Digital Construction Consultant Kat McLeod is a WSP changemaker

Kat McLeod is a Digital Construction Consultant using the power of data to bring teams together and unlock value for WSP clients.

Kat supports WSP's clients by defining their strategic information needs and ensure the data that is created through design and construction, as part of the BIM process, is reliable and can be used downstream in operations.

Data, when managed correctly, is part of the golden thread across the full life of a project. Kat's role allows her to positively influence a broad spectrum of factors in each project, helping to identify opportunities and efficiencies.

Facilitating innovation and collaboration between teams and clients

"A major issue in construction is that disciplines work in silos and the data they produce can sometimes be unreliable and untested," explains Kat. "I work with contractors and design teams, both internally and externally, to improve their working practices and ensure they are not only thinking of their own deliverables, but also considering how their data outputs can be used by others. It’s exciting to map out new uses for the data, providing additional value to our clients. We’ve used it to create sophisticated 3D models in game engines for client and end user engagement, organised it to produce embodied carbon calculations, set up KPI dashboards and helped create fully functional Digital Twins."

"Communication is key in our line of work, and structured data is a common language used by project teams. Access to this structured data helps our clients make informed decisions and provide insight on their projects," says Kat.

Data unlocks project insights and opportunities

It became clear to Kat the substantial benefits digital construction can have on a project when she worked on Hanover, a 233,400 sqft mixed use development in the heart of London. This involved refurbishment of 12 existing buildings, many with grade II listed Edwardian facades, a large new building and all directly positioned above a live Crossrail project within a constrained site in central London. The level of complexity was unlike anything that at had worked on before. "There were so many trades to coordinate, so many models, so much data," reflects Kat.

"By managing the coordination process digitally, we had access to a lot more data that we could then interrogate and display as useful information within a web-based dashboard. It allowed us to identify locations in the project where we had a higher concentration of coordination issues and where extra support was needed. Using this insight and robust coordination process, we were able to adapt and personalise our approach to meet the clients’ needs and ultimately de-risk the project.

"We worked with the teams to develop an asset data package which reused the data produced through design and construction. The client was then able to use this to pre-populate the facilities management data, creating a digital asset legacy which could then be used during its operational phase.

"Without the digital processes we had in place I’m not sure how we’d have managed the project. Collaboration and structured data are key to unlocking a projects full potential."