The industry’s old-school ways mean contractors waste time and money mailing revisions to blueprints, tracking paper receipts and invoices, or traveling long distances to do on-site inspections of small changes.
95% of construction and engineering professionals think tech/innovation will significantly change their business2.
As construction professionals shoulder even more pressure to boost razor-thin profit margins, leaders are beginning to embrace the digital revolution. Fifty-five percent of construction and engineering professionals said their industry is ripe for disruption in a 2017 global survey conducted by KPMG; 95% think technology/innovation will significantly change their business; and 74% believe such a change will happen in less than five years2.
Digital disruption doesn’t have to be a burden. Here are three ways to harness digital tools to your advantage.
Manage Projects From Anywhere
Hard drives and technology are more visible than ever on the job site. Crews are now using tablets, for example, to review and inspect plans instead of old-fashioned paper blueprints. Some new applications help managers inspect remote sites by providing digital photos.
In addition, project management software can save time and increase transparency by ensuring that updates, revisions and plan changes are shared in real time, cutting down on errors and delays.
Manage Jobs Better On-Site
Increasingly, on-site job leaders are using tech to monitor and improve operations in real-time.
New mobile platforms allow foremen to update blueprints immediately on-site, instead of having to make the trip back to the office. Workers can annotate and track punch lists from the construction zone, letting them work nimbly in the field when inevitable changes on-site arise.
New mobile platforms allow foremen to update blueprints immediately on-site, instead of having to make the trip back to the office.
Being able to adjust or change plans in real-time reduces or eliminates the time-delay that can be a killer on projects. Some digital tools allow foremen to immediately retrieve and compare data on actual project hours, budgeted hours, and remaining hours, which helps keep projects on or close to budget.
Harry, a VP of Operations at a midsize construction firm, said the way that work gets done is definitely changing. “There's not too many contractors that don't have somebody that’s schooled in software,” he said. “Most of them have gotten smart enough to know that that helps.”
Track Expenses, Everywhere, Digitally
Having centralized expense control enables the home office to get a birds-eye view of all the project expenses — even those out-of-state.
Owners of mid-size construction firms say that it helps control expenses when their out-of-state workers are aware that their spending is being reviewed regularly.
Jake, the owner and operations manager for a construction firm that does about $25 million in annual sales on projects in multiple states, said, “We want our guys that are out of state to be aware that we're reviewing what they’re spending.”
Turning to the latest digital solutions helps construction leaders quickly and easily tabulate expenses and other various needs for projects. Additionally, by avoiding paper, expenses don’t fall through the cracks and pile up without your knowledge.
Custom business Credit Card programs allow firms to digitize their invoices, track expenditures and automate payments through online dashboards.
“We know ahead of time what our costs are going to be,” said Robert, president of a mid-sized construction firm. “We break up those costs, allowing our field personnel to make purchases for specific projects, up to a certain amount.”
Custom business Credit Card programs allow firms to digitize their invoices, track expenditures and automate payments through online dashboards.
“When we were looking around, I asked a couple of friends what they were doing as far as controlling their expenses and what they thought was the best way to go,” Robert said. “Most of them are using a combination of corporate cards and online financial management tools to manage their cash flow.”
Related Stories
| Sep 15, 2022
First LEED Platinum, net zero and net zero water synagogue opens
Kol Emeth Center, the world’s first LEED Platinum, net zero and net zero water synagogue, opened recently in Palo Alto, Calif.
| Sep 14, 2022
Fires on Amazon warehouse roofs seemingly caused by faulty PV installations
Amazon has made installing solar panels on rooftops a key part of its ESG strategy, but a series of events last year show how challenging greening up major facilities can be.
| Sep 14, 2022
Indian tribe’s new educational campus supports culturally appropriate education
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently opened the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus (Kenai River People’s Learning Place), a new education center in Kenai, Alaska.
| Sep 13, 2022
California building codes now allow high-rise mass-timber buildings
California recently enacted new building codes that allow for high-rise mass-timber buildings to be constructed in the state.
| Sep 13, 2022
Orange County opens civic center complex—one of California’s largest P3 projects
Orange County’s recently opened County Administration North (CAN) building caps an urban center development that constitutes one of California’s largest ever P3 projects.
Laboratories | Sep 12, 2022
Lab space scarcity propels construction demand in life sciences sector
In its 2021 Life Sciences Real Estate Outlook, JLL predicted that access to talent would be a primary concern for an industry sector that had been growing by leaps and bounds. A year later, talent still guides real estate decisions. But market conditions of a different sort were cooling the biotech field: namely, investors that have soured on startups which underperformed after going public. What this means for new construction and renovation going forward is unpredictable, as the drivers behind life sciences’ surge are still palpable.
| Sep 12, 2022
Staff at New York City architecture firm is first in U.S. to unionize
Staff at New York City architecture firm is first in U.S. to unionize.
| Sep 12, 2022
San Antonio’s new courthouse aims to provide safety and security while also welcoming the public
The San Antonio Federal Courthouse, which opened earlier this year, replaces a courthouse that had been constructed as a pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair.
Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2022
Top 25 Casino Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
The Yates Companies, W.E. O'Neil Construction, Alberici-Flintco, and PCL Construction Enterprises top the ranking of the nation's largest casino contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2022
Top 90 Hospitality Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Suffolk Construction, STO Building Group, and The Yates Companies top the ranking of the nation's largest hospitality facilities sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all hospitality facilities work, including casinos, hotels, and resorts.