Tag: Building Information Modeling

Digitalization in the real estate industry: progress with headwinds

The industry’s digital maturity level has fallen slightly in 2025. This is shown by the Digital Real Estate Index 2025: on a scale of 1 to 10, the level of digitalization in the real estate industry currently stands at 4.0 points, a decline compared to the previous year (2024: 4.6 points). There are many reasons for this. Increasing complexity, insufficient data quality, cost pressure. This development affects almost all company sizes and roles, but to varying degrees.

The digital divide is deepening
The digital divide is particularly evident when it comes to company size. Although the decline affects all categories, small companies in particular are struggling the most with the cost and financing of digitalization. Medium-sized and large companies are able to maintain their lead to some extent.

Changing roles
There are major differences between the various roles. Facility management service providers and property managers were even able to slightly increase their digital maturity. The situation is different for planners, construction companies, owners and investors: Here, disillusionment is spreading with regard to digital maturity. In particular, the consistent use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) across the entire life cycle remains a major challenge. In turn, users and tenants are more critical of their digital maturity than in the previous year.

Perceived stagnation instead of a spirit of optimism
The industry’s perception is increasingly in line with the measured values. An increase in critical assessments could already be observed in the previous year. This trend is even more pronounced this year. The majority of respondents speak of stagnation rather than major progress.

Technologies: Benefits recognized, limited use
Artificial intelligence has found its place in the industry’s consciousness. In the ranking of the most useful digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning occupies third place. Given the rapid development and increasing presence of AI in the form of Large Language Models (LLM), this is hardly surprising. However, actual use is lagging behind: not even a fifth of respondents are already using the technology. The situation is similar for data analytics. The industry also sees great benefits in this area and is making efforts to increase its use, but the potential has still not been exhausted. Platforms and portals remain the frontrunners among the technologies.

Conclusion: Maturity also means reflection
The current decline in digital maturity does not mark a step backwards, but rather a phase of classification. This is because the real estate industry has recognized that digital maturity does not come from buying tools, but from their measurable benefits. An initial digitalization push is followed by disillusionment, triggered by high integration costs, a lack of standards and inadequate data strategies. At the same time, companies’ understanding of their own level of maturity has grown.

As a result, the view has become more critical, but also clearer. There is a growing realization that many digital initiatives fail because they are implemented as pure IT projects and too little attention is paid to organizational and human factors. Without clear governance, appropriate competencies and the consistent involvement of employees, the added value remains limited.

A more realistic attitude opens up the opportunity to make future steps more targeted, more effective and more successful in the long term. Real progress is made when digital transformation is no longer seen as a project with an end date, but is recognized as a permanent management task.

March 2026
BIM2SAP: Why a door is not just a door

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has established itself over the last few years as an effective method for the planning, execution and management of construction projects. With the understanding of model-based collaboration, the connections and links to other systems are increasingly expanding. This is because experience with BIM has in the meantime shown many property owners that the need for correct, up-to-date and easily accessible data by no means ends with the completion of a building.

“On the contrary,” says Patrick Pick, Head of Service Unit BIM/LCDM at pom+. “The handling of data only becomes really demanding during operation. That is, when I want to use it for specific applications within the framework of efficient property management.” Here, the flawless transfer of data from the BIM model into the operational and property management systems is of particular relevance, says the trained architect and project manager.

Optimising building management
It is not uncommon for BIM to come up against a comprehensive, complex system architecture – such as SAP. The ERP software is used by many companies as a universal tool to link systems, applications and products and thus connect different business sectors and processes. This is particularly exciting for companies that own and manage their own buildings. Even if real estate is often not part of the core business, as is the case with a hospital or airport, for example, it is essential for the security and success of a company, such as pension funds or banks. For this reason, it is no longer just real estate specialists in facility, property and asset management who have been making their claim to data from real estate management for a long time, but also the finance, controlling, sustainability or IT departments.

SAP has developed a special real estate module – SAP RE-FX – for this purpose. It stands for ‘Flexible Real Estate Management’ and enables a holistic view of the building from different perspectives: “On the one hand, information on the structure of the building, such as office or floor space, is displayed in the architectural view. On the other hand, the usage view contains information on typical business cases in the area of leasing, such as rental agreements, conditions and contractual partners,” explains Stefan Pallier, Consultant Facility & Project Management at Novo. This enables SAP RE-FX to seamlessly integrate the real estate data into the SAP core and to link different SAP modules.

Reduction to the essentials
Against this background, the combination of BIM and SAP provides considerable added value. This is because a data-driven planning method meets an application for information management in building operations. BIM thus generates the data, while SAP provides a platform for its use and maintenance. For this, it is crucial that the data can be transferred from project planning to operation with as little loss as possible. “The fragmentation of the processes usually turns out to be the biggest challenge. Project management is not based on object management. Instead, the planning and construction phases are treated as separate units,” says Patrick Pick.

This makes the integration of BIM and SAP complex. It requires a correspondingly careful, expert transfer, transformation and structuring of the data from the BIM model in the target system. Patrick Pick likes to refer to this as ‘data-to-target’. In this approach, the data from the BIM model is analysed and reduced to the necessary information that is relevant for the SAP system. This process involves identifying the relevant data requirements, mapping this data to the appropriate fields and structures in SAP, and converting and transferring the data to the SAP system.

Stefan Pallier adds with an example: “In the BIM model, 120 attributes must be defined so that a single door is ordered correctly. In building operation, however, we are only interested in a part of it – for example, whether it is a revolving door, sliding door, fire door or escape route doors. So we need certain information about it in SAP, for example about the locking mechanism, smoke protection or the legal maintenance standard.”

If the relevant attributes are integrated correctly in SAP, this makes technically and commercially efficient property management possible. Before the actual data mapping, the necessary interfaces must be prepared and the responsibilities for individual data records clearly defined.

July 2023
BIM data help with raw material shortages and material shortages

With the increasing degree of digitization, the chances of the construction industry anchoring their solutions in the plans of the architects and thus being advertised as a lead product more often increase. In addition, information about availability and delivery times can be added more easily. However, according to BIM expert Matthias Uhl, the degree of digitization in the construction industry is still lagging behind other sectors, depending on the size of the company. “BIM represents one of the greatest opportunities of the last decades. From the design to the operation of the building, processes and steps can be mapped more efficiently, cheaply and transparently. But building material manufacturers now have to digitally prepare and provide their data for this,” states Uhl, who has developed a BIM solution for manufacturers with BIM & More Orchestra. He gives three reasons why manufacturers now have to prepare their product portfolio digitally and provide planners and architects with BIM data.

Firstly, the construction and real estate industries are already digital
The degree of digitization of the large construction and real estate companies in Germany has reached a significant level in the past two years. The big players in the industry such as Drees & Sommer, Goldbeck or ZECH together make up a large proportion of the total planning volume. They have now become so digitized that they are increasingly dependent on digital products. “Out of necessity, they fall back on the products that are available in the leading planning programs with the appropriate level of detail,” explains Uhl. Building material manufacturers must realize that they only exist in the digital cosmos if they are digitally visible. Especially in view of the delivery and material bottlenecks, digital visibility is more important than ever for planners to check prices and availability beyond technical specifications.

Second: All future trends have a digital component
Construction methods and trends are increasingly developing out of digitalization. Uhl: “Whether modular construction, sustainability or prefabrication: all relevant ideas have a digital component. Without digitization in planning and implementation, it doesn’t work at all.” This also suggests that manufacturers now have to deliver their data digitally if they want to participate in the megatrends or want to shape them. With the amount of data, the possible combinations increase for planners and offices, with which not only new structural solutions can be found. In addition, alternatives become visible in the event of other unavailabilities.
“Let’s take a look at the sustainability megatrend using the example of the Building Circularity Passport in the coalition agreement,” says Uhl, giving another example from climate protection. With the Building Circularity Passport, the federal government has anchored the topic of circular economy as a mandatory element for the future in the coalition agreement. Only access to transparent product information allows consideration of recyclability. The circular economy does not work without information on the material composition, manufacturing method, service life, repairability and recycling options of the products. “Product information forms the basis for a transition to a circular economy,” says Uhl. There are no laws yet, but they will come soon. The first municipalities in Germany want to introduce the Building Circularity Passport for their new buildings, regardless of the legislation. Any new school, kindergarten or office building will require products whose recyclability has been assessed, calculated and certified.

Third: the complexity of the planning processes is increasing and with it the need for data
Another reason for the provision of BIM data: The requirements for planning processes and thus for planners in terms of verification and calculations are becoming more and more complex. Planners and architects are therefore increasingly open to support from industry. “While today evidence of circular economy plays an increasingly important role, it used to be physical building requirements such as energy consumption, for example in the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV), in passive house calculations or energy-plus house concepts. These topics require a new level of data volume and information quality on the part of the planner,” explains Uhl. This need would continue to grow. This circumstance also requires the industry to make data available digitally now. “Product information from the industry has never been more popular than it is today. It has never been easier for manufacturers to gain acceptance from planners,” sums up the BIM data expert.

June 2022
Implenia wins the German Construction Prize

Implenia has been voted one of the best and most innovative construction companies in Germany at the German Construction Prize 2022 , the Opfikon-based construction and real estate company said in a press release . The company prevailed over 170 competitors in the category for companies with more than 500 employees and took second place behind Zech Bau . The podium was completed by Wolff & Müller .

“We are very proud to be among the top three in the German Construction Prize 2022 and to be one of the best major construction and real estate service providers in Germany,” Matthias Jacob, Country President Germany at Implenia, said in the statement. “This confirms our claim to set ourselves apart from the competition with our skills in the management of large, complex real estate and infrastructure projects and a clear focus on sustainability.”

The winners of the construction prize were determined by a jury in an extensive three-stage process. This year’s competition took place for the first time under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building , according to the statement.

The award ceremony took place on May 31 at the digitalBAU 2022 trade fair in Cologne. A young talent prize for innovative digital solutions in the construction industry was also awarded at the trade fair, Implenia reports. He was won from Implenia by a young specialist in Building Information Modeling (BIM).

June 2022
Implenia receives five building construction contracts in Germany

For Implenia ‘s Buildings Division, the new year begins with an attractive building construction contract worth CHF 227 million in Germany. According to a press release , the Opfikon-based construction and real estate specialist has been awarded the contract to build several sustainable residential and commercial buildings in five German cities.

According to the announcement, Implenia’s Buildings Division is constructing two residential and commercial buildings in Kiel , a high -rise apartment building for the Franklin site in Mannheim, which according to the announcement is “currently the largest site development project in Germany”, and the partially modular construction of a new rehabilitation center in Mosbach am Neckar Residential district in Neunkirchen am Brand and a school center in Delitzsch near Leipzig.

The model-based and software-supported working method Building Information Modeling (BIM) is to be used in the planning and execution of the new construction projects. Lean construction should guarantee the coordination of all processes and trades during the construction phase.

February 2022
"We anticipate a trend towards urban living"

To person
Stephan Attiger (FDP) has headed the Construction, Transport and Environment Department of the Canton of Aargau since 2013. At the national level, the 54-year-old represents the concerns of the canton as President of the Conference of Construction and Environment Directors (BPUK) and as a board member of the Conference of Energy Directors (ENDK). Born in Baden, he worked for a long time in the management of various Swiss companies before moving into politics. Among other things, he was Mayor of the City of Baden from 2006 to 2013 and Grand Councilor of the Canton of Aargau from 2009 to 2013.
You are in charge of the Construction, Transport and Environment Department of the Canton of Aargau. How do you have to imagine a typical working day for you?
In the last few months, my working days have been rather untypical due to covid: I was often in the home office, physical meetings were rare, and official events hardly took place at all. But not every day is the same, and the process depends heavily on the schedule. Basically, early in the morning I discuss the short-term issues and what is to come in the medium and long term with my closest employees. This is followed by meetings at various levels: government council, department, departments, bilateral discussions and meetings with external parties. In between I study files.
What milestones have you reached in terms of construction so far?
On the one hand, there are numerous larger and smaller buildings that I was allowed to inaugurate – not only in road construction, but also in the environmental sector, such as flood protection and renaturation projects. The latter also have a direct and positive effect on the residential and location attractiveness. In addition, we have created important foundations for the planning and subsequent implementation of mobility projects. With the last revision of the structure plan and the new cantonal mobility strategy mobilitätAARGAU, we want to coordinate settlement and traffic development. It therefore sets specific spatial accents and differentiated goals per room type for the individual means of transport. This in turn affects civil engineering and building construction. As a canton, we also act as a role model.
In what way?
For example, we are promoting more biodiversity and quality of stay in the outdoor spaces of our properties. We are looking for good solutions for how biodiversity issues can be taken into account in new buildings and in the maintenance of existing properties. Climate adaptation measures on buildings and in their surroundings make a contribution to achieving our climate policy goals. Another good example is the new building for the Office for Consumer Protection, in which we want to use wood from the Aargau forests as a sustainable building material.
What are currently the most important construction projects in building construction?
A major project currently underway in the area of cantonal real estate is the new construction of the police building in Telliquartier in Aarau. The units of the cantonal police, which are distributed across numerous locations, are to be brought together here. The building permit is already available. At the end of March, the canton also started the consultation process for the new location of a canton school in Fricktal. The hearings on the aforementioned new building for the Office for Consumer Protection and the project to merge the Aargau IT department into one building in Unterentfelden were concluded. All construction measures are implemented according to the principle of sustainability. During planning, special attention is paid to the gray energy bound in the building, and the time for new user requirements is coordinated with the time of repair.
Aargau has a large number of development areas that could offer space for additional residents. What are the plans here?
The cantonal structure plan designates 21 residential areas with areas that are predestined for high-quality settlement development. These should make a significant contribution to absorbing the expected population growth over the next 10 to 20 years in suitable, easily accessible locations. The areas should not only support the economical use of the soil with an appropriate density, but also become high-quality and attractive residential locations in the interests of sustainable development. This is the task of the municipalities, which determine the appropriate framework conditions and requirements in the land use planning. The canton supports them in this.
Area developments often stumble over traffic problems. Are you actively helping to find a solution?
It is effectively the case that high demands are placed on traffic planning, especially when it comes to site developments. This is because there are many unknowns about future claims. Here, traffic planning must provide a flexible framework in order to be able to react to the various requirements of investors. As far as the canton is concerned, it takes an active part or sets the framework conditions at the interfaces.
The project to extend the Limmattalbahn from Killwangen-Spreitenbach to Baden is currently making waves. What are your arguments to try to change your mind against the opponents of extra time?
The reporting in the media unfortunately gives a distorted picture of the general level of acceptance for this project. In the public hearing, the regional planning associations and all municipalities in the perimeter of the new tram route as well as most associations of the Limmattalbahn approved. The specifically proposed lines also received broad approval. We take the public's reservations that emerged from the hearing very seriously. For example, we have added additional variants for the lines. We will examine these and other objected points in more detail until they are determined in the structure plan and weigh them against the other cantonal interests and with the reservations mentioned.
Urban sprawl is also a problem in Aargau. Did the municipalities make mistakes in spatial development?
It is important to look to the future. In today's inventory, the potential that can be better used for sustainable development should be recognized. The revision of the Spatial Planning Act of 2013 has shown that the development needs of the next 20 years can be covered with the internal development of the settlement, i.e. the use of the existing reserves. We take the containment of urban sprawl very seriously. The 2015 structure plan finally defines the settlement area. The consumption of crop rotation areas has already fallen sharply.
How well or badly does the cross-community cooperation in spatial development work?
The regional planning associations play an important role in this cooperation. You also have to coordinate the municipal land use planning regionally in accordance with the building law. The coordination along the municipal boundaries works.
What does an optimal use of land resources look like for you?
The economical use of the soil is a central concern. Building upwards cannot, however, be unrestricted. The quality of the settlement and the townscape must always be taken into account. And in the case of underground structures, care must be taken to ensure that there is enough space left where large trees can be planted and water can seep away. This is crucial for avoiding heat islands in the settlement area and for the groundwater. Climate change poses great challenges for us. Optimal use of soil as a resource, sustainable settlement development and high-quality residential and workplace areas are not mutually exclusive.
The canton of Aargau is already well positioned when it comes to digitization. What are the future plans in the construction sector?
The digitization of construction projects with Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a big topic for us. We are currently working on around 20 BIM pilot projects. At the beginning of the year, the first master builder submission was put out to tender as part of a pilot project in the invitation process. Our goal is for BIM to be used as standard for project management in all new projects in the civil engineering department from 2025. Astra and SBB have the same “timetable”.
Pandemics have had an impact on urban planning before. Will Corona present urban planners with new challenges in the future?
Our villages and small towns are ideally suited for walking and cycling as places with short distances. This is a very good starting position, even in times of pandemic. In more and more places there is the possibility to work in co-working spaces. In this way, long travel times can be avoided, even if there is little space for home office. Attractive public spaces and easily accessible recreational opportunities are important. These are in great demand, and not just since Corona. I do not believe that this pandemic will completely turn city planning upside down.
According to an analysis by Wüest & Partner, the canton of Aargau has the highest potential for new living space and development areas alongside Geneva, Vaud and Zurich. What will have changed in Aargau in 10 years?
According to our forecast, we will get more attractive living space, especially in easily accessible locations, near train stations, in the centers of our villages and cities. Existing buildings are being converted, some of them are being built. We anticipate a trend towards urban living, not least because of the demographic development. More older people are drawn to central locations where they can benefit from services, short distances and cultural offerings. But living in the country will also remain attractive. Many of the around 100,000 single-family houses in Aargau are being renovated and brought up to date in terms of energy or even replaced by new buildings.

July 2021
All industry participants must be ready for change

What exactly is Building Information Modeling?
Literally translated, BIM means building information modeling – that's a pretty good idea. With BIM, one is able to determine and further use the data necessary for operation in addition to the digital planning and execution of projects. You work with three-dimensional models that are nothing more than visually represented databases. That sounds complicated now, but it's not at all, it's just a new way of working. We used to have two-dimensional plans, now we have three-dimensional digital building models. It is important that everyone involved can access the same data, in new German: Single Source of Truth. You can therefore be sure that the data stored in databases is not only up-to-date, but also correct and of course relevant for further processing. This is where the greatest benefit lies.
Why did the SBB decide to use BIM for construction projects?
We see clear potential here in data processing and in the entire value creation process. The SBB anticipate a sustained reduction in capital-bound expenses for planning, realizing and managing real estate. Of course, this also applies to the entire railway infrastructure owned by SBB.
We can also work very strongly towards reducing CO2, as we can, for example, use the data to simulate how operations will develop over the next 20, 25 and more years. You can also compare projects with each other and thus learn from other projects. This is how we create transparency over the entire life cycle.
How is BIM actually used in the construction of the Letziturm project?
The Letziturm was one of the first building construction projects by SBB Immobilien to be implemented using BIM-supported methods and working methods. It is also a learning project for the management phase. The planning and implementation of such a project will be completed in ten years, but we will manage the building at least four times longer. For example, we will use the knowledge gained from the Letziturm to carry out material samples. We are in the process of implementing plan approvals via the collaboration platforms. We have learned a lot about what we can use to optimize planning and implementation – and we see this as an important first step.

"You can no longer do it alone as a client."
What is your current summary of the use of BIM?
We recognized the potential of BIM for SBB at an early stage and actively promoted development with the BIM @ SBB group program that was set up for this purpose. We have already made important progress in this way. The BIM @ SBB program is based on four pillars that are mutually dependent: development, testing, standardization and the specific take-away of the industry. We share all of our knowledge and experience with our partners at events and receive inputs from the market that we specifically incorporate into the development. We involve our community. It is no longer possible to work alone as a client, it takes a strong, mutual cooperation. This is also reflected in the skills of the employees. We feel that the employees are very interested, they want to learn from one another together. It's incredibly exciting and instructive for everyone involved
What are the advantages?
Of course, a now data-driven implementation changes the way in which we work with our partners and develop the projects in close cooperation. In fact, projects are processed faster and more securely if everyone involved is also involved. The already mentioned “Single Source of Truth” is another advantage. The system data is stored in a structured manner, can be found quickly and is always up-to-date. Lengthy searches and verification of the data are largely eliminated. Communication is more targeted than before and is benefit-oriented. Project teams can find solutions much faster, can view problems and pending issues directly on the three-dimensional model and work out variants and alternatives together. That helps for mutual understanding.
Are there any disadvantages?
BIM is often only associated with the technology aspect. Of course, it's nice to hover over the construction site in a Hololens. But if the underlying data is not correct, the most modern technology is of no use. Data has to be correct, a new way of working with precision is required. There are only two states of data: correct or not. Not everyone in the value chain is ready to use new technologies and methods. Everyone in the industry must be ready to change and do their part to make it happen.
What could be the reasons that BIM has not yet caught on in Switzerland?
Many associate BIM with the use of the latest software or the latest database technology. Often this is necessary, but not yet sufficient. To be successful, our way of thinking and working methods will have to change further. In the BIM environment, we often speak of collaborative project teams that develop solutions together. This process takes time, but the trend makes me positive. It is also up to us public clients to further promote this development and to require the use of BIM when awarding projects, as we did with the Letziturms project.
What are SBB's goals for the use of BIM?
We currently have almost two dozen pilot projects that we provide with the basics and try out a wide variety of methods, technologies and techniques. The knowledge gained from this flows into the development. International principles are also taken into account by means of normalization and standardization. In this way we can ensure that we have our finger on the pulse. This knowledge is given back to the industry in a targeted manner. From 2021, the use of BIM will be mandatory for state-related companies in building construction, according to the federal digital strategy, and from 2025 for the infrastructure, as much more has to be worked out here. That is our stated goal.
SBB BIM project Letziturm:
Between the train stations in Zurich Altstetten and Hardbrücke, a new urban area is developing along the track area due to the restructuring of existing commercial and industrial areas. The Letziturm as a six-storey building base takes up the edge of the listed warehouse in the east. He thus defines a first urban horizon. The two residential towers are based on the building height of Letzibach D. The planned single tower will thus create an ensemble of three tall buildings.
Construction started this year. The 178 residential units, consisting of 1.5 room to 7.5 room apartments, should be ready for occupancy from autumn 2022. The ground floor is characterized by the two main entrances and the two commercial rooms, each of which is oriented towards the future square and towards the SBB workshops. Between them are the ground floors of four larger, two-story studio units that combine work and living and, if desired, connect directly to the public space.
Both the small and the larger residential units are housed in the base building. 2.5 to 4.5 room apartments are planned above the 7th floor, which has a common room

October 2020