Smart Construction
Key Insights from The Big 5 Dubai – Project Management Talks
The construction and engineering industry is not short on data.
What it truly lacks is clarity, continuity, and confidence in how that data is used.
Across projects of all sizes, teams are overwhelmed with drawings, models, emails, reports, and spreadsheets—yet still struggle to access the right information at the right time. This disconnect continues to drive delays, rework, and reactive decision-making.
At The Big 5 Dubai – Project Management Talks, these challenges were addressed not as abstract digital problems, but as operational realities that directly impact project performance.
Framing the Challenge: Khaled Rezk’s Perspective
During his session, Eng. Khaled Rezk , Digital Transformation Specialist at ACE | Al Ain Consulting Engineers, provided a structured and experience-driven view of why many digital initiatives fail to deliver their promised value.
Rather than focusing on software capabilities, the discussion emphasized systemic issues that persist across the industry:
- Fragmented data sources across disciplines
- Multiple, conflicting versions of drawings and models
- Heavy reliance on email for coordination and approvals
- Lack of clearly defined data ownership
- Delayed visibility into project risks and changes
A key message resonated throughout the session:
Most project delays do not start on site — they start where information is created, exchanged, and approved.
This framing shifted the conversation from “which tools to use” to how informationshould flow across the project lifecycle.
ACE’s Role: From Digital Concepts to Delivery Reality
ACE’s contribution focused on transforming digital transformation from a concept into an operational delivery model.
Rather than presenting technology as a standalone solution, ACE positioned digitalization as an enabler of better decision-making, accountability, and predictability. The emphasis was on applying a Digital Project Delivery (DPD) framework that aligns people, processes, and data.
ACE demonstrated that successful transformation does not require radical disruption, but rather:
- Structured workflows
- Clear data governance
- Incremental implementation
- Strong alignment between site and office teams
What ACE Presented: A Practical Digital Project Delivery Framework
The session outlined how ACE approaches digital project delivery through three integrated pillars.
1. Connected Data
ACE highlighted the importance of centralizing project information into a single source of truth:
- Linked drawings, models, documents, and site issues
- Controlled versioning and traceability
- Standardized data structures across engineering disciplines
- Reduced dependency on uncontrolled file sharing
This ensures teams trust the information they are using.
2. Connected Teams
ACE emphasized that technology alone does not solve collaboration challenges.
By connecting site teams, design offices, and project management in real time:
- Communication becomes transparent and traceable
- Responsibilities are clearly defined
- Decisions are based on shared, current data
- Coordination gaps between site and office are reduced
This alignment significantly improves response time and accountability.
3. Connected Workflows
The final pillar focused on standardizing how issues, changes, and approvals move through a project.
ACE demonstrated how:
- Site issues are captured digitally with photos, descriptions, and location data
- Impacts on design, cost, and schedule are assessed centrally
- Technical teams update drawings and models within controlled workflows
- Approvals are documented and communicated systematically
- Updated information reaches execution teams without delay
The result is a predictable, auditable flow of decisions rather than fragmented reactions.
From Theory to Practice: A Realistic Workflow Scenario
To ground the discussion in reality, the session walked through a full project scenario:
- An issue is identified on site and captured digitally
- Office teams review its impact on design, cost, and schedule
- Technical teams implement required updates
- Project management approves and communicates decisions
- Site teams execute using verified, up-to-date information
- Project data feeds dashboards and KPIs for performance monitoring
This approach eliminates outdated drawings, conflicting instructions, and delayed responses.
Business Impact Highlighted During the Session
ACE positioned Digital Project Delivery as a strategic capability with tangible outcomes:
- Reduced errors and rework
- Faster resolution of site issues
- Improved design quality and coordination
- Greater predictability in cost and schedule
- Increased stakeholder confidence
- Enhanced ability to scale operations efficiently
Digital transformation, in this context, becomes a driver of business resilience and competitiveness.
Lessons from Successful Implementations
Lessons from Successful Implementations
- Start with a single project or workflow and scale gradually
- Define data ownership and responsibilities early
- Keep workflows simple to encourage adoption
- Treat training as an ongoing process, not a one-time activity
Sustainable digital transformation depends on discipline and clarity as much as technology.
Moving Forward: Beyond the Conference
While The Big 5 Dubai provided a valuable platform for industry dialogue, the session made it clear that transformation does not happen on stage—it happens on projects.
Through Khaled Rezk’s analytical framing and ACE’s practical delivery approach, the session demonstrated how connected data can move organizations from reactive firefighting to controlled, predictable project execution.
Conclusion
The future of construction project delivery will not be defined by the volume of data available, but by how effectively that data is connected, governed, and transformed into decisions.
Organizations that adopt connected data frameworks today will be better positioned to deliver projects with confidence, transparency, and control tomorrow.
Connected data is no longer a digital ambition—it is a delivery necessity.
