Various topics and trends play a role in the construction industry, such as digitalisation and integration, quality and risk management, and collaboration in the supply and value chains. Dirk Pfauder, process manager and assessor in the construction industry, knows better than anyone how important effective process management is in all of this. He has worked on many different projects and talks about his experiences with process management and the Sensus method.

Process standardisation

Dirk talks about his work as a process manager at the large Dutch construction company BAM, where they have synchronised their quality management systems. “At the time they were partnering with about 15 different regional authorities and companies, each with their own print manual. It was very difficult to keep up with this. Using the Sensus method, BAM developed a standard process model they could use to map out 95% of all processes. Each organisation started with this process model and was able to adapt it to their own situation, this way covering the final 5% as well. If someone had points for improvement or if something changed in the laws or company guidelines, this was immediately incorporated in all underlying management systems.”

Integrated process management

Dirk also talks about working with the standard process model. “Linking processes to underlying systems in the basic model – such as DMS and Microsoft Power BI – gives organisations a flying start with the project management system. This makes it accessible and easy to work with, with the effect that people are willing to use it more.” The integration also ensures more standardisation in the working method for different projects. “Everyone works using the same systems and only deviates from this if there is a good reason to do so.” In addition, BAM has incorporated various standards into the basic model, such as ISO 9001, ISO 15288, ISO 15504, VCA and environmental standards. “During an audit, an organisation can quickly retrieve the relevant documentation,” says Dirk.

Support for a process-based way of working

Dirk observes that various organisations are engaged in instilling a quality mindset in their organisation. To create support for this, it is important to involve as many people as possible. “At BAM, they got all the underlying companies involved in setting up the process model. Though people did recognise their own processes, they could also see that each process was almost identical to the process at another company. The Sensus method icons helped to make this clearly visible.” Dirk also explains how important it is that people have easy access to the right information. “If people have to go through three or four different actions to get to the information they need, they simply won’t bother. Sensus offers a solution here too.”

Accountability

Lastly, in the construction industry it is becoming increasingly important to be able to demonstrate what you have done. “At Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat I see that they are exercising more control over, and are more critical of, how you set up your processes. For example, they check whether you monitor your own processes and performance indicators and actually use them. The better organised and integrated a system is, the more confidence they have that the work is going well.” This applies, for example, to quality management, implementation of improvements, non-conformance management, and compliance with various requirements.