S6E130: Digital Engineering in Construction, Why It Matters with Mathilde Roubille

<p>In this week’s pod, we welcomed Mathilde Roubille to talk about Digital Engineering in Construction.<br> Mathilde is a consultant with strong experience in embedding digital engineering (including BIM and Information Management) in large infrastructure projects. Coming from a structural engineering background, she leverages her technical experience on major projects (Riyadh Metro and Doha Metro in the Middle East) to enable a deep understanding of program and project delivery in complex environments.<br> She is enthusiastic about making better use of data and information available at program and project levels to deliver better outcomes to the client and enable reliable data-driven decision making.<br> Don't get her started on BIM, Information Management or Digital Engineering otherwise she might never stop talking!&nbsp;The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:</p> <ul> <li>There is no standard definition of digital engineering. Essentially it is trying to leverage information, data and technology to enable better decision making</li> <li>Digital engineers should ideally be linked to PMO or Project Controls in an organisation structure. This allows for better synergies</li> <li>There is not currently a degree / major in digital engineering</li> <li>It is important to understand the concepts of ISO19650 when implementing digital engineering</li> <li>There are close links with change management. This requires a focus on soft skills to help to enable transitions</li> <li>Digital engineering should be a team rather than an individual skillset</li> <li>Many projects are reluctant to implement digital engineering capability due to time constraints</li> <li>The main industry trends are around digital twin, smart cities and sustainability.</li> <li>In order to be successful, there needs to be a greater focus on benefit realization and sustainability – consider the whole project lifecycle</li> <li>There are professional qualifications for BIM which is helping to professionalise the