In the concrete and mortar industry, the Putzmeister brand is the benchmark. It goes without saying that the pumps and conveyor systems from the global market leader based in Aichtal, Baden-Württemberg, are used on every major construction site – including prestigious projects such as the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel, the Lisbon Metro, and the gigantic Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Putzmeister machines impress with their sophisticated technology, ongoing developments, and high durability. But quality alone is no longer enough to keep customers happy these days. After all, digitalization has not stopped at the construction industry: “Everywhere, there is a growing demand for data that can be used to bring more efficiency to complex construction processes,” explains Rüdiger Felleisen, Global Business Strategist Digitalization & IIoT. “AI services and automation based on real-time data are particularly in high demand due to the shortage of skilled workers.”

In order to meet demand, those responsible for data strategy need to make significant changes. The starting point is a modern cloud platform that centrally consolidates the machine data generated in many locations and makes it available for the respective area of application.

Earning money with machine data

“Basically, the growing demand for data-based insights and services suits us very well,” says Rüdiger Felleisen. “Because let’s be honest – high-quality products always have the disadvantage for manufacturers that they are replaced less often. Our machines sometimes last for decades. At some point, there are natural limits to growth.”

Against this backdrop, digital services serve to raise the company’s profile in relation to its competitors. On the other hand, they can also develop into a tangible revenue factor and enable completely new business models. The key to this is always high-quality data that flows reliably and at high performance to its destination – an issue that Putzmeister had to address first and foremost. “Until now, we have collected our data in many isolated silos and processed it using a very heterogeneous system landscape. So the conditions were not ideal. There was also a lack of a structured approach to the development of specific data products. We had a lot of work ahead of us that we couldn’t do on our own.”

As a result, those responsible sought support from the data experts at Microsoft. Together, the players held the first rounds of consultations. One of Microsoft’s most important partners in Germany, ORAYLIS GmbH from Düsseldorf-Meerbusch, was ultimately recommended for the rest of the project.

Strategic advice on getting started

“ORAYLIS is a real stroke of luck for us,” says Rüdiger Felleisen. “Even during the pitch, I felt that they understood my needs best. We spoke the same language and got along great right away. What’s more, the company is one of the few Microsoft Managed Partners in Germany, which meant we were able to benefit from extensive funding throughout the entire project.”

The official start of the collaboration was marked by a Data Strategy Assessment (DSA). With the overarching vision of a digitally controlled construction site in mind, a suitable technical solution was defined and the next steps were planned. In addition, the participants prioritized initial use cases based on costs and benefits in order to gradually approach the overall objective. From Rüdiger Felleisen’s point of view, the effort was worth it: “I found the DSA perfect in every respect. What we have achieved for this amount of money and in such a short time is remarkable.”

Data platform for real-time processing

The most important change in Putzmeister’s data strategy is that data silos are being broken down and made accessible centrally on a single platform. For future plans, it is particularly important that real-time data from the machines can be processed efficiently. The technological foundation has been built accordingly: “At Putzmeister, we rely on a special combination of Databricks and proven Azure services,” explains Benjamin Laerbusch, technical project manager at ORAYLIS. “Experience shows that this is the most economical and powerful approach in such complex projects.”

Another important aspect for getting started with digital construction site management is the scalability of the data platform: “We started with an initial, still fairly manageable use case. After that, the platform will be expanded step by step with additional areas of application until we can finally map complete construction site processes and support them with data. That’s why our solution has a modular structure that can be expanded according to the building block principle. New requirements, machine types, and data sources can be seamlessly integrated at any time.”

Controlling construction sites with data

The first specific use case involves an ISO-certified interface that allows processing companies to import the enriched data from their pump systems directly into an industry-standard scheduling tool. “Customers receive detailed information, for example, on the position, operating hours, and delivery rates of the machines, enabling them to better plan and coordinate processes on the construction site,” explains Benjamin Laerbusch.

This enables significantly more efficient and sustainable fleet management. Operating times, utilization, and maintenance intervals can be comprehensively optimized. In addition, predictive scenarios help to avoid malfunctions and downtime. Last but not least, companies can use the data provided to develop their own applications, analyses, or dashboards. Intelligent Dispatching is currently undergoing intensive practical testing and refinement in collaboration with selected customers.

From manufacturer to digital service provider

Those responsible have now created the ideal starting point for the further development and expansion of digital construction site management. Putzmeister has a future-proof data architecture and can gradually expand its offering for customers, partners, and third-party providers on the basis of the first open interface.

Data-supported additional services in particular offer new business prospects: “Against the backdrop of market developments, we are increasingly striving for a business model in the direction of ‘Concrete as a Service’,” says Rüdiger Felleisen. “This means that we are not selling the value of the machine, but rather the digital services that surround it, such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, or particularly in-depth data and insights. Billing is then based on operating hours.”

Rüdiger Felleisen also attributes the successes achieved so far to the collaboration with the ORAYLIS team: “The ORAYLIS consultants never shied away from touching on sensitive issues and voicing necessary criticism. That hurt at first, but ultimately helped us enormously. The team went the extra mile as a matter of course. They always gave 120 percent. I really appreciated that.”

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