How mid-size US construction companies can ride the technology wave

Innovative advancements in the construction industry, such as an improvement in contractor management software, project management software, building information modeling(BIM), drones, and aerial photography, are all helping the industry to develop.

Construction companies are looking to clear the roadblocks for smoother and quicker implementation of projects. Digitization of processes to bring more efficiency at each phase of a project’s construction, including upskilling the workforce with regular training are on the agenda of forward-looking companies. By leveraging advanced software, construction-centered solutions, and analytics, technology innovations are eliminating many of the issues that have been in the construction sector for quite a long time, including difficulties in compiling and sharing project data. 

There is a sense of inevitability about the arrival of disruptive thinking and a fresh approach that will change the way we train, work and eventually build, and develop in construction. The construction industry is at the start of a new period, with a growing appreciation of the latest applications and tools that could change how companies design, plan and execute projects.

This reality suggests that the construction industry must become much better at taking advantage of the tech opportunities that emerge along the way. Only then, can the industry attract a young and tech-savvy workforce. Otherwise, the construction industry risks falling behind in the race for advancement. 

Many companies have started incorporating new innovative technologies. Technologies like AI, BIM, and advanced communications and collaboration solutions are seen as being able to drive a more agile and collaborative design effort and a more interactive design process where everyone involved can add their input and advance the virtual blueprint and have a critical contribution to construction’s future.

But how can small and mid-size construction companies in the USA go about embracing technology?

1.     Creating a functioning digital strategy:

Organizations can take a reasoned and strategic approach to deal with the technology by building up a picture of their current performance pattern and benchmarking themselves to recognize the most critical areas for development. The organizations can consolidate an implementation plan that focuses on achieving key milestones in specific areas within a realistic timeline to remain on track as they keep moving forward. Organizations with strong digital skills have an advantage while implementing complex solutions across their organizations. But the first steps have to be small, manageable, and carefully considered. As the digital strategy starts kicking in across various sectors, more far-reaching and complex processes can be addressed.

2. Transforming the projects: 

A project is an opportunity for every organization to test and refine new digital solutions in a kind of splendid isolation. Pick a project that is reasonably self-contained and a good test case and start embracing point technology solutions within it. This is easier to roll out and easier to see results in. To monitor results, project teams can set up key performance markers and share them periodically with the leaders. This will help overcome communication gaps and generate enthusiasm. The project experience will also provide data that will prove useful to address crucial obstacles faced and help address large-scale programs efficiently.

3.     Letting data lead the way: 

A large number of the best development innovation tools incorporate data from both past and ongoing projects. Collecting, processing, and analyzing this data must become an ongoing and strategic exercise. As the practice becomes more widespread, organizations can incorporate analytics into their daily workflows by embedding insights into them. 

4.     Getting the skills in place: 

Talent is a key challenge for mid-sized construction companies looking to ride the technology wave. In locations away from the tech centers and startup hubs, it’s hard for such companies to find, train, and retain the people with the right technology skills. Upskilling and training for the current employees are useful but only up to a point. To kick start the technology initiatives, it’s a good idea to work with an experienced and expert technology partner.  This will give them access to not only the technical skills they need but also bring added flexibility in resource deployment as projects ramp up and scale back.

5.     Implementing safety monitoring and quality control: 

Safety has always been a primary concern for construction and development companies. And this is a high-impact area to start the technology drive with to get a meaningful impact. Numerous applications facilitate the tracking and reporting of safety incidents across job sites. Some new applications assist managers in investigating remote locations by providing pictures and image tags and also enable them to update and track their punch lists in real-time. Such solutions can help improve safety on construction sites. These real-time systems, combined with new technologies like GPS and building-information modeling (BIM) and artificial intelligence with other tools, can help bring about a massive, and much-needed, change in the construction industry.

 Technology is the principal driver of change and it will surely have a ground-breaking impact on how organizations work in the building industry. Innovative technology provides hundreds of tools for use across the project life cycle, ranging from design management to scheduling to safety monitoring. 

The industry is ready to change. innovative advancements are already taking over the industry and changing the way we work, design, and develop. What mid-sized construction companies in the USA need is the expertise to harness the power of technology and ride the tech wave.