Work-Style Labor Reform Boosts Demand for Digital Twins in the Japanese Construction Industry

Japan tackles labor shortage issues with the "Work-style Labor Reforms" legislation, impacting industries like construction. Beamo by 3i offers a digital twin solution to address construction challenges, providing a user-friendly interface accessible to both large and small businesses. With applications in efficiency improvement, collaboration, safety management, and cost savings, digital twin technology, exemplified by Beamo, is gaining traction in the Japanese market, promising to reshape construction site management and industry dynamics.

Labor Shortage Challenges in Japan: Introduction of "Work-style Labor Reforms"

Japan is grappling with the challenge of a labor shortage due to ongoing issues like a persistent low birth rate and an aging population. The need for regulations on working hours has been consistently highlighted, driven by concerns such as overwork-related fatalities stemming from prolonged working hours. Particularly, small-scale enterprises are facing severe labor shortages, leading to structural problems such as diminished job security and low labor productivity. In an effort to address these issues, the Japanese government introduced a legislation called the “Work-style Labor Reforms” and began implementing parts of it in April 2019. To prevent the root cause of a series of overwork-related incidents, which is prolonged working hours, the legislation sets a monthly cap of 45 overtime hours and an annual limit of 360 hours, with companies violating these provisions subject to penalties like imprisonment or fines.

On the other hand, in the case of the construction industry, which was difficult to apply the law immediately due to the nature of the industry, a five-year grace period was provided. Due to the nature of construction projects with fixed timelines, workers often find themselves compelled to be on-site even during weekends. Additionally, the industry faced challenges in responding promptly due to the necessity of paperwork for reporting to ordering companies, in addition to on-site work, making it difficult to address the situation immediately.

In order to establish construction periods with appropriate working hours and secured holidays, enhancing operational efficiency is crucial, leading to a heightened interest in the industry towards the adoption of digital twin technology. Digital twin involves the digitization of physical spaces into 3D, utilized in construction, facility management, remote inspection, and more. While the proliferation of digital twins has accelerated with the advancements in 5G communication technology, IoT services, and the popularization of remote work amid the pandemic, there has been a tendency for its use to be limited to large companies capable of developing such systems internally.

Beamo: Revolutionizing Construction Site Management Through Digital Twin Solutions

3i's Beamo is an enterprise-grade digital twin solution that captures indoor areas where GPS signals may be limited using a 360 camera and a smartphone, generating a comprehensive 360-view. This software, accessible not only to large enterprises but also to small and medium-sized businesses due to its user-friendly interface and reasonable cost, enables even non-professionals to utilize it effectively. It takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to capture an area of 10,000 sqm, and about 5 minutes for post-processing 200 photos, allowing for swift construction of a digital twin at any industrial site.

The digital twin thus created can be leveraged for various purposes, including recording completion milestones, managing construction progress, and conducting remote inspections to uphold productivity. Many stakeholders involved in construction projects can make informed decisions based on the same spatial information, eliminating the need to physically visit the site. This can lead to shorter construction periods and reduced costs. Furthermore, within the digital twin, features like tags and comments allow users to attach notes and documents related to construction, eliminating the need for separate reports. This enables the creation of more contextual and immersive reports, enhancing communication and delivery to stakeholders.

Advantages of Utilizing Digital Twin in the Construction Industry:

• Efficiency Improvement
• Strengthened Collaboration and Communication
• Construction Site Safety Management
• Enhanced Accuracy and Quality through Effective Site Supervision
• Cost Savings

Collaboration and Market Entry with NTT BizLink

3i Inc. has already signed a distribution and supply contract for Beamo with NTT BizLink, a subsidiary of NTT Communications, to enter the Japanese market. Currently, Japan's largest telecommunications company, NTT Communications, is utilizing Beamo for data center inspections spread across various cities in Japan. Recently, 3i and NTT BizLink jointly operated a booth at Japan Build, Asia’s largest architectural and housing fair, introducing the digital twin solution Beamo to numerous construction-related companies. Approximately 35,000 visitors attended the booth, showing significant interest in Beamo's ability to generate a 360-view of the site using simple capture equipment, without the need for 3D scanners and lidar equipment.

Potential of Digital Twin Technology in the Growing Construction Industry

Construction companies can enhance operational efficiency by leveraging digital twin technology to optimize construction schedules, improve safety, and reduce costs. With the increasing adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the rise in the use of IoT devices, and greater data availability, the utilization of digital twin technology in the construction field is expected to grow further. For detailed information on reasonable and efficient digital twin solutions for construction sites, please refer to the link below.

Reasonable and Efficient Digital Twins for Construction Sites