24 Years of Partnership: OBOS and hsbcad Take the Next Step from Design to Production

OBOS is one of the largest housing developers in the Nordic region, designing and manufacturing prefabricated timber homes across three factories in Sweden. With a focus on industrializing the building process and connecting design with production, OBOS has made hsbcad technology part of that journey, working with hsbDesign for both Autodesk Revit® and AutoCAD® across its design workflows. In 2026, the partnership is taking another step forward as OBOS implements hsbMake to extend that digital connection all the way into production.

“Today, we change models from architect to construction, and then to the factory. Now, we will have one flow.”, said Stefan Carlsson, COO at OBOS Sweden.

Watch the full client testimonial below to hear directly from the OBOS team about their 24-year partnership with hsbcad and the next step in connecting design and production with hsbMake.

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Building on 24 years of collaboration

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Pictured above: Stefan Carlsson (COO at OBOS Sweden), Hilde Sevens (CEO at hsbcad), Joakim Henriksson (Former CEO at OBOS Sweden), Keith Cotter (Business Development Manager at hsbcad)

For OBOS, the decision to take this next step with hsbcad builds on more than technology. It builds on a relationship developed over more than two decades.The OBOS team describes the long partnership as a foundation for trust and deeper cooperation. That experience is particularly important as the company prepares its production environment for a more digital and automated future.

OBOS is developing a new, highly automated factory while simultaneously preparing its existing operations, processes and people for that transition.The ambition is to create a more continuous digital flow: from architecture and design, through detailed production information, and ultimately to the machinery on the factory floor.

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OBOS’ new factory in Sweden, estimated to be completed in 2027.

As the OBOS team explains, the goal is to move away from a workflow where information changes hands between different models and processes, toward one connected flow from design to production.

‍Connecting design and production with one source of truth

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Today, OBOS works with hsbDesign for Revit® and AutoCAD® across its design workflows. In AutoCAD, the team prepares models for production by dividing them into producible elements and preparing the information needed downstream, while its use of hsbDesign for Revit®  continues to develop around framing styles, wall types and openings.

The next step is to bring that model-based information closer to the factory through hsbMake.

Parts of OBOS’ current workflow still rely on printed production drawings containing large amounts of information and requiring additional manual input on the factory floor. When a model changes, drawings may need to be regenerated, printed and supplemented again, increasing the risk of information being missed or lost along the way.

“To be successful with the information flow from design to production,you need to have a single source of truth.”, Tobias Jansson, Factory Manager, OBOS, Myresjö.

With hsbMake, the ambition is to shift from designing primarily for paper toward a more connected, model-based workflow where designers and production teams can work from the same data and operators can access the information relevant to their production station.

As OBOS moves toward greater automation, this also means taking a closer look at how data is structured and standardized from the beginning. The goal is not simply to replace paper with screens, but to create a reliable flow of information from design to production, bringing the two teams closer together and laying the digital foundation for a more automated factory.

Implementing hsbMake step by step

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hsbView used in the factory

At OBOS, the hsbMake implementation is taking place step by step, allowing production teams to adapt to the new workflow without one large changeover. Starting with Line 27, the team tested the process with operators, refined the configuration and expanded from there.

The response from production has been positive. What began with tablets has developed into digital screens at production stations, with operators quickly becoming comfortable with the new way of working. By introducing hsbMake progressively and working closely with the people who use it every day, digitalizing production becomes a manageable transition rather than a disruptive one.

Bringing the factory floor along

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hsbMake Screens in OBOS factory

Technology is only one part of a digital transformation. For OBOS, involving the people who will use the system every day has been equally important. The production teams were brought into the process early, with opportunities to test hsbMake and understand how it would affect their work. While moving away from familiar paper-based processes naturally created some initial hesitation, feedback from the first pilots has been encouraging.

“After like 30 minutes, everybody [was saying], ‘This is perfect. Why haven’t we used it before?’”, Lisa Lind – Team Leader, Timber House Production, OBOS, Myresjö

The team also highlighted the advantage of seeing only the information needed at a particular production station, rather than navigating all the information contained on a single paper drawing.

Preparing for the factory of the future

The implementation is still in progress, with additional production lines, stations and system integrations ahead. As OBOS moves toward greater automation, reliable and structured data will become increasingly important across the production process.

After 24 years of collaboration, hsbDesign for Revit® and AutoCAD® and the ongoing implementation of hsbMake mark the next step in the partnership: bringing design and production closer together and creating one connected digital workflow from model to factory.

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