Author: Peggy Smedley
Peggy Smedley and Ryan McGuire, president, Clayco Compute, talk about data center construction trends. He says this year, which is the same as last year, the company’s revenue in the data center business will represent about 50% of the total revenue of the company, which is approaching $8 billion. They also discuss: Why data center construction is exciting and the promise of artificial intelligence. The challenges of the rise of data centers. 3 things that can help solve the labor shortage. claycorp.com/work/mission-critical (5/27/25 – 922) What You Might Have Missed: What’s Driving Data Centers At the Sustainable Data Center Data…
Much is changing in the world of construction. With fluctuating labor and material prices, advancements in new technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), and a new federal administration, there are new opportunities to deliver projects faster than ever before. Of course, there will always be some hurdles to consider. Now, let’s look at what this means for construction infrastructure. The Civil Infrastructure Construction Index from FMI Corp., looks at the state of the infrastructure market quarterly. Now, we see 63% of respondents indicated backlogs that are at or exceeding internal expectations for this time of year. Construction companies must actively…
Can we trust our supply chains? The reality is third-party involvement in cyber breaches is growing, with 30% of breaches linked to third-party involvement, which is twice as much as last year, and driven in part by vulnerability exploitation and business interruptions, according to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report. The report analyzed 22,052 real-world security incidents, of which 12,195 were confirmed data breaches that occurred inside organizations of all sizes and types—and the data it found is enlightening, pointing the spotlight on supply chains. The research shows third-party involvement in breaches was an ever-present subject in incidents throughout the…
Peggy Smedley talks about how manufacturing and sustainability need to come together with normal business activity. She says we need to leverage data, and we need to move to a new way of working. She also discusses: How much of the world’s energy usage comes from the manufacturing and production sectors and challenges in manufacturing that require a shift to a more circular approach. New digital initiatives such as the Digital Product Passport. Three key steps to create the circular economy. peggysmedleyshow.com (5/20/25 – 921) What You Might Have Missed: All about Additive Manufacturing Stronger Supply Chains in 2025 Manufacturing…
Peggy Smedley and Raj Paul, senior director, Americas Mobility Industry, Microsoft and Knud Lasse Lueth, CEO & founder, IoT Analytics, talk about SDVs (software-defined vehicles) and a new report: Microsoft’s Software-Defined Vehicles: Adoption and Impact. Raj Paul says the amount of software that is getting into the car, it has been an exponential race. Knud Lasse Lueth says the research shows SDVs is the No. 1 priority that car OEMs currently have when they think about getting ready for the future. They also discuss: The numbers and findings from the study. Zonal architecture and how OEMs are looking at it.…
Peggy Smedley and Prithwiraj Choudhury, Lumry Family Associate Professor, Harvard Business School and author, The World Is Your Office, talk about work from anywhere trends. He has been studying the geography of work for more than a decade before hybrid work was a trend. They also discuss: The difference between work from anywhere and work from home. How AI and sensors can enable blue collar workers to work from anywhere. How digital twins enable the second wave of work from anywhere. hbr.org (5/20/25 – 921) What You Might Have Missed: Use Cases for AI Employment Is Dead Empowering Women on…
For the construction industry, risk is a big part of the success equation. Mitigating risk can lead to greater success for the business, and ultimately to more sustainable, resilient homes, buildings, and infrastructure. Understanding and identifying risk, then, becomes a critical step in ensuring success for a project. Let’s consider just one example. $368 billion. This is the economic losses resulting just from global natural disasters in 2024. $368 billion. This number is so crazy high to me. Now, imagine if there was a way to mitigate some of that risk. A new report from Aon, the 2025 Global Construction…
How much of your workweek do you believe is spent on ‘work about work’ instead of doing the work? Work about work could be status checks, updates, emails, or other things that are required to stay aligned. This is precisely the question that was asked in a recent survey of 1,000 technology workers, team leaders, and managers across the nation, and the results are eye opening. The survey was powered by AlphaROC, which is the data science company behind occam, a machine-learning powered market research platform, and was presented at a summit organized by the University of Maryland’s Project Management…
Peggy talks about new labor trends, including quiet cracking. She gives a peek behind the curtain into what is happening with our workforce—and how all of these trends will ultimately impact the future of work. She also discusses: The past five years and movements such as the great resignation, quiet quitting, labor hoarding, and more. The percentage of people quiet cracking—and how it is impacting the workforce. What steps we need to take today to prepare for the future of work. peggysmedleyshow.com (5/13/25 – 920) What You Might Have Missed: The Hottest Labor Trends All about Quiet Quitting IoT, Internet…
Peggy Smedley talks about how companies can stand out in an oversaturated market when you need to do something different. She says some of the staggering statistics are not going away anytime soon—and she talks about what can be done to stand out and compete. She also discusses: Six factors creating market instability. How to control the conversation in an evolving market. The importance of a production strategy and an amplification plan. peggysmedleyshow.com (5/13/25 – 920) What You Might Have Missed: Key Considerations for Manufacturing Mother, Daughter Career Journey IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big…