Five Tech Tips That Contractors Need to Know

However, construction overall has been rather slow to adapt new technology. In fact, more than half of construction managers spend 2 percent or less of their revenue on IT, and only 42 percent of construction managers have a dedicated IT staff. But new technologies like building information modeling (BIM), radio-frequency identification (RFID), virtual design and construction (VDC), and cloud-based communications have utterly transformed the construction jobsite.

Following are five tips companies should keep in mind to successfully implement new technology into their everyday processes: Technology Should Be Consistent

Most companies strive to grow and having the right technology in place can help a business reach that next plateau. All employees should be using technology that allows them to analyze data to provide leadership with accurate, real-time information. To make the technology consistent within an organization, leadership must first put a plan in place to ensure everyone within the company knows the standard processes and how a function is to be performed. Once a plan is in place, leadership should ensure the use of appropriate technology for the company’s specific needs.

Integrating systems and platforms throughout the company can allow management to accurately forecast profitability and manage job risk. Without accurate, up-to-date data, a company will not know if it is losing money, leaving money on the table or putting itself at serious risk. Create an Application Road Map

Before instituting a new or different strategy, an application road map should be developed to ensure the chosen technology and software can and will work together. No one program or application can manage an entire business, so management must be sure that all programs and software can be integrated so data can flow seamlessly through all systems. A comprehensive application roadmap will assist in that effort and help answer the question, “Do we purchase best of breed software or an integrated system?”

There are benefits and drawbacks to both and contractors should weigh the pros and cons of each option. For example, with best of breed systems, companies can hand-select the products with the best features and operations to achieve the highest functionality. Yet oftentimes, while best of breed systems perform specialized functions better than integrated systems, they are limited by their specialized areas, sometimes inhibiting data flow, data integration and standardization. It can also mean duplication of data entry because the multiple systems cannot communicate. With integrated systems, a company can obviously expect a better integrated system across the entire organization, but some aspects of the system may not function as well as others. In addition, it may not integrate well with external software from another vendor or even different software from the same vendor. Mobile Enablement is Key

Mobile technology has taken the world by storm and that certainly applies to the construction industry. Data shows that four out of five construction managers today use mobile devices to manage their projects. In a survey of construction contractors by Texas A&M University, 72 percent of contractors polled said they use smartphones on the job, with 50 percent saying they regularly use tablet computers. Full mobile enablement – the ability for workers to seamlessly view all of their systems and have access to their information from anywhere – is fundamental to creating a functional, digital jobsite.

Real-time access to project data via mobile phones can mean workers will have the information they need to get the job done right the first time. That ease of access to needed information helps workers minimize errors and work more efficiently, thereby saving money. Mobile technology allows project management to be done more efficiently, significantly reducing paperwork delays and improving workflows.

The ability to access information and communicate in real time affects a business in numerous ways. It increases productivity, raises the likelihood of work being done right the first time, and improves productivity and profitability. Re-work alone costs a company an additional 5 percent per job, and the industry could save $15 billion a year just by eliminating errors. Embrace the Cloud

Part of creating a digital jobsite and adapting to mobile technology is embracing the use of the cloud. A 2016 survey by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Group revealed that 63 percent of construction businesses using cloud-based platforms are doing so to improve access to information from any location. Whether that’s email, file sharing or BIM, the cloud is making it easier for companies to cut costs and become more efficient.

Cloud-based systems not only offer employees access to information from any location, but also help companies prepare for disasters. Cloud-based systems mean that information is not tied to a jobsite – one that could quickly and unexpectedly be destroyed by a natural disaster, fire or other unanticipated event. If a disaster were to occur, having all critical information in the cloud, instead of in a filing cabinet in an office, means a company can get back to business much faster. Leverage the Data

An organization must be able to utilize captured data correctly in order to understand its production and profitability. How else can a company find ways to reduce cost, increase profit margin and productivity, or enhance safety measures? Data analysis is also essential in improving efficiency, decreasing risk, understanding equipment utilization, and setting your organization apart from all others. Company leadership must have accurate and timely data at its disposal in order to make business decisions that will impact the company today and in the future.

Understanding and implementing new technology is not always easy. But construction companies can realize greater accuracy, communication and profitability with strategic use of the digital tools available to them. “Construction companies can realize greater accuracy, communication and profitability with strategic use of the digital tools available to them.”