Transforming Digitally To Excel Globally

The construction industry, often overlooked in this fast-paced world, stands as a silent giant, shaping the very foundation of our global economy and society. Its impact extends far beyond bricks and mortar, influencing everything from economic growth and employment to innovation and sustainability.

But the construction industry is not merely an economic engine; it is a hotbed of innovation. New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics are transforming the way the industry designs and builds. This shift is fueled by several factors, according to the 2024 State of Digital Adoption in Construction Report by Deloitte and Autodesk, including the need to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet the growing demand for sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Despite its potential, AI and data analytics adoption in the construction industry is often fragmented and reactive, driven by isolated initiatives or regulatory compliance rather than strategic integration.

According to McKinsey, fragmentation, low IT spend (relative to other industries), and entrenched analog ways of working are some of the challenges to the digitalization of the construction industry today.

The GET Mission

Recognizing this industry-wide challenge, Gamuda has distinguished itself as a pioneer, fostering an “innovation first” philosophy. The company has consistently championed technology as a cornerstone of its operations, emphasizing the importance of holistic integration throughout the organization.

Gamuda’s relentless pursuit of innovation has propelled the company to develop groundbreaking technologies, such as the world’s first autonomous tunnel boring machine (TBM), Gamuda Digital Operating System (GDOS), as well as its next-generation digital Industrialized Building System.

From highways and underground tunnels to mass rapid transit railways and data centers, Gamuda consistently prioritizes digitalization and data analytics in its solutions.

Driving its digitalization ambitions is the Gamuda Excellence Transformation (GET) program. Launched in 2021, the GET program is a digital transformation initiative aimed at elevating digital excellence through the deployment of technology across the group.

GET brings together previously dispersed innovation teams into a cohesive and specialized unit. By focusing on key themes such as AI, data, Building Information Modeling, augmented reality, software development and tunneling, GET fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, driving long-term technological strategies for the group.

“In the past, many of our grassroots teams were innovating in silos. The GET program created structure and institutionalized the importance of systemic innovation within the group. GET consolidates talent, data and systems, and disseminates best practices throughout the group,” says John Lim Ji Xiong, Group Chief Digital Officer of Gamuda Berhad.

GET’s innovations have generated substantial benefits for the group, primarily by securing order book wins. Notably, the award-winning autonomous TBM has served as a technological advantage, accelerating the group’s expansion into new markets like Singapore and Australia.

Furthermore, digital systems have significantly contributed to construction excellence and margin protection. A prime example is the RM2 billion (US$424 million) water supply plant project in Rasau, Selangor, where the implementation of GDOS resulted in the early identification of over 2,600 design issues. This translated into RM26 million (US$5.5 million) in savings and the efficient processing of over 16,000 forms, leading to a 91% reduction in time consumption.

The GET program has also proven instrumental in retaining Gamuda’s top talent by offering alternative career paths, particularly for those with a passion for technology.

Partnerships, The Key

Driving Gamuda’s digitalization efforts are two pivotal partnerships: construction software leader Autodesk, providing its collaborative construction platform, and Google, contributing its AI and cloud computing expertise.

Gamuda utilizes Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) as a key part of GDOS, which drives the collaboration and data collection from projects. ACC unites teams across design, health and safety, contracts/commercial and project delivery onto a single technology platform. Through Autodesk Platform Services (formerly Forge) APIs, Gamuda continues to integrate and enhance the value of the platform through its in-house tools.

As recognition for Gamuda’s global innovativeness, the company is a member of Autodesk’s Construction Executive Council (CXC), an exclusive group of forward-thinking companies in the built environment that guides product development through interaction with Autodesk’s top leadership. Lim was also awarded Autodesk Construction Champion 2023.

“Gamuda is a valued member of the Autodesk Construction Executive Council, helping the industry innovate with collaborative product development and learning. Digital technologies are addressing the major challenges facing the construction industry by lowering costs, improving efficiency and driving growth. Gamuda is helping to be a part of the solution says Jeff Larrick, Senior Director of Asia-Pacific and Japan Sales at Autodesk.

Gamuda has strategically chosen Google Cloud as its preferred Cloud partner for its diverse workloads. This robust foundation supports the GDOS, a unified enterprise data platform that consolidates project data from across the entire organization.

Furthermore, Gamuda leverages Gemini Pro, Google’s powerful foundational model, to empower BotUnify. This innovative in-house marketplace provides generative AI bots trained on Gamuda’s proprietary enterprise data. Users can further personalize these bots by incorporating their own documents, ensuring that the AI assistants are finely tuned to their specific needs within a secure and isolated environment.

Gamuda recently launched the Gamuda AI Academy, a pioneering initiative to address the growing demand for AI skills in the workforce. Leveraging the power of Google Cloud to build and deploy solutions quickly and Gamuda’s innovative use cases, the Academy offers comprehensive training in full-stack AI.

“We are fully sponsoring digital and AI upskilling pathways for students, aiming to forge a new generation of skilled professionals and AI innovators. The three-month immersive, project-based learning will equip participants with the relevant skills that are highly valued in the tech industry,” Lim says. This initiative aligns with the national digital transformation roadmap and reinforces Gamuda’s position as a digital adoption and innovation leader.

“AI is becoming a way of life, even in the age-old construction industry,” says Patrick Wee, Country Manager, Malaysia, Google Cloud. “Gamuda exemplifies how embracing digitalization and generative AI at scale can transform traditional paradigms, merging diverse data streams to solve real-world challenges while saving time and costs. The company is setting a powerful example for enterprises seeking rapid innovation by modernizing its infrastructure, data analytics, security and AI convergence.”

The Future Is Bright

The construction industry is going through a major inflection point but Gamuda believes the best is yet to come. The company is already ahead of the digitalization curve, thanks to the establishment of its GET program.

“With increased proliferation of AI and advance data analytics, the company is demonstrating how the industry can experience the same evolution the automotive industry is going through with electric vehicles, becoming more software- and data-driven. As Gamuda faces this future, we are confident that we can face any challenges that come our way. The sky is the limit as to what we can achieve in the coming years,” says Lim.

This article originally appeared in Forbes.