Race against the clock
Race against the clock: new asylum seeker center operational in no time
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) had maintained an asylum location in Ter Apel for twenty years. Increasing numbers of people were being accommodated at this site, but the buildings had become outdated. Therefore, COA decided to construct a new asylum seeker center at the same location, with capacity for up to two thousand refugees. BAM was awarded the contract at the end of 2015, on the condition that the new complex would be completed before 2017.
Royal BAM Group N.V.
BAM is a construction company consisting of ten different businesses, operating in construction, property, and infrastructure. It is a Dutch construction group that operates worldwide in selected markets. Around 20,000 people work at BAM. The company initiates, develops, builds, and maintains projects in the fields of housing, workplaces, transport, and recreation. Sustainability and innovation are key priorities in the design and construction of buildings. BAM aims to become a market leader in the use of digital technology, enabling clients to achieve the highest possible quality standards. “Building the present, creating the future.”
Challenge
The main contract was carried out by BAM Wonen (Residential) and BAM Bouw (Construction) en Techniek (Engineering), with BAM Infra (Infrastructure) responsible for delivering the infrastructure as part of the project. BAM was tasked with realizing the largest asylum seeker center in the Netherlands within an extremely short timeframe, truly a race against the clock. The company secured the contract by stating it could complete the project a year faster than its competitors. More than two hundred staff members were deployed to demolish the old buildings and construct new housing blocks consisting of 258 units.
During execution, it became clear that the promised deadline could not be met. Countermeasures were required to still achieve the timeline. To help make this possible, Masters In Lean was brought in. Our task was to analyze how the construction process could be accelerated in order to meet the deadline and avoid penalties.
Solution
To accelerate the process and reduce the lead time, we first mapped the entire existing process. Together with BAM and all construction partners/co-makers, the processes and value streams were made transparent. This was then translated into an hour-by-hour schedule.
In addition, we focused on improving planning reliability and introduced a daily performance dialogue with all co-makers. This allowed problems to be identified quickly, and more importantly, resolved quickly. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were established as the foundation for this approach. Innovative ICT solutions were also used to ensure fast access to information and to capture big data. Furthermore, foremen and site managers were trained to effectively facilitate performance dialogues. Overall, a wide range of measures were implemented with the goal of reducing the project lead time.
Results
Fortunately, the new asylum seeker center in Ter Apel was completed just in time to be put into use. This was in line with the agreement made between construction company BAM and the COA. It required a great deal of hard work, but the result is there to see. The project was successfully completed: a sustainable asylum center that can last for more than twenty years.
Read also: https://www.dvhn.nl/groningen/Race-tegen-klok-gewonnen-in-%E2%80%98Ter-Apel%E2%80%99-21664030.html
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