What soup and a system architect have to do with each other

Robert Verwijs started the post-higher professional education System Architect Building Automation and Management course at TVVL in 2017. He now also works as a System Architect at Heijmans. Some time has passed and we ask Robert and his manager John Verspeek about their experiences with the training and how Heijmans has incorporated this into daily practice.

Robert immediately starts talking about his experiences with the training; 'It was a fun and educational course where you learn to think at a higher level. The teaching days are very interesting. Your fellow students all come from other companies, so you also hear a lot about how things are going at others. What works, what doesn't work. You also learn from that. When I started the training it was still relatively new. It was good to see that TVVL really does something with the feedback they receive from their students.' Robert came with a clear goal; he wanted to learn a lot. And it worked; 'I wanted to learn what to pay attention to when setting up and securing technical networks. But I learned so much more. For example, how to be a good discussion partner towards different parties such as ICT, client, customer, colleagues, etc.'

Captain at Heijmans

However, the decision to have Robert participate in the training was not taken lightly within Heijmans. John Verspeek explains how this works; 'We at Heijmans still had some 'cold feet' regarding following the System Architect training course. Until we attended a presentation during the conference in 2017 Bits, Bricks & Behavior. We became enthusiastic because the System Architect training fits perfectly with Heijmans' total vision of focusing on comfort, technology and energy. We assessed the training needs of our employees through development interviews. Robert had expressed his need to take the System Architect course at TVVL. We also considered Robert to be the suitable candidate to be the first to receive this training within Heijmans. In the meantime, we had also formulated an operational plan within our Design & Engineering department. Four themes were defined that we wanted to integrate within our department: Energy Transition, Circularity, Data and Smart Building. So-called expert teams were formed and it seemed more than logical to us to have Robert join the Smart Buildings expert team. He does this, in addition to his other projects, with a lot of passion. He can now fully utilize the knowledge he gained from the System Architect training course and he makes grateful use of it. He can also fully develop himself in this, because we also master all disciplines within Heijmans. It is now also his job to create support among all disciplines and to demonstrate how important system architecture is within a total project. It is an enormous challenge to get everyone on the same page, to speak the same language and to make full use of all the possibilities available to a building and installations. But this challenge is in good hands with Robert. Heijmans is ready for the future and has an excellent captain on board in Robert to create a user-friendly project through good, well-thought-out system architecture, where the end customer can benefit from every comfort.'

Spider in the web

It is nice to hear that Heijmans has such confidence in Robert and to see how they view a system architect. Robert has received a strong foundation for this from his training. What benefited Robert most? Robert is very clear about this; 'Not specifically 1 course component, but the entire part about networks, data processing, cybersecurity and smart design. Those were the most useful parts for me. The other parts were broadly already known and mainly provided useful depth. The group also experienced the Human Skills component as very useful and educational.' Robert continues enthusiastically about how he can put what he has learned into practice; 'I particularly benefited from the parts in which you learn how to make a draft design of a technical network and how to create this with all parties involved using the Human Skills learned. As a System Architect, you may think that you are just creating a technical network for a building, but that is not how it works. Experience shows that you do this together with all parties involved and that as a System Architect you are the spider in the web. You talk to the client about what he wants, you translate this to the technicians with whom you further develop the design and you consult with the managers about the necessity and costs. Each party has its own interest in the story and wants to have a say in it.'

Smartening buildings

At Heijmans they are working on Smart Buildings, or as Robert calls it “smartening buildings with sensors, among other things”. Robert says about this; 'I have been asked to think about the future of Smart Buildings. My involvement in this is partly because I completed the System Architect training course. I look at the design of a technical network with which installations can be linked. This must be done in such a way that the data it generates can be used by our data analysts.' Heijmans clearly sees the position of System Architect as part of the Smart Buildings strategy. To create a Smart Building, they are currently developing a platform where everything comes together. Based on data analysis, they want to be able to deliver various functional packages for facilities, energy management, functional use and maintenance. This is currently one of the highest priorities within Heijmans.

Soup or not

One of the practical examples that shows that Heijmans has actually achieved returns by deploying a system architect is the National Military Museum in Soesterberg. Robert explains how that works; 'In the museum, for example, we measure all kinds of visitor data with sensors. Such as how many people come, how they move through the building, which museum piece they spend a long time on and what they find less interesting. This helps the museum curators to better organize the exhibition. But we can go even further with this data by combining our data with, for example, the weather forecast. With simple data analytics let's show the caterer that on some days they don't need soup at all because it will be a tropically warm day. That saves work and money and they don't have to throw away food. That's a huge hit. Because ultimately you want a building to be used to its full potential. This can be done by linking the right data, but you need a system in the background that is well thought out and links the right installations. That's where good system architecture comes into play.'

The future is data driven

Robert also thinks that the role of a System Architect will become increasingly important in the future within the world of building automation and Smart Buildings. Robert; 'This is because everything is increasingly data-driven and the system architecture for unlocking this data is the basis for doing this safely and reliably. During the realization of the work, but also during the entire lifespan of the building.'

Advice from Robert

Of course, as a former student, we also ask Robert for some advice about the training. Robert especially has a tip for the examination; 'My advice is to also test the Human Skills section. Now it is still a theoretical exam. Conduct a case with the students to see whether they can also communicate well. Having a good conversation with your stakeholders is very important, otherwise you will not make it as a system architect. But I would definitely recommend the training. The training has added value, especially for people who already have a number of years of experience in building automation.'