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Cobuilder > Case Studies > Wienerberger AG creates an enterprise-level data model in order to ensure consistency and standardisation of the product data managed within the organisation’s IT environment
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Wienerberger AG creates an enterprise-level data model in order to ensure consistency and standardisation of the product data managed within the organisation’s IT environment

Technology Category
  • Analytics & Modeling - Data-as-a-Service
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
  • Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions
  • Product Research & Development
  • Quality Assurance
Services
  • Data Science Services
  • System Integration
The Challenge
Wienerberger AG identified the need to provide relevant data to their customers more effectively within the software they use (BIM authoring software) and improve the customer journey across all touchpoints. The company's data stewards were faced with numerous challenges concerning the consistency and standardisation of product (systems, materials etc.) data across the whole group and its brands. In order to improve the quality of their data services, Wienerberger AG set an objective to standardise data internally, and decided to introduce an enterprise Product Information Management (PIM) system which would be the single source of data for all their clients. However, a traditional PIM did not fully meet their needs. They needed a solution that also could ‘translate’ data to the particular needs of users within different markets and across different software, without maintaining data duplicates and numerous local ‘silo’ databases.
About The Customer
Wienerberger AG is a leading international supplier of building materials and infrastructure solutions. They are improving people's quality of life by shaping the living spaces of the future. The company is committed to the principles of sustainability and social responsibility. The group operates 197 production sites in 30 countries and is the world's largest producer of bricks and the market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe as well as concrete pavers in Central and Eastern Europe. In pipe systems, the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe. With its total of 16,498 employees in 2019, the group generated revenues of 3.5 billion Euros.
The Solution
For Wienerberger AG, an integrated enterprise solution consisting of two major solutions in the Cobuilder platform: Cobuilder Define and Cobuilder goBIM was applied. While Cobuilder Define allows Wienerberger to create their agreed and trusted digital data models, Cobuilder goBIM allows Wienerberger to ‘translate’ building product, system and materials data for multiple uses. Cobuilder’s solutions allow for API integrations between internal PIM systems and external Applications – such as data pools, BIM authoring tools, 2D CAD systems, and different plug-ins. Firstly, Wienerberger AG took advantage of standard-based data templates developed by Cobuilder. The templates list which properties need to be declared per specific product to comply with the relevant legislation, building regulations and any further criterion the company wished to implement. Then subject matter experts appointed by Wienerberger used Cobuilder Define to customise the templates through a data governance process in which experts approved or rejected the creation of certain properties using the specific standards that products are tested against as a reference for meaning.
Operational Impact
  • Wienerberger AG was able to standardise data internally, and introduce an enterprise Product Information Management (PIM) system which became the single source of data for all their clients.
  • The company was able to 'translate' data to the particular needs of users within different markets and across different software, without maintaining data duplicates and numerous local ‘silo’ databases.
  • The implementation of such a holistic enterprise solution has opened up numerous opportunities for Wienerberger. Their product data are now freely available to various actors in the construction industry, allowing all clients (in all market channels) to query product properties and product digital assets and subsequently have the data mapped and structured to all digital formats and software such as IFC, Revit, Nemetchek, E-TIM–RT, B@uClass and ArchiCAD.
Quantitative Benefit
  • 20% reduction in properties managed by the organisation

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