In recent years, the growing trend for digitalization grew beyond IT and digital industries, becoming ever more present in the physical world and revolutionizing various industries, from heavy machinery to agriculture. This trend became one of the main talking points at Huawei’s Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit, held in October 2024 in Dubai. In his insightful presentation, Huawei’s corporate senior vice president, noted that, while traditional industries cannot be transformed overnight, digital transformation is inevitable, and the companies need to work hard to develop industry-specific solutions, incorporating data-driven processes into their operation. The construction industry provides a vivid example of this process. Ksenia Zagorskaya, a manager with over a decade of project experience, a recent Bentley University (‘2024) MSBA graduate, and a creator of an original cloud-based construction management software, shares her view on the digitalization trends and their growing role for construction, as well as other industries.
“One of the main challenges the construction industry has faced in recent years is the need to find the most efficient ways to operate in the face of supply chains and labor shortages,” she explains. While these challenges were present for a long time, they were exacerbated by the pandemic, and since then remain an obstacle for the industry as a whole. Ksenia Zagorskaya developed a solution, which increases efficiency in an innovative way, namely, through applying Internet of Things solutions.
Her project, The Tres Hilos, integrates advanced technologies to optimize the management and performance of construction fleets. Through sensors strategically mounted at the key components of construction vehicles, real-time data is accumulated, which provides clients with unparalleled insights and control, allowing them to monitor vehicle operation in great detail and achieve maximum optimization and efficiency. The automation and digitalization feature of the software allows businesses to streamline complex industrial processes and digitize document flow including blockchain contracting reducing manual efforts and minimizing the risk of construction project overruns and giving multiple operational costs savings opportunities.
The Tres Hilos stands out by providing a robust suite of functionalities that cater to diverse stakeholders within the construction ecosystem. With real-time vehicle tracking and analytics, the software delivers actionable insights, empowering company executives, management teams, and on-site staff to make data-driven decisions. Its ability to forecast work plans, track deviations between projected and actual outputs, and evaluate the profitability of projects prior to commitments ensures operational transparency and financial prudence. The integration of IoT-enabled sensors and AI-driven forecasting further enhances its capability, enabling predictive maintenance and optimizing fleet efficiency.
Moreover, the deployment of blockchain technology within its operations introduces smart contract functionality and secure fleet leasing arrangements, ensuring streamlined and tamper-proof documentation. By incorporating non-standard sensors to track specific vehicle activities—like the precise movements of an excavator bucket—The Tres Hilos delivers innovative and tailored solutions that position it as a leader in telematics and heavy equipment fleet management.
With a focus on predictive analytics and advanced forecasting, the platform offers actionable recommendations to mitigate risks, optimize schedules, and reduce costs. By addressing both strategic and on-the-ground needs, The Tres Hilos empowers businesses to achieve heightened productivity, operational resilience, and a competitive edge in the industry.
Currently, the project is at the stage of a minimal working prototype, with the core technology being copyrighted and currently being implemented by several companies. The performance of The Tres Hilos has already been proven by practice, helping early clients improve their decision-making and decrease operational costs.
The further development of the Tres Hilos Startup takes on special significance in the context of recently published analyzes of a current state of the construction sector conducted by leading consulting firms. According to Deloitte’s “2024 engineering and construction industry outlook”, the advancement of digitalization and generative AI has become key areas that may help engineering and construction firms capitalize on projected industry growth and tackle unforeseen challenges.In addition, McKinsey & Company In their report “Imagining construction’s digital future,” outlines five trends that will shape construction and capital projects, including the development of digital-native leaders and the adoption of rapid digital mapping and estimating technologies.
Moreover, the U.S. government acknowledges the critical role of digital transformation in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the construction industry. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), enacted in 2021, allocates substantial funding to modernize infrastructure, emphasizing the integration of advanced technologies in construction projects. This initiative aims to improve project delivery, reduce costs, and ensure the longevity of infrastructure investments.
These perspectives underscore a concerted effort to leverage digital technologies to transform the construction industry, enhancing its efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. The Tres Hilos Project clearly embodied this trend, providing construction companies with cutting-edge tools for reducing operational costs and streamlining complex processes.
It is worth noting that this project is not the first time Ksenia Zagorskaya has implemented efficient digital solutions for an industry that operates primarily in the physical world and not in the digital space. In her previous position at the Russian fashion atelier Vash Razmer, she implemented an innovative online service that allowed clients to order alteration and fittings services online from the comfort of their homes. This solution, unparalleled within the market, brought the company a 5% profit increase while making the service more convenient for the clients.
“Data-based decision-making is of increased importance for successfully operating a business in any industry, be it construction, fashion, or something else,” emphasizes Ksenia Zagorskaya. She continues that, while the solutions should be tailored to the demands and specifics of a particular industry, there are approaches that can be applied universally. The proof of this is, for instance, another service developed by her for the fashion atelier, a management dashboard with data collection and real-time updates and reports, which was later adopted by a transport company with some modifications.
Ksenia Zagorskaya comments that developing and implementing digital solutions with the potential to become universal requires the ability to learn continuously, explore various perspectives, and expand one’s understanding of the market both in wider and more niche scopes. To this moment, she accumulated four degrees, starting her education by acquiring a BSc in Economics in Moscow and continuing to study in London and the USA, to gain a deeper understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of business operation, studying for an MSBA degree at Bentley University in 2021 – 2024.
However, the process of implementing digital solutions, such as industrial applications of IoT, has its pitfalls as well. As digitalization becomes a major trend across multiple industries, companies may want to implement new technologies for the sake of them, which can give a short-term boost, but will not remain beneficial in the long term. Ksenia Zagorskaya notes that the implementation of a digital service into the business operation should be preceded by thorough research which will reveal the points where applying innovative solutions will yield maximum returns. This is the approach she follows while working with her clients, to find the way to implement IoT and digital tools in the ways that are the most efficient specifically for them.
“Bridging the gap between the digital world and operation in a physical world is what makes the technology efficient at the end of the day,” concludes Ksenia Zagorskaya, “I hope to bring innovative solutions to the industries that currently lack it, helping my clients to not only achieve increasing profits but stay efficient and sustainable in the long term.” Currently, she is already working on the next version of the Tres Hilos Project, implementing improvements based on previous experience and establishing partnerships with US-based collaborators. Hopefully, the project, along with the other solutions mentioned above, will help to grow a new, more sustainable way for the industry to operate.
