People have been building structures for millennia, and over that time, technology has moved on considerably. Modern technologies hold significant benefits to the construction industry, and individual companies can succeed by using these advances to their advantage.
In this article, we look at several ways construction companies of any size can implement the latest technology to their benefit.
Computer Advancements
Advancements in computing hardware and software have significantly changed the landscape of the construction company office. The advent of smartphones and industry-specific apps allows equal access to cohesion across the company and workers in remote sites.
Admin tasks such as submitting timesheets are simple with cloud access, while that same connectivity lets various parties link into blueprint planning and more.
Estimating Software
Using an integrated estimating program gives users a significant leg up in construction estimating in many ways. AI tech significantly reduces errors by automatically recognizing symbols at the take-off stage.
Previous labor and material cost tables allow the prices to be filled in with a single mouse click. The accessible update facility of this data ensures correct costs are always provided, reducing unintentional underselling.
Such software lets you keep everything in one app, making going from estimate to budget creation seamless. No data will be lost or incorrectly copied, ensuring greater accuracy while using one program from start to finish, seeing updates syncing between drawings and estimates.
Communication between teams is improved, encouraging smoother workflow and improved relations. The takeaway is that accurate estimates are created quicker, allowing more estimates to be submitted weekly, with more significant conversion numbers.
Architecture And Planning
Only a few short decades ago, building blueprints were drawn on paper and mocked up as physical scale models. While a good architect or CAD person could make accurate plans this way, paper plans are imperfect and liable to mistakes.
Planning is now done on a computer using BIM, with 3D modelling pinpointing weaknesses and errors before construction starts. And accessibility means the various involved parties can collaborate and add their information to ensure that all structural components are accurate.
Communication
When cell phones were first introduced, it was rich guys and construction forepersons who were popularly those seen carting around the iconic brick phone. The reason the construction industry was so quick to pick up this tech because construction sites are often isolated places.
If something goes wrong, rather than trying to find the nearest pay phone, a cell phone puts you in contact with help immediately. Communication advancements continue to benefit builders and associated industries.
As construction projects become global, video conferencing allows face-to-face communication between geographically distant parties. The people on the ground at the construction site can access blueprints and other data in real time with the most up-to-date data.
With project management able to track changes and updates via one project app, no involved parties should miss new information.
Wearables
Wearables are only for tracking workouts, with the same technology transferring to the construction industry. Productivity and efficiency can be monitored and improved by gathering data from workers’ integrated wearable garments.
As a company collects sufficient data, the programs will pinpoint issues and inform management of what changes need to be made. Safety is also enhanced with slips and falls accounted for or monitors signalling to staff when they are at exposure limits in hazardous areas.
Compliance Documentation
Compliance documentation and regulations are quickly and easily dissemination to construction teams. In turn, they’re able to read, fill out, and file these documents quickly and easily, losing less time on the ground.
And with such essential paperwork taken care of promptly, teams greatly reduce their risk of incurring costly sanctions. Necessary in an environment where health and safety regulations that require urgent action can change mid-project.
Autonomous Machines
Self-driving heavy machinery can use sensors and GPS to excavate and grade a significantly sized site. The benefits of this are the work can be completed quicker, causing less disturbance to neighbours, lower cost, and less physical toll on workers not having to work a night shift.
Small-scale robots can also perform repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as laying bricks and complementing the human brick layers onsite.
On extensive project sites, autonomous machinery can take over the monotonous heavy tasks that would otherwise require crews working in expensive shift patterns to complete.
Streamline Back-of-House
It’s not only the design and building side of things that a construction company can use technological advances to gain success. Streamlining back-of-house processes improves efficiency and staff morale.
Virtual timekeeping allows staff at all levels to clock on and off from their smartphone, making bookkeeping easier. Accurate pay and reduced waiting time to clock in and out will improve staff morale, leading to a better work standard.
Other office processes, such as online filing, print-to-post, and virtual conferencing, cuts down on expensive office supplies and in-person meetings. Business managers can reinvest savings in this area into the company and its staff because any company that does well long-term has a reputation for appreciating the workers.
Wrap Up!
Taking the leap to incorporate the many current technological advances will help any construction company succeed.
Whether a small company runs its office more efficiently and submits more robust proposals, thus winning more bids, or a large outfit successfully brings its significantly sized projects to fruition under budget and with minimal safety issues or disturbance.
