“Scheduling specialized engineers is time-consuming and leaves little room for flexibility. Automation unlocks multiple quick wins.”

Meeting the growing demand for charging infrastructure

BAM is the largest construction company in the Netherlands, offering a wide range of technical installation services. In today’s rapidly evolving world, BAM is driven by innovation and sustainability. BAM Energy & Water specializes in underground infrastructure, or laying cables and pipes. We all need water and energy, and BAM Energy & Water builds the infrastructure needed to store and transport these resources sustainably.
In recent years, the demand for EV charging infrastructure has skyrocketed. The EV desk at BAM Energy & Water and its pool of engineers take care of charging station installation and maintenance, working for municipalities and on fast-charging stations at gas stations and charging stations in underground car garages. The planning process was mainly manual, very labour-intensive and in dire need of improvement. With ORTEC’s automation solution, BAM Energy & Water wants to get scarce resource planning right the very first time and give customers insight into and a say in planning.

“We have a large IT department ourselves, but we’re a construction company, not an expert in planning algorithms.”

Full integration into the DigiFlow application

One of the requirements for the automated planning system was that it could be added to the EV desk’s Mendix platform as a tool. We have a large IT department ourselves, but we’re a construction company, not an expert in planning algorithms. ORTEC, on the other hand, is home to countless talented minds who know all the ins and outs of algorithm-powered planning packages. Our EV desk has been working with ORTEC's new planning logic for six months now, and the overall experience has been extremely positive," says Daan van Rozendaal, Business Information Analyst at BAM.

“Because the schedule is automated and continuous, we’ve managed to save a lot of time and become much more flexible.”

Customers can self-schedule and view the overall schedule

One of the major improvements has been the increase in flexibility. In the past, adjusting the schedule used to be a particularly complex, time-consuming affair. Now that the schedule is no longer weekly but continuous, making changes has become a cinch.
Another big plus of automated planning is how much time it saves the people responsible for the schedule. What’s more, the engineers also save time because the system optimizes their routes. Roy Kat, EV Desk Manager: “The daily routes of our engineers are now determined by algorithms that take multiple factors into consideration, and our engineers - who now get to sleep in for an extra 30 minutes - couldn’t be more pleased. Another great feature is that customers can self-schedule appointments and view the overall schedule, which gives everyone involved more peace of mind.”

Greater predictability throughout the chain

Asked about the biggest advantage of the new planning process, Maurits van Olst, process coordinator, says: “We’re especially pleased with how automation and optimization has improved predictability throughout the chain. The entire process has simply become easier to predict, from preparation to delivery. What we expect to happen now actually happens!” ORTEC's solution provides continuous insight into schedules, provides the necessary flexibility to accommodate adjustments, and gets the right person to the right place day in, day out.
The men at BAM Energy & Water have one big pointer for other companies looking to make the switch to ORTEC’s smart planning solutions: “Make sure that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your planning tool and what capabilities you want it to have. That’ll help you set clear expectations. It’ll take some sessions to whittle down your needs & wishes, but it will help you make the most of the solution.”