The construction industry is in a phase where it’s experiencing remarkable changes. Every aspect of it continues to develop all throughout the years– and this affects the duration of projects, complexity, and how much can be done every day.
That’s why it’s also expected for these companies to be able to meet the demands of their clients, and if possible, even exceed the ones being offered by competitors. Based on surveys, it’s a little challenging for firms to keep up with this change, but it doesn’t mean all hope is lost either. As long as technology keeps on improving, there’s always a room to get better.
Aside from that, one of the best way to keep up with these pressures that continue to increase day by day is to embrace these new technologies and know how to use them to your own advantage. Right now, the construction industry is in a phase where there is a lot to discover, and there’s a plethora of advantages to enjoy. Indeed, technology is changing the construction industry, and it’s for the better.
Here are some of the ways on how technology is transforming the construction industry.
1. Automation to Save Time
Time is very important in the construction industry. Minutes wasted could lead to bigger problems later on. It could delay the completion of a project, and that means it would add up to days, weeks, and even months of delays. Each part of the project is interconnected with each other, and for that reason, before you can proceed to the next part, you have to finish the former first.
With the help of a work execution platform, this would be something that you can easily achieve as it creates automated alerts, gather digital signatures, and it also keeps the whole documentation process updated. That means the project will keep on moving forward without encountering any delays.
There’s also a lot of software that allows its users to fully set up the automation rules. Through this, each member will receive a notification if there are any changes affecting their tasks.
For instance, if something failed to complete his job on a specific date, the rest of the team will get notified, and allow them to modify the schedule to fix the issue. Aside from that, they also have the privilege of digitizing a lot of manual processes, such as safety logs, change orders, and even punch lists and ensure that equipment like barricades are kept in one location. No more time wasted, because everything is well-organized.
2. Collaboration Taken to Another Level
When team members try to work independently, this could lead to various issues, and misunderstanding. The tasks being done can be somewhat delayed and this would affect the whole project.
To resolve such issue, it’s very important for project managers to collaborate with the field workers and instruct them what should be done. For example, during traffic accidents, they should be instructed about when is the right time to use road flares, and so on. Mobile devices can also be useful in this, as it allows easy communication with everyone else.
3. The Widespread of Real-time Visibility
One of the traditional ways to transmit data is by updating and emailing them in a form of spreadsheet to various email addresses of those who are part of the team. Although this can be quite efficient, the problem is the data being transferred can be outdated fast, and this would lead to poor decision making and would affect the whole project. It’s almost impossible to ensure that everyone is on the same page at all times, because the gathered data keep on changing.
When the whole team works together through the use of a work execution platform, everyone will be able to enjoy the same visibility into project status, together with the ability to update tasks in real time. No need to wait for phone calls, and even field workers could get a hold of the information they need in real time– through the use of a mobile app. That means the entire department would also be involved in the project.
This includes the IT, HR, project management, finance, and the list goes on. Having the same real-time information definitely has a lot of perks, such as an improvement in productivity, greater transparency, and getting results in just a short amount of time.
Author Bio
Chris Giarratana is the co-founder of StrategyBeam, an Orlando marketing agency, where he works with small businesses and nonprofits to achieve their goals. He helps drive conversions and boost sales through SEO marketing, Google AdWords management, and copywriting services.
