Our construction industry has been witnessing the vast benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM). There’s an increase in awareness about how 3D BIM models enable better collaboration, enhanced visualization, better asset planning, and effective time and cost management for new construction and renovation/ upgradation projects alike. However, after any project completion, the primary concern is the operation and maintenance of the building and its in-built assets. This makes asset management a crucial practice in the construction industry.

Asset management is the administration of daily operation, maintenance, and repair of each asset in a building. In the construction industry, we may perceive BIM and asset management as independent practices. Yet they have a direct correlation. The synergy between the two can help with streamlined maintenance and reduced financial costs.

Let us look at how BIM can support asset management.

Role of BIM in asset management

BIM offers structured information management for all phases of the construction lifecycle. Its shared model can collate data around planning, designing, installation, commissioning, and related aspects of an asset. Upon project completion, the digital handover of BIM information models to asset management systems can empower asset owners with information about asset performance, maintenance, and safety.

Advantages of integrating BIM and asset management

When BIM and asset management databases are linked, information management becomes seamless. BIM renders itself for the creation of the ‘digital twin’ of the physical asset thus, making asset location simpler. It also provides accurate real-time information across asset categories.

In addition, BIM acts as an information storehouse for asset data that includes asset history, its operation, its size, dependencies, and disaster recovery. This easily accessible asset data supports better planning of maintenance, repair, and replacement and reduced time in asset maintenance. For instance, a problem in an AC duct can be easily identified through the BIM model. This can help the maintenance staff fix the problem in a few hours or in a single visit rather than what may have taken longer with traditional asset management.

The 3D model can help identify point and linear assets in the building structure. The asset data also provides information about interconnected point assets and linear assets. For example, point assets such as faucet, basin, sprinkler linked with the linear assets such as water supply, drainage pipes, and others.

Challenges of asset management without BIM

Without BIM, there will be no structured data for asset management. Asset data from the construction phase cannot be extracted. This also hampers the identification and location of hidden assets.

For example, BIM is not integrated with asset management for a construction project. If a false ceiling is constructed later, asset owners and facility managers will find it difficult to identify the electrical cables and pipe routes without digital asset data. In such cases where no asset data is available, the false ceiling will have to be broken for any repair work, thus adding to the maintenance cost and time.

Integration of asset management with BIM: An example from Excelize portfolio

We, at Excelize, have witnessed asset management integration through BIM in multiple projects. The construction of SIDRA – super specialty hospital in Qatar is one such example. It is a 600-bed hospital for women and children built on a plot area of 77 acres and a built-up area of 430,000 square meters. Integration of BIM and asset management is useful in projects like hospitals where asset maintenance needs to be well-planned to avoid hindrances in surgeries and medical treatments. For example, shutting the hospital power supply to service one hospital room or equipment can affect the functioning of other rooms. However, the integration of BIM and asset management has made it possible to identify the hospital areas or, rooms that will be affected if the power supply is cut off during repair and maintenance.

To maximize the potential of BIM, we need to use it in the post-construction phase when the asset is handed over to the owners. BIM’s support in asset management not only ensures improved building management but also optimum utilization of time and costs.

Let us look at BIM beyond the design and construction phases.

COVID-19 has hit the US construction sector hard. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Marketing Index showed a steepest monthly decline among home builders in thirty years. But even as states open up and others designate construction as “essential” there are other problems looming.

According to the AGC survey, the construction sector is hit by a labor shortage. As it becomes necessary to ensure that the workers follow social distancing norms, it may become harder to staff project completely. Then, there is also a significant disruption in the supply chain that could impact projects.

In the face of such challenges, companies will have to think of ideas to compensate for the lost time and accelerate the speed of completing the projects. Construction companies would do well to turn to technology for help. But is there anything more they can do? Is there a solution out there that can add as a force multiplier for their efforts? Perhaps, yes.

Companies can leverage remote teams for work that does not require an on-site presence on the construction sites to ensure accelerated completion of work.

How Can Remote Teams Help In Accelerating Projects?

Remote working in the construction industry might seem like an unlikely setup. But with communication, collaboration, and project management tools at the company’s disposal, remote working has become a reality for construction companies. Here are a few things that construction companies can do to accelerate the completion of their projects while working with remote teams.

1.      Adopt the tele-building concept

Way before COVID-19 compelled construction companies to think of new ways to work, a company called OpenSpace used a photo-documentation solution to enable builders to walk through the construction site with a camera in hand. These photos are then uploaded and organized in a Google Street View type of a vista. That allows remote workers to view the construction site from anywhere. OpenSpace has also come up with a solution called tele-building, which is akin to telehealth where the inspectors, superintendents, and project managers can view the high-quality images of the site, thus reducing in-person visits and saving time and money for the company.

2.      Leverage BIM

BIM, as most know, is a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. It provides the designers, installers, and consultants with a comprehensive view of the project. It provides support with interoperability, flexibility, and customization, which can help companies to build better plans, organize the efforts of teams better, estimate material requirements more proactively, and drive more clearly aligned on-site delivery. This will help them save their time and lead to successful execution – an imperative in the current times. With BIM, companies can create comprehensive construction documentation, which can guide the designers, architects, and contractors to follow the sequences and ensure an error-free execution. And of course, the BIM models could be created by remote teams. For small and mid-sized construction companies, this is an even more significant benefit since they can access the top experts in the space without being constrained by location. In fact, this opens up promising collaborative avenues for such small and mid-sized construction companies. In areas like BIM, they can choose to ally with partners who have the expertise and experience to support them. This team can support the on-site construction remotely and amplify the overall impact.

3.      Use next-gen technologies

Rapid innovation is the order of the day, and technology is one enabler that can make it possible. Apart from BIM, construction companies must use next-gen technologies such as AR, VR, and Drones to stay ahead of the curve and to reduce the need for going onsite. Technologies such as AR and VR can help the offsite extended construction team to detect errors early on and resolve them before they become expensive mistakes. It also helps optimize the workforce as these technologies can create scaled virtual models of the site, which can be evaluated easily by the remote team.  Drones can fly around to monitor and deliver supplies. Some construction companies are also considering using robots to automate basic tasks at the site. As is the norm today, these high-tech devices can be operated and controlled extremely effectively from offsite locations.

4.      Comply with safety standards

While a lot of work can be done remotely, workers will always be needed on the site. Companies have to ensure that these workers are safe and that they comply with the safety guidelines laid down by the government. Companies can provide project managers and directors with access to software that can provide them with data on safety procedures followed in the site and maintain safety remotely based on the data received. On-site information could be gathered by smart wearables using the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technology that enables these remote managers to access the most current information to enable better monitoring, tracking, and compliance.

These are strange times. But that will not prevent companies from starting construction work again. Companies have to adjust to the new normal and find ways to complete the projects. It’s now crucial to embrace digitization. But no one believes that this will be easy. We would recommend choosing collaboration tools that will help the architects, designers, engineers, and other important stakeholders to collaborate with each other while working remotely. Companies will also need to train employees to adapt to digital tools and learn to use them to their advantage. Considering that technology may well be the primary driver of productivity, bringing about a mindset change may become imperative to ensure the smooth functioning of routine tasks. Of course, this is hard to do without expert support. We, at Excelize Services, have been helping companies to embrace the power of BIM so that they can complete their projects on time in a cost-effective way. We offer a winning combination of onshore and offsite support to enable construction companies to adopt the best technology and kick off their own technology initiatives to achieve challenging business goals.

The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the world economy, yet its challenges are gaping. The sector is labor-intensive and has processes deeply set in the physical realm. Low efficiency, delayed construction and high costs are a few aspects that offer opportunities for optimisation. Digital transformation is the lever that can catapult this sector into its next wave of growth. This is where Building-Information Modelling (BIM) comes into the picture.

BIM offers the potential to view the entire project in full glory, covering all elements of design and construction, right at the pre-construction stage. Access to information at every phase has deep repercussions on the time taken for completion and overall costs incurred. Real-time information on the project fosters deep collaboration between stakeholders, helps them foresee risks, and reduces the possibility of errors.

Implementation of BIM is possible at different stages covering eight dimensions, which translates to information for all stakeholders at various depths.

The case for a BIM mandate in USA

With expenditures reaching over 1,293 billion US dollars, the United States is one of the largest construction markets worldwide. Post the pandemic-led pause, the sector is expected to bounce back with anticipated growth in the healthcare, commercial, and transportation sectors starting in 2021. The demand for housing is on a steady rise, with multi-family complex, residential projects picking up pace.

Managing this increase in workload with no significant drop in productivity would need the right technologies. Quite evidently, BIM can offer solutions for many of these incumbent challenges. Construction firms in the USA had started implementing BIM in the 1970s yet the adoption rate has been rather slow.

Even at a projected growth rate of 15.6% in 2021, the sector doesn’t yet have a national-level BIM mandate. In 2003, the US General Services Administration created the National 3D-4D-BIM Program that included a BIM adoption mandate for public building projects. Among the states, Wisconsin was the first to implement a BIM mandate for public construction projects for over a USD 5 million budget or more.

BIM mandate in the US has been challenging because there is no single federal agency that can plan and mandate BIM for all public projects. Without a mandate, BIM adoption is likely to be slower as it will be dependent on the association between construction firms, contractors, architects and other stakeholders.

For BIM adoption to grow, we must think of BIM beyond its use as a design tool and explore the depths of information that BIM models provide. The information at every stage of construction enables enhanced control over the entire project, reduced errors and risks, optimized costs, better safety and logistics and faster completion. Besides, BIM can be used in diverse construction arenas including highway and road engineering, rail and metro transportation engineering, landscape and land development, tunneling and subway architecture, offshore and marine architecture, heritage building conservation to name a few.

Even if a universal mandate is not feasible, a gradual implementation would work in the nation’s favour with federal buildings leading the way for BIM implementation. The government should refine the mandate based on its own experience with BIM. Besides, a mandate governing construction projects in the private sector may also be worthwhile, especially based on the building height, size or complexity or environmental impact. The regular revisions of the National BIM Standard-United States (NBIMS-US) will propel the adoption of BIM as a comprehensive tool for visualization, construction simulation, and facility management for any project.

While mandate implementation may take its time in the US, having defined BIM standards can facilitate faster adoption.

Adoption of BIM across the globe

With the increasing demand for urban planning and smart cities, many countries are moving faster towards BIM adoption.

The Scandinavian countries Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have been among the early adopters of BIM. In 2007, Finland implemented IFC compliance and BIM adoption for all public construction projects. Similarly, Norway adopted the BIM mandate for its state projects in 2010, followed by Denmark in 2011 and Sweden in 2015. In 2016, Norway shared an open BIM certification.

The Swedish Standards Institute has published a series of guides with the aim of promoting BIM in the country since 1991, while starting from 2014 the BIM Alliance Sweden has brought together the main public and private stakeholders, to find more resources and support construction innovation.

UK has also been a forerunner when it comes to BIM adoption. In 2011, the UK government aimed at digital transformation of the construction industry that would eventually project UK as the leader in the sector. Thus in 2016, the UK implemented a BIM Level 2 mandate for all its public construction projects. While Portugal and Spain are already going strong on BIM, France and Germany have scheduled a phased-out introduction of BIM in the last couple of years.

In Asia, Singapore was one of the first countries to adopt BIM, followed by Japan, Korea and China. In 2015, the Building and Construction Authority in Singapore had made BIM obligatory for all construction projects over 5,000 square metres. Since then, the Singapore government has witnessed a significant increase in construction productivity. In fact, the government estimates that productivity increases by up to 30% when using BIM. Australian state governments see similar benefits and some have introduced similar mandates.

These leading countries share a common goal: digitizing the construction industry to help minimize costs and ensure sustainability. A strong BIM mandate is helping them achieve this goal and build a smart nation.

Shouldn’t USA be then acing BIM too? What do you think?

BIM or Building Information Modeling is rapidly becoming the “must-have” process for planning, designing, coordinating, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure around the world. As most here would know, BIM is an intelligent 3D modeling process that provides architects, designers and construction and development professionals with a tool to efficiently plan, design, and construct infrastructure.

Benefits of using BIM:

· Easy coordination and collaboration.

· Better choices are made earlier in the process.

· Projects progress can be tracked more comprehensively.

·Reduces construction site clashes and risks that may lead to delays during construction.

BIM or Building Information Modeling framework not only contains the design or structure of a building but also the information related to the properties of various components, its construction, and maintenance. Construction companies expect that BIM will transform how project teams work and it does just that. BIM works on the principles of – implement, enable, and execute:

1. Implement:

• Standards and procedures

• Technology

• Modeling content

2. Team enablement:

• Training and education

• Define and share objectives

3. Project execution:

• Program coordination

• Model administration

• Knowledge transfer

Steps to follow while building your  BIM infrastructure:

Step 1: Start at the ground level:

Get all the equipment in order. It is important to ensure that all the infrastructure and software are up to date and can support BIM. This includes the workflows and processes for gathering information on an ongoing basis and for disseminating insights regularly. The following questions could be taken into consideration:

• Can the systems handle the amount of data required to make the BIM software impactful?

• Is the computing infrastructure ready and available?

• Are the processes, workflows, and systems created keeping in mind the time it would take to capture data, process it, build the model, and distribute the information?

There are some practical considerations to factor in too. For instance, data storage for large projects could become a significant consideration. As BIM utilizes a large amount of information, it is important to ensure that all the information stays secure yet easy to access.

Step 2: Get to know BIM:

Assign a team of employees to learn and understand more about BIM. The focus should be, not only, on how BIM works but also on how it influences how a team works? It is essential to gain a contextual understanding of BIM, its methodologies, and its implementation.

Step 3: Assemble the right team:

Like most initiatives, it’s good to start the BIM journey with a limited scope pilot. And, like most initiatives, the success of the project depends on the right talent available. It is important to pick the right set of individuals to drive the pilot project. Here are a few qualities to look for in a candidate for the pilot BIM project:

• Experience in 3D design or has BIM exposure.

• Understands the traditional structural plan and construction management process.

• Acknowledges data and modeling techniques.

• Willing to learn new software and systems quickly.

• Able to coach other team members.

Step 4: Develop a management plan:

Adopting BIM calls for changes across various parts of the organization. Adopting a BIM strategy introduces complexity into areas beyond just the engineering drawing department. This has been called a cultural change by many. The new way of working is more transparent and well-documented. This calls for accountability and collaboration. So, the management plan to roll out BIM across the construction enterprise would have to consider several crucial questions like:

• How do the impacted teams envision BIM changing the established workflows?

• Who will require training, and when will the training be provided?

• How will the questions and issues of the employees be solved? What will be the hand-holding process? Who will be the BIM champion who inspires everyone else to come on board?

As you can see, ongoing support is the most significant item. Organizational change will happen faster and be all the more effective when the employees will adopt new approaches for working.

In that context, a significant challenge is, how to get the employees on-site to use the data and insights provided from the BIM models?  Management strategies to drive up adoption may become crucial to ensuring success.

Step 5: Document the progress:

Once the initial setup is over and processes defined, it’s crucial to capture the learnings and keep track of ongoing progress. Here are a couple of ideas to note down:

• Project data, including key contacts.

• Processes that develop to manage file exchanges, kick-off meetings, and quality control.

• The impact of BIM in defining the vision for site design and analysis.

• The impact of BIM on improving cost estimation for materials and operations.

Step 6: Get your team to speed:

The next step in the BIM transformation is leveraging the foundation already prepared. The most significant instrument of change will be the employees who have seen the magic. These BIM champions can advocate for adoption across the organization. Motivate them to provide support to the rest of the team. On-the-job training for the team members is crucial as they make the transition easy for the employees as they learn the new tool and collaboration techniques.

Step 7: Expand and innovate with BIM:

Then comes the continuous improvement phase. The aim here is to get more from the BIM strategy. Ask yourself how you can:

• Detect issues in construction and structure early and fix them beforehand.

• Demonstrate and optimize construction schedules with less material waste.

• Deliver projects on schedule and under budget.

• Control and streamline communication between all partners with one model.

• Manage and maintain facilities post-construction.

Each of these advantages will help you construct a better structure and increase profitability.

As BIM technology continues to advance and become more dominant, construction organizations know that they must prepare their teams to adapt to these changes. Change is never easy, and a step-by-step guid is the most likely approach to achieve success.

Did you know that one out of five or about 20% of the fatalities in private work professions for the year 2019 was in the construction sector?

Construction is one of the deadliest industries for its workers in the USA. With more innovative and ambitious projects kicking off at different cities and towns as the fears of the pandemic taper off, more and more construction professionals are deployed to work at sites. The rush to complete projects fast, make up for a lost time, and deliver projects may be posing danger to their lives.

There’s little doubt that the first focus should be to make the construction sector a safer place to work. As it happens, one of the most powerful options to minimize safety risks in the construction sector could be turning to Building Information Modeling or BIM tools.

What we know of BIM is that it comprises a range or suite of software applications that help streamline a construction project by visualizing a construction project in 3D (or more dimensions) and enables easy management of construction activities as per a project plan. It allows managers or contractors to break down construction activities into modules, assign staff, visualize renderings of plans, share data on construction activities, timelines, and various other parameters with all stakeholders. It empowers project managers to effortlessly manage the lifecycle of a construction project and enable it to comply with client requirements as well as with local and regional compliance policies by regulators.

We also know that more construction companies are now relying on BIM to manage their work and predict outcomes in daily operations. In fact, the global BIM software market size is expected to grow to USD 8.8 Billion by 2025. This is a testimony to the success that construction companies are enjoying.

While all those benefits are well-known, one of the most far-reaching impacts of BIM could be to ensure that the project site becomes safer for work.

By modeling all the requirements, it is easier to predict exactly the conditions workers will be exposed to during the construction. This allows BIM to become a vital component in ensuring safety at the worksite.

Let us examine the top 4 ways in which BIM can prove to be the enabler of a safer construction job site:

Identify potential hazards

BIM can help in identifying potentially hazardous environments within a construction project that may pose risk to a worker. By modeling the construction process in 3D or with advanced options, it is possible to identify areas where collisions between moving construction items are more likely to occur, spots where risky maneuvers are required for completion of work, etc. Once such hazardous work locations are traced and noted in advance, it is possible to prepare a work plan to model construction activities that take into consideration extra care in these hazardous areas, including worker training and best practices.

Reduced on-site activities

With BIM, it becomes easier to plan construction by incorporating a lot of prefabricated structures and elements. These prefabricated elements can be built separately at other locations and transported to the final construction site thereby reducing workloads within the actual project site. When work is less, there are fewer chances for collisions and other hazardous activities that may be endured by workers when different works such as pre-fabrication, etc. are done at the project site itself. Other components like plumbing, ventilation and cooling systems too can be built on pre-manufactured shared racks and then finally integrated into the construction site easily reducing the need for manual intervention for hoisting and installing them on tall buildings individually all the time.

By leveraging BIM for planning and scheduling, it also becomes possible to reduce the number of people onsite by adopting innovative models like offshore+onsite for greater efficiency and safety.

Autonomous safety checklist

With BIM, it is possible to model all sorts of risks within the construction environment. Once all risks are identified, then it becomes easier for creating a safety checklist for workers to follow in their daily tasks. Every day these checklists can be autonomously verified to ensure that only the right personnel with the right credentials and protection standards are allowed to work on each designated area of the project. This can also set the stage for better compliance with government regulations on workplace safety.

Of course, one of the key benefits of using BIM for planning is clash detection at the planning stage. This allows more efficient work schedules to be created and effort wastage reduced. Of course, it also reduces the need for “on the fly” changes to be made onsite as workarounds to such clashes. This also helps prevent accidents and unsafe compromises.

Knowledgeable workers

When work hazards are identified and checklists for staying safe are prepared with the aid of BIM, then it becomes easier to train staff on following safety norms. Workers are provided with better insights to carry out their individual tasks while adhering to safety norms. Real-life simulations of events like collisions failed safety norms, and other faulty work routines can be demonstrated using modern technologies like Virtual Reality that feed off the BIM models to show the staff how to be cautious and controlled.

15% of the total cost of the private sector for fatal and non-fatal injuries is being incurred by the construction sector. The construction sector is an industry where the safety of workers is often a matter of controversy with lawsuits and legal ramifications aplenty. Hence, to build a long-lasting and sustainable business model, construction companies must make employee safety a key focus of their strategic plans as well. With BIM, it becomes easier to pre-plan all construction activities and thereby ensure that workers are protected always.

The USA construction industry is facing labor shortages. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 200,000 positions in the construction industry lie unfilled. This happened after the industry went through a cycle of shrinkage over the past decade. A report by Deloitte states that the labor shortages are reaching crisis proportions and are expected to continue through 2019 as well. Also, the productivity growth in the construction industry in the past two decades averaged just about 1%. This is 1/3^rd of the growth which the rest of the global economy averaged during the same period.

And that is not the only issue with the industry. A report from McKinsey & Co. finds that “While many U.S. sectors including agriculture and manufacturing have increased productivity ten to 15 times since the 1950s, the productivity of construction remains stuck at the same level as 80 years ago.”

In this scenario, construction firms run the risk of responding late to market needs, losing essential project bids, and being unable to innovate.

This is where BIM enters the stage. BIM offers a ready answer to make construction planning and execution more proactive and data-driven.

And yes, the use of BIM is on the rise in projects in the country. But given the lack of skilled resources companies in the USA are adopting an onsite + offshore model for successful BIM implementation. The BIM models are created offshore, and the onsite team consumes them as the project gets built. Feedback loops and regular communications ensure timely updates and always accurate models.

Here’s why it works:

1. Time-Saving – Going for an Onshore and Offshore Model for BIM projects helps provide quality work within the stipulated timeframe. This can be achieved by distributing the resources between the onshore and offshore teams and assigning them special subtasks in the project. Companies can save valuable time by assigning the work to offshore consultants instead of finding new resources and training them, which can take several weeks, months, or even years.

Moreover, the construction industry may take time to understand and adopt new technologies. Offshore teams would be well-versed with the latest technologies, accelerating startup time.

1. Cost-Effective – This one is a no-brainer. By outsourcing BIM projects to an offshore expert, the design and development costs can be reduced significantly. Think of it this way, companies don’t have to hire additional resources comprising of trained experts or, hire fresh talent and spend time and money to train them for bringing them up to speed. Moreover, the outsourcing firm will provide services and dedicated resources at a transparent rate. This helps construction firms budget well by taking other costs into consideration. Of course, there is also the benefit of scalability. Offshore teams typically have the capacity to add resources, if a project needs to be accelerated or if more work needs to be done. This team can be ramped down after that phase if accomplished. That’s much harder to do if the resources are in-house.

Another reason for going for an offshore team is to save on the purchase of expensive special-purpose software licenses. By partnering with leading BIM consulting firms, firms may be able to avoid investing in certain software/tools/technologies that are required for model creation.

1. More Expertise and Reduced Errors – Increasing complexities of projects can make construction design harder and more involved. Offshore firms that possess the relevant BIM expertise can cut through this complexity and create a comprehensive, transparent, and actionable model. This model can then become the basis for collaboration between a variety of teams onsite. This will help make construction more efficient, hand-offs smoother, collaboration more seamless, and improve overall safety.
2. Focus on Core Business – Next up, the onshore + offshore business model can help firms focus more on their execution strength. A construction project demands extreme degrees of project management capabilities and an evolved execution skills. This is where construction companies can get maximum bang for the buck. This is the area that has the greatest impact on project profitability and it makes sense for the construction company to focus on that.

With the global population predicted to hit 9 billion by 2050, two out of three people will be living in a city. It stands to reason that the demand for construction will always be high. Especially in evolved economies like the USA, the question is not whether there will be growth. The question for construction companies is, will that growth be manageable and profitable?

An onshore + offshore BIM model may be the way forward to achieve that. The model offers increased productivity, reduced costs, better collaboration, and access to expertise. This is the easiest way for construction companies in the USA to scale. And to thrive.

An AGC survey found that 80% of all construction companies were unable to fill positions and 70% believed the situation would become worse as 2020 wears on. There’s no debate that this is a full-blown emergency.

The construction industry is unable to deliver projects on time. This holds up resources, drains cash flows, and hurts profitability. This also affects their ability to bid for other projects and hurts their reputation.

The AGC survey referred earlier revealed that many construction companies are looking towards innovative technology to tackle the shortage of skilled laborers. Technology like Building Information Modeling helps these companies become more efficient and effective -a valuable competitive advantage.

So, it’s apparent that construction companies need access to quality tech talent. But are these resources easy to find? Are they easy to keep engaged and to retain?

Truth be told, in centers away from Silicon Valley or New York, it’s hard for mid-sized construction companies to find technically-inclined people. Even the few that are there aren’t necessarily interested in building a career in construction. They want to work with peers who are equally tech-driven. They want access to the latest tools and to use their tech skills to make an impact. They seek opportunities to perform.

Organizations need to use powerful tactics to win the war for talent. Retention is driven by an understanding of what drives such top talent, such as:

• Providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Leadership training programs.
• Providing opportunities and tools to enable them to perform up to their potential.
• Invest in diversity.
• Hands-on experience on up to date and cutting-edge technology.

Here’s how an organization can build a tech team, even in the face of such challenges:

1. Getting connected with tech-specialized partners: Technology is a network that extends far beyond the company or organization. Partnering with a skilled partner organization that has the experience will enable the construction company to gain insights into how technology works in their context. This will also give the tech staff within the company the opportunity to learn from industry experts. The staff of the partner firm can associate with the existing employees, including architects, designers, and project managers, and provide them hands-on exposure. This can contribute to improved methods and the opportunity for contextual learning. Allowing their tech staff to interface with the partner will help provide them opportunities to expand their high-performance horizons and allow them to feel associated with the latest technology.

2. Hiring a BIM partner: Turning to specific project delivery, hiring an expert BIM partner will offer the organization the opportunity to launch their own BIM initiative, even as they see an immediate impact from the power of BIM in live projects. The ideal BIM partner will be able to work on the BIM models and then handhold the internal team as the model gets rolled out, adopted, and modified on an ongoing basis. This high-touch engagement will allow the internal tech resources the opportunity to experience real-world issues and solutions. They can start building out the processes and workflows that would become necessary to adopt once the organization embraces BIM on a larger scale. The BIM partner’s experience of having “been there, done that” will help make that a bit easier. Of course, it becomes essential to consider the experience of the BIM partner. Also, if they can provide advice, technical knowledge, and standards documentation?

3. Foster continuous learning and career development: Organizations need to foster the aspects that matter to the tech generation like learning, training, and career development opportunities. Constant learning and development opportunities are essential in a radically changing work environment. Construction organizations should integrate continuous learning and development through academics, training sessions or workshops. Offering incentives and support to learning will attract more tech-focused people to the organization and induce the folks already there to stay on.

4. Company culture: The organization’s culture is one of the key “must-haves” for tech talent. Creating a fantastic company culture will help retain as well as attract people. Projecting vibrancy and positivity in the workplace is extremely critical to overcoming the perception that construction companies are hide-bound, boring, traditional, and backward-looking. By setting out a strong vision and creating a fearless culture, even construction organizations can appear modern and relevant.

The construction industry needs to implement a corporate culture that challenges its employees and embraces innovation. It is now incumbent on this industry to break down traditional methods and introduce new ways to resonate with young tech talents. It is also essential for these organizations to offer employees development opportunities and the room to experiment. This will enable the employee to realize their full potential and will, in turn, contribute towards the company’s growth. A potential employee should see the opportunity to boost their career and deliver up to their own expectations.

Organizations need to focus on the need to provide employees with new and exciting opportunities to learn and master their craft. Organizing and delivering practical training sessions will help the employees stay updated but they only go so far. In that context, aligning with an expert technology partner organization over the initial phases of kicking off the organization will help provide such a training context. Employees can learn while working. They can see the impact of the technology that is being rolled out. As that impact gets recognized by the rest of the organization, it also helps create the sense that the organization is willing to give tech a chance. This assures the newbie techie of the possibility of a meaningful future within the organization. That’s a powerful incentive to stay on.

Construction organizations could employ these practices to create empowering and enabling environments for their tech employees. That will help them grow a tech cadre that can drive their projects to faster and more profitable completion.

Technology has transformed the way industries and companies operate. The construction industry is one of the biggest sectors globally with an expected output of $12.7 trillion by 2022. As it happens, the sector is being hit by a new wave of technologies that could transform construction.

Yet, the sector has been somewhat slow to adapt to technological advancements. And this shows in the results too. Unfortunately, the construction industry has gained just 1% productivity in the previous 20 years. That’s compared to over 3% for other major sectors in the economy. The low growth in productivity could be attributed to the inability to adapt to technology. Don’t believe us?

A McKinsey report on reinventing construction says, “Productivity, or the total economic output per worker, has remained flat in construction. In comparison, productivity has grown by 1500 % in retail, manufacturing, and agriculture since 1945. One of the reasons for this is that construction is one of the most under-digitized industries in the world and is slow to adopt new technologies.”

So, why this reluctance to adopt technology? Some issues faced by the U.S. construction industry are:
• Shortage of labor
• Shortage of technology talent willing to work in construction
• Archaic processes that hinder collaboration, reporting, and analysis

Issues like these are making it hard for construction organizations to keep up with the technology wave. Here are three technology waves that will pass you by if you don’t address these issues in your organization:

1. Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has revolutionized the way the construction industry executes projects. BIM is more than just 3D modeling. The 7D BIM caters to both physical and functional aspects of a structure along with considering the cost and schedule of the project. It also helps in streamlining and collaborating information and making it available in real-time for all the involved parties. The easy accessibility of the data – the blueprint, design, 3D model of the structure, as-built; helps in saving valuable resources during construction and in the maintenance phase too. Companies are saving big, delivering on time, and building better projects with implementing BIM. Owing to this, many countries like UK, Germany, and Norway have mandated the use of BIM for public infrastructure projects.

Implementing BIM successfully depends upon the ability to understand and leverage the technology. It would help if you had experts to work on the software and to give you maximum impact. The benefits of BIM could be lost to you if you are unable to build up a team of skilled professionals who are equipped with BIM knowledge.

1. Automation and Robotics

As the construction industry is slowly moving towards digitization, one cannot overlook the role of robotics and automation in this field. The U.S. construction industry reported over 200,000 unfulfilled construction job positions (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Companies are focusing their attention on robotics and automation to try to reduce the dependence on human workers.

Robotics and automation will help companies cut operational costs, increase efficiency in repetitive tasks, and improve output and productivity both on-site and off-site during a construction project.

Of course, automation and robotics demand a sound data framework for the construction site with comprehensive, accurate, and current data about what’s going on. Proactive planning becomes key. And many of these demand a stable and reliable model to function effectively.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence is the term coined for machines that mimic intelligence and human cognitive functions. Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that uses statistical techniques to allow computers to learn from the data they are fed. There’s a humungous amount of data generated in a construction project, and the future success of such projects could depend upon the efficient utilization and execution of this data.

There’s a vast potential for machine learning and artificial intelligence in the construction industry. Machines can act as smart assistants that can analyze and scrutinize the copious amount of data and alert project managers about issues that need immediate attention, thereby saving time on on-site changes. AI can help drive better planning by factoring in an array of conditions that are difficult to build in manually. Resource mobilization, estimates, schedule planning, etc. are other areas that AI can play a key role in.

Of course, AI and ML demand data. Comprehensive data is essential to train the models for ever-greater accuracy. Without that, the models could fall flat in the real world.

The construction industry has always sailed close to the wind. The overruns and rework during the construction phase have been robbing construction companies of their profits. But today, companies that are successfully adopting and implementing technological innovations are seeing improved productivity and profitability. Are you ready to adopt technology to improve your results too?