, will focus on the digitisation of the entire value chain for projects the firm undertakes, with an emphasis on increasing workflow communication and vertical efficiencies.

Andy Boutle

ALEC pointed out to an analysis by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), which reported investing in technology and innovation as one of the key factors in boosting the construction sector’s productivity by up to 60%. But while digital technologies – including Building Information Modelling (BIM), Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, robotics, drones and cloud software – are heralding a new era of possibilities and efficiencies for the global construction sector, there has generally been a lag in adoption of these technologies in the region, ALEC said.

“While the pandemic has certainly been a catalyst of transformation, there is still a long road ahead for the digitalisation of the sector,” said Kez Taylor, CEO, ALEC. “The benefits, ranging from improving quality and safety to reducing costs and project timelines, and to increasing profits, are abundantly clear. But there remains trepidation in the region, largely due to the steep learning curve and challenges around integration between systems, and deciding what investments will yield maximum positive impact. As a leader in the sector, ALEC has successfully leveraged the latest technologies on several projects and believes it is now time to double down on these digital investments. In doing so, we will inevitability promote technology adoption among our customers and partners, leading to a digital-first mindset across the industry that advances the sector towards greater efficiency, quality and sustainability.”

ALEC said its commitment to innovation is evidenced in the advanced technologies it leverages in its projects, such as the One Za’abeel mixed-used luxury development in Dubai. For this project, the company said it implemented 72 new digital initiatives, including the use of 3D printing, AI-based time and attendance recording, robotic drilling, digital material and asset management and HoloBuilder, a 360-degree imaging software, for creating a comprehensive photographic database of every area on the project. ALEC said that it is advocating the digitalisation of the UAE’s construction sector and that it is looking to ensure such technologies are utilised on an increasing number of developments.

With Boutle on board, ALEC said it has already initiated the process of achieving the BSI Kitemark ISO 19650 certification for information management using BIM. The company said it is also deploying a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that will digitalise its processes to enhance business intelligence through analytics and reporting.

“ALEC’s increasing focus on digital transformation in recent years is making our operations more productive, efficient, sustainable and accurate, whilst reducing risk and resource wastage,” Boutle said. “This translates to an improved level of service and quality of product for our customers. In parallel, our partners are benefitting from the streamlining of collaborative processes made possibly by our expertly integrated systems. We also recognise that the challenges faced by the construction sector as a whole – skills and labour shortages, productivity issues, attitudes towards change, outdated procurement models and more – have the potential to be addressed by industry-wide digital transformation. However, they cannot be solved overnight, or independently, by a single organisation. ALEC is, therefore, committed to collaborating with key industry stakeholders to increase the overall maturity of the market and promote the drive towards interoperability and standardisation, both of which are critical to the transformation of the sector.”

With over 20 years industry experience, Boutle has worked in various engineering and management roles for both consultants and contractors, with a more recent specialisation in BIM, ALEC said. As the former Head of BIM – Construction Division at the Kier Group, Boutle played a leading role in driving positive industry change, while co-authoring several strategies, including “Digital by Default”, the Kier Group’s Digital Vision, ALEC said. Boutle, it added, has also served as the Engagement Co-Lead and Executive Team – UK BIM Alliance, where he helped provide independent leadership and support to the UK’s built-environment for the adoption of BIM across the industry.