Could
BARLEY ERFA
Industry
The construction industry
Year
2025
Services
AI, Operations, Software Development
BARLEY ERFA
The BYG-ERFA foundation collects, processes and disseminates construction technical experience from construction practice and research. The dissemination of experience is particularly aimed at professionals in construction, such as design, consulting and supervisory architects, engineers, constructors, craftsmen, contractors, etc.
The foundation's purpose is to contribute to the dissemination of experience on construction technical conditions in order to thereby increase the technical quality of construction. Dissemination takes place primarily through experience sheets written by external experts and the content is quality assured and validated by BYG-ERFA's Technicians Group.
An experience sheet is 2, 3 or 4 A4 pages long. It is based on a construction technical problem and describes the damage and errors that can occur. It then guides you in how to repair the damage and how to prevent the damage in the future. Photos, tables and drawings are used to illustrate.
Over many years, BYG-ERFA has built up an extensive archive with more than 800 experience sheets, both valid and canceled magazines.
Challenge: With over 800 experience sheets in the archive, users could only search for precise keywords, which could make the search process of finding the right experience sheet too cumbersome.
A strong knowledge base, but a search experience with limitations
BYG-ERFA's content has historically been published in printed form and later as PDF documents on the organization's website, accessible through a subscription-based solution. The content is thorough and professionally solid, but as the archive grew, it became increasingly difficult for users to find the right knowledge.
The challenge was not a lack of knowledge, but access to it. With more than 800 PDFs in the archive, search was primarily based on simple keywords. This meant that users often had to know the exact wording or document titles to find the right material – a particular challenge when the need for answers arose urgently on the construction site.
Precision, source basis and full control over data
As a sender of construction knowledge, BYG-ERFA cannot compromise on precision.
A new solution should therefore not only make searching easier, but at the same time maintain the professional credibility that is at the heart of BYG-ERFA's work.
- find and present information based on verified sources
- avoid free or unsafe AI interpretations
- give BYG-ERFA full control over content, operation and data
- meet high requirements for data security, compliance and data protection
Data sovereignty was therefore a key requirement. BYG-ERFA wanted a solution where the content was not shared with third parties or placed on foreign servers without full insight and control. The technology had to be transparent, controllable and European-based.
“I can only say that the collaboration has been really good. KOLLAB has throughout the process had a good understanding of our wishes and needs,” says Jacob Friderichsen, construction technical teacher at BYG-ERFA.
An AI-supported knowledge platform built on BYG-ERFA's own content
The solution was a new AI-supported knowledge platform, developed based on BYG-ERFA's existing material and clear quality requirements.
The core of the platform is a structured knowledge database where the documents can be accessed via context-based search. Instead of matching only exact words, the system can understand the context and intention behind the user's query. It makes it possible to find relevant documents even when the user does not formulate himself with the same words as in the original material.
Jacob Friderichsen adds:
“After all, we have had to continuously adjust the project and new needs have appeared in the process, which then had to be implemented. It requires close cooperation and a good understanding of our wishes and requirements for the AI search chatbot.”
Documented knowledge in dialogue form
On top of the context-based search, a chatbot has been implemented, which gives the user a more intuitive and dialogue-based access to the content inspired by the way many people today know from ChatGPT.
The user can ask questions in natural language, e.g.:
“What can be done about a damp basement?”
The system first provides a short, factual answer and then presents the most relevant BYG-ERFA documents. This gives the user both a quick overview and direct access to the underlying sources, so that the answer can be checked and used in the right professional context.
Data security as a design principle
Data security has been a guiding principle throughout the solution. The platform is self-hosted and all services used are located in Europe. No documents are shared or sent to external platforms outside BYG-ERFA's control.
It ensures that both content and user data are handled responsibly and in accordance with applicable requirements for compliance and data protection.
Responsible implementation with an eye to the next step
The solution is initially used internally at BYG-ERFA, where it is thoroughly tested and validated before it is made available to members and subscribers. A central focus has been to ensure a responsible use of AI, where the answers are based exclusively on verified content in the database – not general knowledge or free interpretations.
In this way, BYG-ERFA's professional authority and high level of quality are preserved, while at the same time access to knowledge becomes significantly more effective.
The result is a platform where AI makes BYG-ERFA's knowledge more accessible without compromising on professionalism, documentation or control. BYG-ERFA thus strengthens its role as the industry's trustworthy knowledge bank, while users get faster and more precise access to the knowledge they need in everyday life.