How Technology Is Transforming The Construction Industry
The
construction industry is in a moment of enormous change. Business is booming —
along with the number, complexity, and duration of projects. Increasingly,
companies are expected to be able to meet or exceed timelines and budgets
offered by competitors. According to McKinsey, many firms aren’t keeping up,
with some large projects running 20% over time and up to 80% over budget. At
the same time, construction companies struggle to find skilled workers to staff
their projects.
To
keep up with these increasing pressures, construction companies are embracing
new technologies to gain competitive advantage. “The industry is at a
technological tipping point,” says Stephanie Viers, construction industry
expert at Smartsheet. “We talk to hundreds of our customers in construction,
and we hear the same story: it’s evolve or die. The competitive pressures are
just too great to forego the advantages technology offers.” Here are three ways
technology is changing the construction industry.
1) Real-time Visibility Is Becoming
The Norm
Updating
and emailing a spreadsheet from a desktop computer to someone in the field can
lead to out-of-date project schedules, poor decisions and delays. Today’s
construction teams must be able to update a project’s status remotely from the
job site, keeping everyone on the same page at all times.
When
teams collaborate via a work execution platform, both office and remote
employees get the same visibility into project status, as well as the ability
to update tasks in real time. Instead of waiting for phone calls, field workers
can update information using a mobile app. All departments that are involved on
a project — from HR to finance, IT, project management, and more — have the
same real-time information, leading to improved productivity, greater transparency
and better and faster results.
2) Automation Is A Necessary
Timesaver
Minutes
and hours wasted on a project can add up to days and weeks of delays. Because
often one portion of a project must be finished before the next one begins,
progress often stops while people wait for information or approvals. By using a
work execution platform to create automated alerts, collect digital signatures
and keep project documentation updated, companies ensure their projects
continue to move forward at all times, automatically.
The
best software enables users to set up automation rules, so that team members
are automatically notified about changes that affect their tasks. For example,
if the plumbing contractor will not have their job completed until Friday due
to a backordered part, the platform can automatically update the schedule based
on this change. The most enterprise-ready platforms can also send notifications
to all team members affected by a change, so they can immediately change their
plans. They can also digitize many manual processes such as punch lists, change
orders, and safety logs, and keep them in a single central location, so time
isn’t wasted chasing down the latest information. The time savings can be
significant. In a 2018 Tech Validate survey of Smartsheet customers in the
construction industry, 47% said the platform saves them at least six hours
every week.
3) Collaboration Is Key
When
team members operate independently, tasks are unnecessarily delayed and
mistakes are made. Nearly every facet of a construction project is dependent on
some other aspect of the job. Office workers, such as project managers, must
collaborate with field workers, such as foremen, throughout the entire project.
While mobile devices can greatly improve communication, for the greatest
productivity, companies must also create processes that ease real-time
collaboration. Many construction professionals begin using technology by
purchasing a single tool and adding it to their processes. While this may
result in some time savings, the data is often siloed and cannot be used for
other tasks. Construction companies can see a complete picture of the entire
project from one place and improve efficiency across the entire project by
using a cloud-based platform that can handle work management, enable
collaboration between employees, contractors, and clients, automate approvals
and alerts, and do all of this in real time.
Find
a platform that solves multiple challenges. Make sure that the platform also
solves other challenges, such as bid tracking, change orders, submittals, and
safety order inspections. When everyone has access to all project documents and
up-to-date timelines — and can collaborate on them in real-time — construction
projects are more likely to be completed on time and on budget, with the
consistency and efficiency clients expect.
Comments
Post a Comment