CECI Engineering Consultants partners with GreenHope.Applying blockchain to engineering governance
【Published by: iThome | Editor: Weng Chian-Ru | Translator: Statecraft 】
We often hear of engineering disputes. In the face of such problems, CECI Engineering Consultants, Inc. Taiwan has begun to work with blockchain startup GreenHope to apply blockchain to engineering governance and try to make the underlying subcontractor’s Contracts and engineering data are more transparent. This year, GreenHope will conduct the second phase of verification with financial institutions to expand the tracking of the flow of engineering funds for special funds. At the same time, it will also try to use on-chain data as a possibility for financing risk assessment.
In October last year, a number of public works in Taoyuan that totaled more than NT $ 1.1 billion were suspended. It was suspected that the company’s check could not be cashed. The same scene also occurred in Kinmen. The original builder responsible for the Shuitou Wharf Passenger Service Center project also stopped work due to financial problems. Project breach incidents are often heard. Once they occur, it is not easy to clarify the problems. Chou, Lie-Liung, the chairman of CECI, Taiwan ’s largest engineering consulting company, frankly said
Because the data is opaque, there is no trusted source for the algorithm officer to resolve the dispute. Therefore, CECI cooperates with the new blockchain startup “GreenHope” to put digital engineering data on the chain and tries to ensure the trustworthiness of each piece of engineering data through the immutability of the blockchain.
CECI, which often undertakes major government public works, has begun to introduce Building Information Modeling (BIM) as early as 2010. Not only buildings but even construction design data for civil engineering is digitized. CECI’s BIM system is not only an internal system, but also a data-sharing platform, which provides engineering data exchange between subcontractors at each level below it, which may include pipeline data, mechanical and electrical equipment data, civil construction data, and even space design data. However, once a legal dispute occurs between subcontractors, CECI, as the platform manager, may also have to bear some of the data guarantee responsibility.
Lin Hsiang-Hsu, an engineer who once worked at CECI, later founded GreenHope. It took a year to link the CECI BIM information system to the blockchain through the API, and the detailed information of each piece of engineering data was on the chain, Including creator, shared object, creation time, content, etc.
Lin Hsiang-Hsu pointed out that truthfully recording each data transmission process and ensuring that it can be trusted is a key to clarifying the dispute. He exemplified the advantages of data on-chain. For example, today, there is a 20-floor building where the air-conditioning line is defective. At this time, to find the responsible object, we must start from the building management industry that controls the central air-conditioning from the upper level, find the builders down, and get the electrical and mechanical equipment and pipeline distribution map Then, I went down to find the original supplier of air-conditioning equipment, that is, the responsible service provider, to further repair and solve the problem, but in fact, the customer’s demand was to blow air-conditioning in three hours. At this time, through a third-party blockchain industry to provide verification services, so that the information can be traced, trusted and transparent, the problem can be solved faster.
At present, CECI has completed the first stage of verification with GreenHope, and the project files are on the chain. This year’s goal is to further use the blockchain to track the flow and use of funds to confirm that each fund in the construction process has a basis. Special funds for project progress, for example, whether the cost of purchasing raw materials has been paid to the supplier, and the flow of funds can be recorded through the blockchain to quickly find abnormal conditions and supervise the project execution.
Even the worker’s production rate can be regularly aggregated on the blockchain as a reference for whether the project progress is delayed, Lin Hsiang-Hsu explained. It may also be used as a reference for financial institutions to evaluate financing risks in the future. The low rate of work and the increased probability of project delays will increase the risk of financing.
The application of this project to govern the blockchain application is not to directly solve the problems of builder breach of contract and shutdowns. However, by providing trusted information from relevant units, there is an opportunity to start from the bottom unit to reduce the risk that builders’ checks cannot be cashed. “Blockchain can ensure secure and transparent information exchange between different organizations, “said Lin Hsiang-Hsu.
GreenHope will also use the blockchain to create public welfare savings banks and corporate ride-hailing services
Not only engineering governance on the chain, GreenHope is also conducting a Blockchain verification plan for corporate employee ride-hailing services project with CECI, as a proof of corporate carbon savings.
This service uses the blockchain to record the shared distance shared by employees driving by themselves, and then cooperates with PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan to convert the saved distance into the actual reduction of carbon emissions as corporate social responsibility (CSR) Results. Lin Hsiang-Hsu said that the difference between this ride-hailing service and Uber and Lyft ride-hailing is that there will be no empty cars driving on the road. because there are empty cars driving, it will increase carbon emissions. Currently, it is also conducting a three-month trial operation with Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau.
GreenHope also has a public welfare blockchain project this year. It has begun to cooperate with the Taoyuan City Government’s Social Business Center and local companies to promote a public welfare savings bank, combined with the blockchain, to create a corporate donated material, and A media platform for public interest groups or individuals to receive supplies.
In the past, companies donating scattered idle resources, such as obsolete mobile phones, computers, or worship offerings, it takes a lot of costs to engage with non-profit groups, and complicated administrative management processes may affect their willingness to donate. However, through the blockchain media matching platform, the needs of the donor and the receiver are recorded first, and then the system is used to match, which can reduce the communication cost. Lin Hsiang-Hsu said that through the combination of blockchain and logistics management mechanism, the donation process of materials can be made more transparent. In the future, even GPS can be used to check the records when people receive materials to more fully track the dynamics of the logistics.
At present, all three projects are tested and verified by Ethereum and have not been officially launched yet. Lin Hsiang-Hsu said that the API will also be released in the future to provide external concatenation.
■ Source: iThome
■ Note: Please specify the source or references of the article for reproduced.
■ Solemn declaration: We reproduced articles and news for purpose of sharing information. Copyright belongs to the original author. If there is any infringement/error, please contact us as soon as possible, modify or delete action will be implemented immediately. Content analysis is for information purposes only and does not constitute any investment advice.
■ View Disclaimer: the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.
■ Please visit our site: Statecraft for more information and the latest news update.
■ Follow Us 👉 Instagram| Facebook | Telegram | Twitter | Youtube | Linkedin | Line@
■ Customer Service：contact@ktrade.email
■ Business Contact： blockchain@statecraft.ltd
