In conversation with ... Anouk van Otterlo, data expert at Based

What does your role as a BIM & Linked Data Consultant actually entail?

"I am one of the data experts within Based. I help organisations deal with (their) data. This is as broad as it sounds. After all, there is so much to do with data. But where to start? How can organisations, especially in management and maintenance, best deal with information? How can they improve their processes as a result? But also, how do they make data more and more part of their business, how do you become digital? These are issues I deal with, among others. So I mainly focus on data strategy and digital asset management."

Where do you start when you enter a client's office?

"In order to implement digital asset management in an efficient and effective way, there has to be a clear data strategy underlying it. That is the base, the foundation from which you proceed. Making such a strategic plan is one of my tasks. It starts with taking stock. Collecting what is already there in terms of data and looking at how the company is set up. What is already there, are people already working with data for asset management and if so, where are they in the organisation? I also look at a piece of vision. Of the company as a whole, but also the vision of asset (information) management. Does that already exist or do we need to start shaping it? Sometimes there is already a concrete question, but often there are a lot of questions. That really varies per customer and that is immediately what makes my role so much fun; that variety."

How do you proceed next?

"If a customer doesn't know what information he needs, I help set up an appropriate data structure, for example. But sometimes a client's question is much broader: what do we need for asset management in the first place? That is a bit more challenging, but therefore also more fun. Often there is already more than people think, but it falls under different teams within the organisation. The key is to capture that and structure it. Sometimes it turns out that data is not yet in order. I give that back to the organisation and from there I help them move forward. By finding out what assets they have, what they want to record about them and what information they need for that. In the data strategy, I then work out how and where they can record this and how they can request it as requirements, so that that necessary information is actually delivered. But I also explain how the information obtained can be secured, who will manage it, etc. So the data strategy is really the starting point."

What makes your work so fun?

"That I can very much determine my own route within. Based, I really get the freedom to shape my role myself. In addition, I really like variety and enjoy being able and allowed to do new things with, for and with new and existing customers all the time. To be able to set up and implement new techniques and developments. Like coming up with better asset structures, setting up systems, working with analyses, data and dashboards. Now I really enjoy building from scratch. Setting up something from scratch, strategically and tactically. Operationally not so much, that's up to the customer. I do know how to do it, but teach that to those teams. This also suits Based, we precisely want to take the people at our customers with us in their growth."

Take us through your week, what does it look like?

"Fairly diverse. I work at clients, in the office and occasionally at home. I try to manage it so that I don't have to travel too much during the week. I'm usually at clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, I'm always in Tilburg, because that's when we have a team day. The other days vary. I now work on fixed assignments for two big clients and also do a few hours of smaller assignments. Ideally, I block certain days or parts of the day for a client, but that doesn't always work out. I also regularly give presentations and workshops at clients' premises to show what we do. For example, to bring management along and create more awareness within the organisation. I also give presentations at conferences nationally and internationally, such as the buildingSMART international standards summit. In short: every week is different!"

You want your customers to keep learning continuously. But how do you keep up to date yourself in terms of knowledge?

"I regularly attend conferences where new standards and developments are presented. I immerse myself in these and regularly try to apply them directly to customers. And at Based, we obviously have a whole team, in which everyone tries to pick up new things and research and apply new technologies. In our team meetings, everyone takes turns giving a presentation on a particular topic. Sometimes we really grab a topic and go into it longer and deeper. This way, we bring each other up to date on what's going on within the industry, but also outside it. And it's not only about developments within construction and real estate, but also about new technologies in other industries. Because we can also use these with our customers."

What appeals to you so much about working at Based?

"First of all, content-wise I really like it a lot. It's cool to be working on a topic like digitalisation precisely in the slightly more old-fashioned construction industry. Secondly, dealing with each other as colleagues. Based is really a personal company. It is also great for me personally to witness the growth of the company. I started here as the third colleague, next to Marcel and Robin, and now there are 10 of us. Nice to see how that changes. And how we (have) become more and more professional. In the beginning, I was still the only one working on data management, where Marcel and Robin were more concerned with project information management. That is really much less now. With Based's current vision, it has become more of a unit. It's nice to be able to bring more and more people into 'my subject' this way. This is also how I initiated colleague Quint into this topic. Of course, this also takes some getting used to for myself, it requires a bit of letting go. But that's only good. And we are far from having grown in this area, so there is still room for new colleagues!"

Based is looking for more (upcoming) data experts!

Does Anouk's story sound good to you and would you like to join her in further expanding our pillars of data strategy and digital asset management? Then take a look at our vacancies or give Anouk a call on 06 425 23 031.