New trends in technology are changing the construction industry’s landscape at a rapid clip, affecting how companies operate fiscally and the way project teams interact on a more connected, smart job site. The shared goal of advancing the construction industry has become a top priority and the concept of investing in the right construction technologies is no longer a “nice to have,” but rather an immediate necessity. Mapping out scope of work packages, the bidding stage during preconstruction, logistical field operations on the construction site and project hand-over at completion are all phases of a job that interact with a tech tool at some point.
Here are five ways to approach fine-tuning your construction technology plan so that you can approach the new year with a fresh outlook to properly gauge digital tool needs, motivating project teams to use them, while equipping your company with compatible platform solutions that will ultimately sharpen means and methods.
- #GOALS. A great way to kick-off your construction technology plan is to first start out by asking yourself, “What are my main goals and objectives,… and why?” Setting these goals early in the process will serve as the foundation to build out your plan and will also provide you with the initial steps to establish metrics or a set of KPIs for measuring your construction tech plan performance.
- Assess, Evaluate, Review. Once you’ve determined what your primary goals are, conduct an assessment or evaluation of how you want to accomplish these goals. Chart your next moves, so that you can easily navigate the plan and pivot at any time if re-adjustments should be required. Don’t forget that you will want to achieve your goals at an optimum speed in the coming year.
- Take Inventory of Resources. This is kind of like an internal audit and best done around budget season. Make a list of existing platform solutions, as well as write up a wish-list of products (both hardware and software) that will complement your current assets. As a way to prioritize efforts, identify strengths and any gaps that need bridging. You’ll also want to check in with your IT and HR teams to gain insights on how to best manage any upcoming rollouts and implementations.
- Alignment of Stakeholders and Super Users. Emphasize the importance of construction technology to stakeholders. Having buy-in at the organization level is mission critical, and you will want to ensure all parties are engaged, involved and in collective lockstep throughout the planning process. Do some interior consulting work and identify your tech super users — those key individuals who are early adopters and can lead the charge as your internal construction tech champions. They are essential contributors to the overall, overarching plan.
- Launch Pad. This is the fun part. Watching your plan take off and generate successful outcomes. This is also a good time to dial in to your construction professional network. The industry is now more collaborative than ever and we are observing the shift from being less siloed and more integrated. Get creative about ways to cross-promote with your technology solution providers. Keeping a pulse on current trends and sharing your organizational wins as an industry leader will help create awareness and maintain relevancy in today’s competitive market.
Don’t leave technology to chance. Following these simple guidelines can help you ring in the new year knowing that your construction technology will be smartly utilized both in the office and out in the field.
As the Construction Technology Manager for Eagle Point Software, Bianca is a builder, connector, change agent and strategist responsible for facilitating process improvement and aligning technology with operational excellence across the AECO space. She observed early on in her career the need to make the building process more cohesive and streamlined by understanding the robust nuts and bolts to how technology can play a critical factor in the project team equation. Better is always possible, and Bianca is driven to enhance the way companies do business by developing relevant content that will promote them to optimize, upskill and embrace the right tools to accelerate daily operations. She has a voracious appetite for all things construction. Bianca has over 15 years of experience in construction project management, procurement, and urban planning, with a strong concentration in technology, business development and sustainable initiatives. Bianca is a LEED Green Associate, a delegate for the Construction Progress Coalition and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Design and Architecture Studies from New York University. Reach Bianca at BiancaHoltierCoury@eaglepoint.com
