Author: Laura Black
The time has come for the construction industry to turn to digital transformation. Companies must remain agile and innovative in the face of challenging economic conditions, a labor shortage, supply-chain disruptions, a rise in natural events, and more. This is where digital transformation can help—but does it help in construction? A new report provides an interesting perspective into the reality surrounding digital transformation. Gartner recently polled more than 3,100 CIOs and technology executives, and more than 1,100 executive leaders outside of IT. The hard truth is only 48% of digital initiatives meet or exceed business outcome targets. This could be…
We are currently in the middle of a series of blogs, where we have looked at some of the common assumptions in the construction industry including if it is a technology laggard and if the digital twin is just for equipment, just to name a few. Today, let’s explore another common assumption: that construction workers are unhappy. Recent research does in fact debunk this myth, suggesting construction workers are some of the happiest. Now, to be clear, some workers may be unhappy, and some may be happy, but the numbers tell an interesting story. Let’s take a closer look at…
Is construction a technology laggard? Are digital twins only for equipment? Is the worker of tomorrow lazy? We are currently in the middle of a blog series looking at some of the most common assumptions in the construction industry today and we are identifying if they are fact or fiction—if they are truth or myth. Today’s assumption: Is technology adoption stagnant? We all know the economy has been a rollercoaster the past few months. It usually is during an election cycle. Geopolitical tensions, worker and material shortages, an uptick in natural weather events, and other factors have led to much…
We are currently on a journey here on the blog to bust some common myths in the construction industry today. We have already looked at some including if the construction industry is a technology laggard and some big myths surrounding digital twins. For today’s blog, let’s look at some of the biggest myths surrounding today’s worker. Many people have pre-conceived notions of today’s young worker. I am sure you are formulating some in your head right now. But the truth is tomorrow’s worker is also tech savvy and innovative, which is something we discovered when we compiled the data for…
We are currently in the middle of a blog series where we are busting myths about construction technology. Last week, we looked at if the construction industry is truly a technology laggard. Today, let’s turn our attention specifically to digital twins. Hexagon recently released new insights in its the Digital Twin Industry Report, where it questioned 660 C-level executives about the adoption digital twin technology. Here it debunked several digital twin myths with real data to support many of its claims. Let’s take a look at just a few of them now. Myth #1: Digital Twins Will Replace Us All…
It is time to dispel some of the biggest myths in the construction industry. In the next few weeks, we will look at some common assumptions made about the use and adoption of technology in the construction industry, and we will look at the hard numbers to determine if the common assumptions are in fact true or false. Today, let’s start with one of the most common assumptions: Is the construction industry a laggard when it comes to technology adoption? Let’s start by considering some 2023 research from McKinsey & Co., which starts by saying, at $12 trillion, the AEC…
In the past three months, more than half of firms have continued to turn down work due to workforce shortages. Among firms turning down work, most are being more selective about the projects they are accepting, down from 88% in the first quarter of 2024. And 26% of firms also indicate they are turning down good profitable projects. This is yikes for the construction industry. This is according to research compiled by The Institute for Assn. and Nonprofit Research, which collected data between September 5 and 18, 2024. This is the fifth annual release of the Engineering and Design Services…
Welcome to spooky season. Would you rather have a trick or a treat? With AI (artificial intelligence), you will likely get one or the other. Trick or treat. Either you will plan for the technology and reap the rewards (a big treat for your business). Or you will let it happen and see potential ramifications (trick). What will you choose? We are embarking on a blog series, looking at the impact of AI (artificial intelligence) in the construction industry, and we have even explored a few specific case studies in estimating and project management. Today, let’s identify how to move…
We are embarking on a blog series, looking at the impact of AI (artificial intelligence) in the construction industry. Last week, we looked at how the technology can help in the lifecycle of a construction project—from preconstruction through to building maintenance. This week let’s look at a few examples of how AI might practically be used in construction today. AI Helps Estimate We have written about the rise of AI in estimating before. Estimating is often tedious and time consuming and new technologies—i.e. gen AI—can help estimate, ultimately creating more profitable bids. A few years back, we wrote about Togal.AI,…
When should you use AI (artificial intelligence) in construction? What processes make the most sense? How can you deploy it across the lifecycle of a project? Let’s explore AI and how it has the potential to impact the construction industry today and, in the days, ahead. The recent fourth annual construction technology report from ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) suggests AI can and will impact multiple parts of the project lifecycle. Let’s look at a few examples, starting with preconstruction. Here predicative analytics can analyze historical project data and current conditions to optimize construction schedules, resource allocation, and task sequencing.…