Siers Group - I see, I see, what you don't see

For the Dutch underground infrastructure market, Siers Group has become synonymous with diversity, expertise, and commitment. Siers was founded in Oldenzaal and has its main headquarters there. In addition to multiple branches in Oldenzaal, Siers has six branches spread across central Netherlands and one branch just across the border in Germany. With over 700 employees, they dedicate themselves daily to the construction and maintenance of essential underground infrastructures that form the backbone of our society. The company provides a comprehensive range of services, covering gas, water, electricity, telecommunications, and heat. What sets Siers apart is not only their diverse expertise but also the collegial family bond.

As a medium-sized player in the Dutch market, Siers occupies a unique position. They combine the advantages of there in-house expertise with the agility to work effectively and position themselves as partners to their clients. What distinguishes Siers is their ability to think ahead, act proactively, relieve clients of concerns, and be mindful of the interests of the end customer. Through early involvement, projects can be completed faster and with perfect quality.

Siers strives for improvement every day. This goal is achieved through their caring approach to employees, considered the beating heart of the company. The versatile skills of almost all technicians enable them to work independently in a dynamic environment. A notable example is Siers' capability to locate underground infrastructure using the latest innovations in cable and pipeline detection, such as the Leica DS2000 ground radar, and then immediately deploy an excavation team on-site to create trial trenches.

Siers consciously allows space for continuous improvement of processes in collaboration with clients and stakeholders in the chain. One of these processes involves the use of innovative GIS technology for utility management. A significant challenge in mapping cables and pipelines is measurement during open trenching. Siers, however, does not shy away from challenges, and by handling both engineering, execution and as-built measurements in-house, they sought a solution for a more efficient workflow, a Siers Infraconsultant began searching for a solution for a more efficient workflow. This includes distinguishing the process in terms of the transport pipelines and the house connections.

Siers adapted the workflow so that the foreman can measure house connections himself. Ruben van Rijssen, the process leader for house connections, says, "He does this with a Leica FLX100 GNSS antenna connected to a tablet on the measuring pole. The foreman sketches the situation on the tablet in the GoMapforms app from GOconnectIT. Then, using the FLX100, he measures the start, end, and bend points/components of the connection with GNSS. This way, the sketch is geo-referenced and immediately ready for use in the client's GIS system." Mechiel van Manen, operational manager at Infraconsult, says, "The new digital method has proven to be much more efficient than the traditional method. Besides being faster, a lot of costs are saved by preventing errors. The measurement with FLX100 is very reliable."

The Siers Group is well on its way to making the measurement of transport lines much more efficient. Furthermore, with the new digital workflow, they are directly working according to the client's methodology, namely in GIS. The intermediate step often made in the market through CAD or even PDF files will hopefully soon be a thing of the past.