Zalando Fulfillment Center MEP Fit-Out | Bleiswijk, Netherlands

DPR’s scope, MEP fit-out, was tightly interrelated to other building systems. Many trade partners needed to perform installations in the same areas of the facility, requiring close coordination to avoid clashes. DPR’s team went beyond managing our own trade partners, helping to lead and organize the larger group of participants for the benefit of the overall project.

DPR solicited input from Zalando’s vendors by converting our 3D model into 2D—a format vendors were more comfortable using—then taking the annotated drawings, updating our model and detecting clashes virtually. DPR augmented the model with laser scanning, performed at several stages, to capture areas like the robotic shuttle system, so the model accurately reflected the as-built conditions.

Beyond coordinating the teams onsite, DPR also built positive relationships with trade partners. At the beginning of the project, trade partners were hesitant to work in DPR’s non-traditional, more collaborative way of working. DPR’s approach of going beyond compliance with safety regulations and towards prevention of incidents was also unfamiliar. We made everyone feel part of a single team through safety awards to recognize outstanding performance and events like Construction Inclusion Week and Construction Safety Week. By the end of the project, we achieved 150,000 incident-free work hours, and many of our trade partners expressed an interest in working with us on future projects.

This project demonstrated what sets DPR apart from the market— making decisions for the good of the project and our customer’s interest.

DPR demonstrated flexibility accommodating Zalando and its vendors. One of the examples was the electrical sockets, which are typically commissioned in phases, with specific areas becoming live at one time. The robotic shuttle system vendor needed specific sockets to be live to proceed with their installation. DPR prepared a commissioning schedule which prioritized specific sockets. In some cases, DPR arranged for temporary cabling and electrical panels to get specific components Zalando wanted to operate first. By being flexible, progress by Zalando and its vendors could keep proceeding at pace.

When it came time to hand over the facility, we wanted Zalando’s experience to be as smooth as possible. We assisted their operations team by explaining where to find information and whether it was in the format which was desired. We also outlined the functions DPR was performing which would need to be transferred over.