Wednesday, November 11
Automate the Task to Elevate the Outcome: Redesigning AEC Workflows Around Client Value
Share This Page
Wednesday, November 11
Speaker
Niels Schenk
Global Digital Product & AI Director
Arcadis
Niels is the Global Digital Product & AI Director at Arcadis, where he leads the development of client-facing software and AI-enabled delivery capabilities. He oversees a global, cross-functional product and AI studio organization spanning product management, user experience, data and software development. His teams turn Arcadis’ domain expertise and client-specific workflows into scalable digital propositions.
Niels began his career in academic research, earning a doctorate in sociology while teaching statistics. He subsequently led organizations specialized in data science, cloud engineering and digital products. His focus has remained consistent: translating data and technology into measurable client value. Today, he brings this combination of analytical depth, product leadership and transformation experience to the application of digital and AI in AEC.
Niels Schenk
Global Digital Product & AI Director
ABOUT THE SESSION
The greatest potential of AI in AEC is not simply to accelerate existing tasks but to reimagine how expertise is applied and value is created for clients. If digital and AI only reduce the effort required to deliver existing services, the result may be lower fees rather than greater value. The larger opportunity is to use digital and AI to amplify professional expertise, improve client outcomes and create customer experiences that allow clients to leverage the benefits.
In this presentation, Niels Schenk shows that the opportunity for the AEC industry of recent AI advancements is turning domain expertise and client-specific ways of working into scalable digital and AI-supported workflows that can be enhanced within clients’ existing technology environments, without having to replace enterprise IT systems.
Niels also uses a recent use case to show how the same principles can extend to many other service areas within AEC — moving digital and AI from an efficiency tool to a source of differentiated client value.
