The Dutch construction industry is at a tipping point. Labor shortages, rising material costs, environmental pressures, and a housing shortage are forcing the sector to rethink the construction process. Industrialization and prefabrication are no longer just a trend, but a strategic choice. Yet this transition is proceeding slowly, partly due to weak digital infrastructure. Prefabrication without digitization—both in the factory and throughout the supply chain—is only a half-measure.
The rise of prefabrication
Prefabrication is not new; homes were already being built with precast concrete as early as the period following World War II. Whereas the postwar wave focused on economies of scale, the current trend is toward mass customization: each project is unique, while the process is industrialized. Precast concrete dominates the market volume, steel is indispensable in non-residential construction, and wood construction is fully established in residential construction. All segments face the same challenge: complex products, unique projects, and thin margins.
From engineering model to the factory
A prefab factory is a manufacturing industry with components that vary from project to project: quickly amounting to dozens of unique building components per project, each with its own dimensions, materials, and assembly sequence. Traditional business software can barely handle that complexity. All too often, factories still rely on paper work orders, Excel spreadsheets for scheduling, and scattered quality records. The result: searching for parts on the shop floor, waiting assembly teams, and quality issues that only come to light upon delivery—not due to a lack of willingness, but as a result of delayed decisions.
ERP, APS, and MES
The crucial shift is thinking in terms of producing components rather than projects. A prefab factory is “digitally fit” with three integrated systems. ERP handles quotes, procurement, and finances, but is too coarse-grained for the production floor. APS dynamically schedules which component goes on which machine and enables real-time rescheduling. MES controls and records production on the floor: each component receives a digital identity, and every step is fed back into the system. Together, they form the control center of a transparent factory,
A single Source of truth
Prefabricated construction has one major advantage over other manufacturing industries: the design is already digital, in a BIM model that includes geometry, materials, and tolerances. Yet what happens after engineering is often still analog: printed drawings, manual work orders, paper packing slips. The weakest link lies in the flow of information between engineering and production. The transition begins with recognizing that the engineering model must be the single source of truth for the entire chain. That is the BIM4Production® approach: engineering, planning, production, logistics, and quality management as integrated modules. A single platform, applicable in modular construction, including facade construction, timber-frame construction, and precast concrete.
Prefabricated construction is manufacturing, and manufacturing without data is guesswork.
Beyond the factory walls
The transition doesn’t stop at the factory. In a complex prefab project, five to ten parties often collaborate, each with their own systems. Quality issues rarely arise at a single stage, but rather due to insufficient information sharing. This calls for standardized data formats, open interfaces, and a culture of transparency. The technology is available; the willingness to share is often the problem. The sector is moving at two speeds: a vanguard investing in data, and a larger group still relying on experience and Excel. The difference is evident in delivery reliability and failure costs, partly due to the Wkb.
Prefabricated construction is on the rise, but its potential won’t be realized on its own. Anyone who takes prefabrication seriously as a production model must also take digitization seriously: from ERP and APS to MES, and from the factory to the supply chain. Prefab construction is manufacturing, and manufacturing without data is guesswork.
7463 PJ Rijssen
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