Project Technology
On the ‘RISE,’ and harnessing future technologies
By December 22, 2021
The 2021 Project Execution Technology Conference (PETC) explored potential technologies for Project Management to propel execution into a new era.
The present and future pace of delivery for projects in the Kingdom will be decided by the ability of project management (PM) experts to embrace a digital revolution and navigate a new technology landscape.
Sponsored by Aramco PM, attendees of the two-day 2021 Project Execution Technology Conference (PETC) heard from top tier PM experts on how technology and digitalization would help transform future project execution and powerfully contribute to the delivery of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 economic roadmap.
Future technologies
Under the theme, “RISE: Revolution in Smart Execution,” the PETC hosted a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions that explored the impact that new and future technologies will have on project execution.
Aramco’s PM was a strategic sponsor of the event, and its leaders opened the proceedings.
Addressing the hybrid event in a keynote speech, vice president of PM, Abdulkarim A. Al Ghamdi, said that the discipline was undergoing a transformation.
Integration
“Advanced solutions and technologies will be successful when all of us are fully integrated and all together, from Engineering, Procurement and Construction, to the vendors and suppliers,” he said.
“The integration of us all will bring success, and ensure excellence and the accelerated deployment of advanced technologies and digital solutions.
“In Aramco, we started scouting technologies and digital solutions years ago. We work to integrate and bring the best solutions to uplift our projects to be the best worldwide.”
Al Ghamdi added that Aramco had established very robust and clear identifications of technologies and digital solutions from the start.
Overcoming challenges
He went on to say that for companies to overcome challenges in project delivery, labor productivity, and skill shortages aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, unconventional project delivery methods offer an efficient and cost-effective alternative to current construction methods.
“Smart construction,” according to Al Ghamdi, through collaborative partnerships, capitalizes on digital technologies, safety solutions, manufacturing techniques, as well as advanced materials to improve productivity, quality and safety, minimize life cycle cost, and optimize schedules.
“One of the key digital technologies introduced for project execution is the Digital Twin technology. It can serve as a unified hub and data center for all of a project’s data, allowing us to have a single point of truth to use to unlock multiple sets of new capabilities.”
Revolution in smart execution
During a panel discussion titled “Smart Project Execution” Aramco’s head of Digital Transformation, Nabil A. Al Nuaim, said that business winners would continue to invest in technology and digital transformation.
Keynotes were delivered by Stephen P. Mulva, Construction Industry Institute director, and Majed Al-Otaibi, chairman of the Saudi Council of Engineers, as they emphasized on the fact that businesses should continue to invest in developing teams to build projects smartly.
Tony Appleby, chairman of the Project Management Institute, told the conference that effective PM is “empowering” economies. Additionally, he stated, the Saudi Arabian chapter has become a resource for smart solutions for project execution.
