Case Studies
We are digitizing the wrong 0.6%
We keep building better and better models — and yet we still often make no better decisions. The reason: we mainly digitize where the leverage is smallest. A look at the industry’s blind spot.
Apr 27, 2026
New construction and renovation are important – but not the biggest lever
Planning and operations follow different logics
BIM works in construction, but often fails in operations
The problem is not the amount of data, but the lack of structure
The greatest value is created in the transition between planning and operations
The future lies in relevant data rather than maximum detail
In recent years, the construction and real estate industry has formulated a clear goal: understand buildings digitally and operate them more efficiently.
The answer was just as clear and consistent: digital models.
Building Information Modeling has become established in new construction and demonstrably delivers added value there. Detailed planning models are also indispensable today in conversions and renovations.
That is right.
That is necessary.
And there is no doubt about that.
But this is exactly where a structural misunderstanding begins.
New construction and conversion are not the biggest lever
A look at the reality of the building stock shows a clear picture:
Only a very small portion of the stock is newly built or fundamentally converted each year. The vast majority of buildings is not changed, but operated.
At the same time, most of the costs over the life cycle arise during operation.
That means: the economic leverage lies not primarily in planning and construction, but in the use of existing buildings.
And yet a large part of digitalization focuses precisely on this small, visible part – new construction and planning.
Two worlds with different requirements
A key reason for this is the blending of two fundamentally different perspectives:
Planning and construction require:
a high level of detail
precise geometry
complete models
collision-free planning
Operations require:
transparency regarding areas and usage
information about systems and conditions
prioritization and criticality
decision-making foundations
These two worlds follow different logics. While planning depends on accuracy and completeness, relevance is what matters most in operations.
The problem arises when an attempt is made to use one solution for both requirements at the same time.
Why BIM is often not used in operations
The expectation is often that a BIM model created once can be seamlessly reused in operations.
In practice, however, a different picture emerges:
Models are often too detailed to be used efficiently in day-to-day operations.
Data is not structured in a way that supports operational decisions.
Information is missing exactly where it is needed.
This means that models are technically correct, but hardly used operationally.
This is not a technology problem.
It is a problem of purpose.
More data does not automatically lead to better decisions
The industry has made enormous progress in data capture:
high-resolution laser scans
detailed point clouds
comprehensive digital models
Nevertheless, in many cases answers to basic questions are still missing:
How are areas actually used?
Where do costs arise?
Which systems are critical for operations?
The cause lies not in a lack of data, but in its structure and usability.
The decisive break occurs in the transition
The greatest loss of value often does not arise in planning or in operations themselves, but in the transition between the two.
This is where information is lost.
This is where data is not transferred into operational structures.
This is where the link between model and use is missing.
The transition from the planning world to the operations world is thus the decisive point for successfully digitalizing the existing stock.
From model to decision basis
If buildings are to be managed efficiently in operation, it is not the complete mapping of all details that matters.
What matters is that the right information is available:
Which systems exist?
Where are they located?
What condition are they in?
Which are critical for operations?
These questions cannot be answered by more geometry, but by structured, relevant data.
A new approach for the existing stock
The consequence is not to do without BIM, but to differentiate clearly:
In planning, level of detail remains essential.
In operations, selectivity becomes decisive.
Not all information has to be modeled.
But the relevant information must be available, structured and usable.
The focus thus shifts:
Away from complete representation
Toward the targeted extraction of decision-relevant data
Conclusion
The digitalization of the construction and real estate industry is not at the beginning, but at a turning point.
The next stage of development lies not in even more detailed models, but in a better understanding of the existing stock.
The solution is not less data.
But the right data at the right time in the right context.
Construction needs precise models.
Operations needs reliable decision-making foundations.
And the two are not the same.
