How can digital product data translate into real processes on the construction site? In this Ask the Expert interview, Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel of Würth explains why manufacturers play a key role as data partners in the BIM ecosystem – and why having the right level of information often matters more than having the maximum level of detail.
About Würth
The Würth Group is regarded as a global market leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of assembly and fastening materials, with more than 400 companies in over 80 countries. Its product range extends from screws, anchors and fastening solutions to tools, chemical-technical products and personal protective equipment. In the BIM context, Würth is particularly relevant at the interface between the digital building model and the physical construction product. The company provides product data that can be used in planning and BIM processes — for example for fastening and assembly solutions, quantity take-off, procurement, logistics and execution. This means the focus is not only on the physical product, but also on structured, machine-readable information designed to connect construction processes from planning and ordering through to the construction site.
Matthaeus-Sebastian Grzondziel has been BIM Lead at BPM / Würth in Norway since August 2026. Prior to this, he worked there as BIM Manager & Digital Architect. His previous roles include positions at A-lab Arkitekter in Norway, CRM PLAN GmbH, WSP Deutschland GmbH and freelance BIM coordination. His career has long been closely linked to BIM, digital planning and the connection between models, data and execution. His work focuses on BIM management, digital architecture, data structures and the question of how digital models can be translated into concrete planning, procurement and construction-site processes.
BIM World: Würth is best known for fastening and assembly technology, tools and construction products. Where do you see your role in the BIM ecosystem?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: With several tens of thousands of product variants, a data-centric structure is not a nice-to-have for us; it is a fundamental requirement. It is the only way to create planning certainty at this scale. That is why we see ourselves in the BIM ecosystem as a data partner and integrator between planning, product and execution. Our focus is on creating a seamless information chain across all project phases, as described in ISO 19650. As a single source of truth, we provide consistent, machine-readable product data. This data can be used directly in customers’ planning and BIM applications and connected to eCommerce and ERP processes. So it is not just about the physical construction product. It is about digital information management across the entire lifecycle of the component – and ultimately of the building itself.
BIM World: What information do you need to provide so that your products can be used in a BIM model?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: The information always needs to match the specific project phase. We structure our data architecture in line with the requirements of ISO 7817-1. The key point is that not every model needs the same level of information at every stage. That is why we do not provide overloaded data sets, but rely on an adaptive information architecture. Our digital component libraries for prefabrication- and assembly-oriented planning are supported by dynamic data management in the background. This allows the level of information in the digital model to be scaled precisely as needed – from simple classification in preliminary design through to precise, machine-readable control data for execution.
BIM World: The more accurately a real product is represented in the BIM model, the more specific the planning becomes. At the same time, planning often needs to remain as manufacturer-neutral as possible. How do you handle this tension?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: This tension creates a real dilemma for the construction industry. On the one hand, early planning phases need to remain manufacturer-neutral so that tenders stay open and competitive. On the other hand, investors and ESG requirements increasingly demand precise, component-level carbon footprints and lifecycle assessments, for example for project financing.
These values can only be calculated reliably using manufacturer-specific EPDs – Environmental Product Declarations. We address this tension through an adaptive information architecture.
In early project phases, planners work with generic placeholders in the digital model. These can be enriched in the background through dynamic data management using industry-standard emission values.
Once the project reaches the execution stage and product-specific decisions are required, precise manufacturer-specific environmental and logistics data becomes available. This keeps planning flexible at first, while ensuring that the required level of information is available exactly when it is needed for sustainability certifications and supply chain management.
In our view, neutrality in planning and precision in sustainability reporting are not mutually exclusive. They are simply decoupled in time.
BIM World: What role do open standards and interfaces play in ensuring that your ble?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: For many users, a seamless user experience is crucial. That is why we rely on the Autodesk ecosystem. This decision is based on its clear market position, the efficiency of an integrated end-to-end solution and what we see as excellent collaboration capabilities within these platforms.
At the same time, open standards and robust, bidirectional interfaces are absolutely essential. We ensure interoperability and support the openBIM approach by consistently aligning our data structures with the IFC classes defined in ISO 16739. This means that product data remains usable not only within the Autodesk ecosystem, but can also be processed across other manufacturers’ systems.
To strengthen this system-neutral approach, particularly with regard to the building resource passport, we also reference our data to established data dictionaries such as the buildingSMART Data Dictionary. This provides an important basis for automated circularity processes and future urban mining.
BIM World: How can digital planning and BIM help identify potential errors in fastening and assembly solutions before construction begins, rather than only during execution on site?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: With our own Würth Technical Software, we validate solutions very early in the planning process. Using intelligent rule sets and connected checks in the background of the digital model, we assess the buildability and structural performance of fastening solutions long before they are used on site.
Clash detection in line with VDI 2552 and automated assembly checks in the digital model help identify errors early and significantly reduce trial and error during execution.
In retrofitting projects – meaning conversion, refurbishment or upgrading of existing buildings – we are also supported by our specialized Scan-2-Project team. It provides the foundations needed for reliable digital planning.
BIM World: Can a BIM model already become more than a planning tool today – for example, a concrete bill of materials, an order or even targeted material provision on the construction site?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: Direct procurement from the digital model is a central part of end-to-end digital processes. Once all components are assigned to spatial and time-based zones, precise bills of materials can be derived from them and transferred directly to ERP and eCommerce systems via API interfaces.
This can eliminate error-prone manual quantity take-off. Another important part of our strategy is data democratization, meaning easy access to project data for different roles within the company.
This allows colleagues from commercial departments to access the relevant project data from the authoring systems without having to work in Autodesk themselves. In this way, technical model data also becomes usable for purchasing, cost calculation and logistics – without media breaks.
BIM World: Looking five years ahead, what is your vision for the connection between the digital building model, the real construction product, procurement and the construction site?
Matthäus-Sebastian Grzondziel: I am convinced that in five years, construction data ecosystems will be fully connected. The digital model will serve as a central dashboard for the entire project lifecycle. Automated ordering processes can be triggered via API calls.
On the construction site, systems will capture construction progress and feed this operational data back into project management as a digital shadow, enabling lean processes to be managed in real time. Specialized agents will orchestrate the entire process chain from planning and manufacturing through to just-in-time delivery.
This is not just a vision. With our Big Data team, we already have the expertise in-house. We provide tailored information packages for the entire process landscape. These not only drive logistics, but also provide the essential machine-readable data basis for autonomous assembly robots.