COO & Director – Operations &
Business, Tekla India Pvt Ltd
Nirmalya Chatterjee, COO & Director Operations & Business, Tekla India Pvt Ltd,shares his thoughts with Veena Kurup of ENN over the evolution, demand trends and opportunities for construction design software in India
Advancements in technology have revolutionized the operational outlook of the infraconstruction sectors. Take us through the present scenario.
India enjoys immense potential in the twin sectors of infrastructure and construction, wherein latter sector is the second prime economic sector after agriculture. The sector is definitely going to be the focus area in the coming years. In addition, with the new government taking the reins of power, we expect more prospective opportunities to emerge. However, in India a huge vacuum exists between the need and availability of the infrastructural facilities. The need of the hour is to fill this vacuum with the erection of new infrastructural facilities.
What is the role of design software towards development of affordable housing and sustainable cities?
The concept of affordable housing is widely considered as a mass housing project. For raising project for the masses, conventional construction technologies are improper solutions, as mass housing calls for advanced technologies. For instance, our unique precast technology supports the developers or contractors in executing the project efficiently. It helps in initiating the project from the conception stage to execution and even in future main tenance aspects. Hence, Tekla products provide end-to-end solutions to a distinct range of customers from varied sectors. Strategic management of raw materials is one of the key benefits that come with Tekla’s software and technologies for developing green and sustainable infrastructure. Inefficient modes of handling raw materials often invite hazardous environmental consequences at construction sites. Such situations require technologies that can help in better resource management and optimization. Tekla’s software have contributed immensely towards the development of such sustainable structures over the years.
Construction design software have evolved from 2D, 3D, 4D to 5D and 6D levels today. Please share your outlook about this technical evolution.
The industry has seen the evolution of design software up to 6D-level technol ogy. But there is a need to understand the actual concept attached to those evolving technical phases. While the 4D concept is mostly associated with managing the time quotient effectively, the 5D concept ensures cost efficiency. Until five years ago, project developers used to execute only one or two projects at a time, but now with the effective usage of these technologies, project developers are able to execute several projects simultaneously.
Planning and utilization of advanced technologies are effective where time and project planning are crucial factors. In addition, these technologies also help in better co-ordination, and resource planning and management, facilitating easy execution of projects. A similar end-to-end solution is offered now by Tekla – now part of US-based Trimble. Under this umbrella technology, Tekla offers distinct solutions starting from architectural to structural and more. All these products are designed and offered as per the industry requirements.
How can the design software help in easing the cost burden of construction?
Project execution primarily involves two elements – successful execution and collaboration among architects, raw material providers, developers, contractors, etc. However, in many cases, there is utter lack of coordination among them, causing hurdles in clearing each level of the construction process. In such a scenario, our end-to-end solutions come handy. Adittionally, we recently launched our Tekla BIMsight product. Tekla BIMsight is a professional tool for construction project coordination, wherein the entire construction work flow can combine the models, check for conflicts and share information using the same easy-to-use BIM environment.
How efficiently does Tekla utilize the mobile platform for service delivery, particularly in construction sites located at far-off places?
Lack of co-ordination is a common concern at the construction sites today. Very often, the project managers or the construction worksite supervisors are unaware or completely detached from the design department. The situation, thus, demands development and practice of informative communication platforms. The potential of mobile technology in such situations is huge. Tekla offers the new Field3D software to bridge the gap. It is an easy to-use 3D collaboration software solution for Building Information Modeling (BIM) that works on mobile devices, enabling workmen to access a 3D model of information for an entire building on smart phones and tablets.
Considering the prevalent scenario, what are the major hurdles faced by a construction design software provider in India?
One of the major challenges is the customers’ approach towards new technologies: India has a very knowledgeable and qualitative workforce, but they often dither in going for new software. However, such a situation has also its brighter side: the workforce takes its time to analyze and understand the new technology before finally embracing it. Lack of customization and localization of products is another major challenge that needs to be taken care of before those are launched in the Indian market.
Tell us about Tekla’s India operations and how do you plan to cash in on the opportunities in the international markets?
Our Indian office is responsible for the entire SAARC region. Last year, we had marked our presence in Bangladesh and this year we have landed in Nepal.Tekla India aims to establish its presence across the SAARC region. The last three years of our Indian operations have been paid off well prospective, and we have gained a growth of over 25 ercent. In addition, we have also plans to set foot in Sri Lanka by the end of this year.
Fail-safe technology
“ Inefficient handling of raw materials often leads to hazardous environmental consequences at construction sites. Tekla’s software help in better resource management and optimization ”
