Author: Peggy Smedley

For years, I have been sounding the horn about good cybersecurity practices because a breach can cause businesses to come to a halt, costing companies millions or even billions of dollars. But the reality is there are a lot of things that can cause tech systems to go down: system failure, human error, power and internet outages, or an update, as was the case on July 19, 2024, when airlines, banks, hospitals, and other businesses around the globe slowed. This brings up an interesting question: What would you do if your tech systems went offline? But perhaps the bigger question…

Construction companies take the leap into the internet, adopting software solutions one project at a time. Understanding that the construction industry exists as a triad is the first step in getting your arms around recognizing the key players in the development of a project. Owners hold one corner, engineers and architects another, and contractors are the third. All three play a critical role in tracking elements of a project differently and assessing data in the way they wish to receive it, and how they will assemble all the final information. View the full article here.

The construction industry is a wonderful industry to work in, offering a wide range of opportunities. The benefits can often be vast: a good salary with a path for advancement; a position where you can contribute to the greater good by constructing homes, buildings, or infrastructure; and the chance to be a part of a team that works together to make all of this happen. Of course, any industry comes with its challenges. For the construction industry, perhaps some of the biggest include addressing the safety and mental health aspects, as the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) suggests a…

The evolution of technology and what comes next with AI (artificial intelligence) and the cloud. In the 1990s there was a movement away from DOS to software tools to help companies better manage their buildings, roads, homes, and industrial plants, all built on Microsoft Windows platforms. And that was important. Now we are having the same types of discussions about AI (artificial intelligence) and the cloud. View the full article here.

The residential construction software market has seen its share of M&A (merger and acquisition) activity and perhaps one of the biggest this year took place quietly just before those of us here in the U.S. celebrated the Fourth of July holiday, as ECI Software Solutions scooped up two residential home construction software business units from MiTek. Before we look at this one specific acquisition and what it means for the construction industry going forward, let’s back up for a minute and look at the residential construction market as a whole during the past two decades—because much has changed and perhaps…

Perhaps one of the best ways to improve a connected device or service would be through customer feedback. But what if customers weren’t telling the manufacturers about the issues with the devices? This is the reality for many, according to a new survey. The Memfault survey sought to understand consumer spending, use, and experiences with their connected devices such as fitness trackers, media devices, health monitors, GPS, and entertainment devices, just to name a few—not including smartphones. It surveyed 800 users aged 25-55 in the United States. Here is what it found. One of the more startling statistics is that…

Road project sets the path for the information and technology highway of the future. If I said “Big Dig” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Unless you live in or near Boston, Mass., you might not know in 1992 it was the place where many were exaggerating the ideas that the information superhighway would meet the interstate highway. View the full article here.

In the last five decades, we have seen a big shift in the construction industry—one that has developed a culture around safety. Long gone are the days of dozens of men hanging off the top of the empire state building, nary a hard hat to be seen. Hard hats didn’t become mandatory on most jobsites until the 1970s. The numbers from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health) tell an interesting story too. We see worker deaths in America are down from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to only 15 a day in 2019. That is certainly progress, but…

For airports, communication is still often typically manual through phone, walkie talkies, and email. A big challenge here is there is a lack of common situational awareness and there is no single source of truth. Now, two companies’ vision for the future could completely change how the industry operates, creating greater opportunities for both airlines and passengers. According to an Amadeus report, with 150 senior aviation leaders, 67% of airlines are experiencing more or similar levels of disruption than in 2019, and a ‘lack of common technology that brings stakeholders together’ is the number one barrier preventing better management of…

Unpacking the inefficiencies and expenses that come along with technology challenges in construction. It is very common to see a variety of companies participate and engage in the creation of a diverse set of documents throughout the construction lifecycle of any residential, commercial, or even infrastructure project. Architects and engineers contribute to the initial plans, which undergo multiple revisions. View the full article here.