Author: Peggy Smedley
Construction Safety Week, which is May 4-8, serves as an important reminder of the shared responsibility we are all required on creating safer construction jobsites. Safety is not just a buzzword. Let’s set the record straight right now. This six-letter word must be a prerequisite if we want to ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of each day. It is so important, it needs to be a fundamental part of the job. And this means focusing on education, awareness, and proactive practices to eliminate risks while they are employed. Here’s the challenge. We have barely scared the surface…
Here at Connected World, we have always said data just for data’s sake doesn’t provide any value for anyone. This is a conversation we need to be having in today’s AI (artificial intelligence)-driven world. Rather what OEMs (original-equipment manufacturers) need is that critical, rich data that comes around the IoT (Internet of Things) data. What they need is contextual data. A 2025 Deloitte survey of 600 manufacturing executives found 80% plan to invest 20% or more of their improvement budgets in smart manufacturing initiatives, with a focus on foundational tools and technologies. These include automation hardware, data analytics, sensors, and…
For years, financial management in construction has been complex to say the least. Project-based work, multiple entries, decentralized teams, and constantly shifting costs created a level of nuance, which led to fragmented visibility, delayed reporting, and decisions made without access to the full picture. But now all of that is starting to change. Construction accounting is evolving, and it is quickly becoming a strategic function rather than just a backoffice necessity. First and foremost, I hope this change is for the long haul. I’ve written in this column many times about the need for real transformation, but it never sticks…
Consider this fun fact: 87% of business leaders expect AI (artificial intelligence) to reshape jobs within a year. However, only 29% believe their workforce is truly ready, according to Kyndryl’s 2025 Readiness Report. Industry is so consumed by AI hype that it’s forgetting the obvious: you can’t scale what your people aren’t ready to use. Companies are buying technology faster than they’re building capability and then wondering why nothing transforms and businesses freak out. It demonstrates organizations are still thinking about jobs in static terms while technology is evolving dynamically. One new research hub aims to change all of this.…
If there is one thing the construction industry has struggled with for decades, it is fragmentation and data silos. In recent years, we have seen some changes that could shake up the industry a bit. Case in point: Autodesk Forma, which saw a big announcement earlier this month. But before we get to that new announcement, let’s journey back to the birth of Autodesk Forma. In May 2023, Autodesk introduced Forma with the early iteration targeting planning and design processes. In 2023, the product aimed to help users rapidly evaluate dozens of design options and improve upon the desired qualities…
The manufacturing industry is standing at a critical inflection point. The rise of automation and AI (artificial intelligence) signals a new era of work, one where innovation, intelligence, and workforce evolution converge. With this also comes the opportunity to bring manufacturing back to the United States, which is something I have been championing for more than a few decades. I almost can’t believe it has been that long now. The key will become how organizations align innovation and execution because the hard reality is innovation needs to be practical, scalable, and sustainable. The exciting part is we are beginning to…
If you want to understand where construction safety is headed, then you need to pay attention to what the research shows, as it can provide a blueprint for the future of work. Recently, the American Society of Safety Professionals released a new report highlighting the future of workplace environmental health and safety. The research compiles feedback from safety professionals, including key takeaways, to identify trends impacting the safety profession across all industries. Although, the findings are particularly insightful for the construction industry, which still ranks as one of the top industries with the highest rates of workplace deaths. The American…
On Aiglatson, Peggy Smedley and cohost Dennis Draeger, foresight director, Shaping Tomorrow, talk about big signals that are realigning how talent moves and leadership sits. He says the trend with AI (artificial intelligence) cuts both ways in the hiring process. They also discuss: · City states vs nation states and the impact on the workforce. · Hybrid vs return-to-office mandates and the impact on work. · How the leadership pipeline and workforce planning will all be rewritten. https://peggysmedleyshow.com
Peggy Smedley and Steve Yates, CEO, Buildxact, talk about how the construction industry is evolving quickly and the next wave of meaningful innovation. He says small business builders are trying to determine how to grow with the resources they have. They also discuss: · How technology can help solve some of the challenges for small business builders. · Labor shortages and the importance of recognizing the highest and best use of workers. · The difference between the availability of the data and the usefulness of the data. https://www.buildxact.com/
The conversation around AI (artificial intelligence) has long been rooted in the digital world—algorithms, dashboards, and predictive models. But as John Reed, general manager, manufacturing and mobility, Asia, Microsoft, and Matt Hatton, founding partner, Transforma Insights, both explained to me in March on my podcast The Peggy Smedley Show, the real transformation is happening at the intersection of digital and physical. This is where “physical AI” emerges: intelligence that doesn’t just live in software, but lives in the environment around us. In industries like construction and manufacturing, that leap will be essential as we move forward. Yet for process and…