Connected Construction Supports Business Growth for Kirby Group Engineering

Founded in 1964, Kirby Group Engineering is a mechanical and electrical engineering contractor supporting clients across mainland Europe in the life sciences, data centres, industrial manufacturing, substations and renewables, and commercial sectors. To optimise their current ways of working, Kirby wanted to harness data to deliver better project outcomes.

15%

Total project hours saved

20K

Hours saved during construction

12.5%

Efficiency gain

Digitalising to Deliver Better Outcomes

Kirby took the lead co-ordinator role in delivering two new data centres for a leading cloud computing provider in Dublin. The project involved incorporating the application of prefabrication and modularisation expertise to the project delivery.

Traditional processes are often lengthy and time-consuming, which impacts effective collaboration with supply chain partners and customers. For Kirby, the team needed to explore software and technology that helped solve common issues in the industry – from increasing reliability by using data better to facilitating greater collaboration across the group and supporting their supply chain partners to deliver better outcomes.

“A number of years ago, we looked at how we could develop our business in a way that would give added value to our clients, support our growth agenda, and ensure that safety and quality are at the heart of everything that we do.”

– Mark Danaher, Technical Services and BIM Manager

Putting the Technology into Practice

For the Dublin data centre project, Danaher introduced BIM 360 within Autodesk Construction Cloud™ to phase out manual and paper-based processes and create a connected and digital way of working.

Introducing BIM 360 from the outset of the project was vital in allowing seamless collaboration across disciplines, companies, and teams. It ensured every collaborator had access to up-to-date project data from drawings and designs to the latest comments on necessary revisions and changes.

Harnessing Technology for Better Insights and a More Connected Construction Process

Introducing a more digital and connected way of working helped the project team improve the quality of their delivery – they reduced the amount of rework they needed to do on site during construction by using BIM 360 for a more connected preconstruction process. The project team saved 4,000 hours that would traditionally be lost to manual workflows and when it came to the snagging process, they reclaimed 1,500 hours equalling a 12.5% efficiency gain per week on the project. Not only does this result in better quality outcomes for Kirby’s client, but it provides the company with a better view of any issues and resolutions related to the project.

“Data allows us to predict more, helping us to be proactive rather than reactive and reduces some of the risks we carry. There’s still a long way to go on this journey but with the help Autodesk, Kirby can continue leading the way as one of the most technology and data-driven construction companies in Europe.”