The benefits of construction technology are fairly well known at this point. You’ve likely heard how tools like 5-dimensional BIM, the Internet of Things (IOT), data analytics and modularisation all have the potential to unlock huge amounts of value in your company. Everyone agrees that technology is at the heart of efforts to improve the efficiency of the construction industry. For example, there is an estimated £89 billion opportunity in UK construction if companies harness digital technology.
The next decade could see companies create £6.1 billion in new revenue opportunities, as well as reducing costs by more than £82.8 billion. However, all of these studies focus on potential and possibility, while those within the industry know that the majority of success comes down to how technology is implemented and adopted within a workforce.
“Large projects across asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget” – McKinsey.
Research by McKinsey shows that construction is among the world’s least digitized industries. Technology has huge scope for improving productivity, creating an opportunity which could be worth $1.6 trillion according to McKinsey’s Chris Toomey. However, even as a management consensus emerges that welcomes digitization and the accompanying benefits, companies are hitting obstacles in their implementation. You need to be aware of the common pitfalls and develop a strategy so that adoption of technology is a success throughout an organization.
Challenges with Construction Technology
There is no shortage of available research showing the benefits of digital tools in heavy industry. Studies – like the ones we’ve mentioned previously – play a huge role in convincing companies that this is an area worthy of their time and investment. The willingness to innovate is crucial but it is only half of the job for your management team. For example, 70% of contractors believe that construction technology has had a positive impact on the jobsite but only 26% of construction companies use software or a mobile app. In fact, 45% of companies still use a manual paper-based system to collect data.
This disparity is usually down to a gap between willingness to embrace digital construction, and the implementation process. Here are some common pitfalls to be aware of when you’re introducing new technology to your jobsite:
- Ageing workers reluctant to use new technology – Construction has one of the oldest working populations. In the UK, 19% of the industry’s workforce is expected to retire in the next 5-10 years and another 24% expected to retire in the next 10-20 years. These figures are similar across most Western countries and contribute to the skills shortage. Older workers also did not grow up with software and the technological capabilities that younger workers did and therefore are more likely to be resistant to change. However, it would be incorrect to say that ageing workers are a problem when it comes to digital construction. You just need to have a strategy in place that takes account of their concerns.
- Introduced without a strategy – The effectiveness of a piece of technology is unimportant if there is not a strategy in place to manage its implementation. You might have invested a lot of money in new equipment or software, only to find that it’s being used incorrectly – or not being used at all – because it was introduced in a chaotic way, wasting your company’s and worker’s time.
- Technology is brought in top-down – A common mistake managementmake is imposing a new piece of construction technology, without consulting the workers who will be affected by the change. They’re told , “This is how we’re doing it now.” Obviously management need to introduce technology but not getting input from on-site crews is a mistake. If an idea comes from within it is more likely to be embraced.
- Technical skills gap – Many construction workers are older and have skill sets that make them integral members of a workforce. Their experience cannot be replaced and that’s what makes the prospect of them retiring such a concern. However, these workers may not have the technological savvy that millennials have so you need to make sure that the necessary assistance is on hand.
- No check-ins once introduced – You might have early success in introducing construction technology but if you invest in new systems, you expect to be reaping rewards in the future. If you don’t follow up with workers at regular intervals, you could find that all that initial work was largely wasted.
You need to get the construction crews to adopt technology if you want to have success. To do this, you need to engage workers so that they understand the benefits, are comfortable using new tools in digital construction and will continue to use them past the initial introduction.
Here are 5 tips to help you engage crews on construction sites:
- Get buy-in from stakeholders while implementing technology – A common mistake made by companies is implementing changes to with construction technology is not consulting the workers who’ll be most affected. In construction, technology can make the biggest impact on crews themselves, helping to improve productivity, safety and general workflow. With proper consultation you can make sure that this process goes smoothly and that the benefits are maximized.
- Show benefits – Crews will be much open to change if they can see the benefits of digital construction. For example, wearables and augmented reality, combined with cloud-based solutions can significantly boost worker safety. Often, workers who were initially resistant to introducing new technologies can become its biggest proponents once they have tried it and experienced the positive results.
- Choose the right tools for your business – There’s so many different digital tools and software solutions that it can be difficult to choose the one that works best for your company. It’s a good idea to do an internal analysis of your operations, combined with examining available tools, to work out what would be the best solution.
- Training – This is the most important thing to consider. There’s no point in making a big investment in wearable technology or next generation BIM if your workers don’t know how to use it! An online contractor management system, like GoContractor, allows you to include training on new technologies when you’re onboarding contractors. Courses are easily customizable so you can update them whenever you introduce new digital construction tools!
- If change comes from within it makes a big difference – It’s inevitable that a lot of changes have to come from the management who are responsible for taking the big picture view. However, engagement among workers but it can actually make a big difference if changes can come from within a construction crew.
You should expect significant benefits if your company invests in construction technology. However, there’s no point in making a change if it’s not going to be embraced by the workforce. If a change is proposed from within a crew, that can make a huge difference in terms of adoption. However, it’s necessary that some changes come from the management level so you need to have a well-formed strategy to ensure that implementation is successful from top to bottom.
