Author: Peggy Smedley

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.

Here at Constructech, we have been talking about BIM (building information modeling) for roughly two decades. The reality is at the heart of BIM is collaboration—and collaboration is what is so desperately needed to improve productivity, safety, and quality on today’s complex construction projects. If you have been following here for a while then you know BIM isn’t necessarily a piece of technology, but rather a collaborative process enabled by technology to connect time (4D), cost (5D), sustainability (6D), and facilities management (7D). What’s Driving BIM As we know, one of the biggest drivers of BIM is the project owner—and…

Every day we talk about the importance of data—how data is accessed, collected, managed, tracked, monitored, and stored electronically. Databases have quickly evolved. Today, when we are talking about a lot of data, we are literally talking about how businesses are capturing value. They are using this data to track our every movement, in the way we live, work, and play. We are infusing all this information to interpret everything we do and the way we do it. View the full article here.

Sustainability is becoming a much bigger priority across all walks of life, especially in construction. As we all know, buildings are one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In fact, some suggest buildings are responsible for more than one-third of total U.S. emissions. To all head on the same path toward the same goal, we must have a similar target. But to achieve these objectives we must be smarter and work more efficiently together, if we ever truly want to reach our energy targets. One of the first steps must…

Peggy talks about the rise and fall of hospitality—before, during, and after the pandemic. She gives a glimpse of how worker shortages are impacting nearly every industry, including hospitality where nearly 80% of hotels report staffing shortages, and what needs to be done to address it. She also discusses: The state of the hospitality market. How hospitality is combating labor shortages today. How businesses can craft a strategy for a better tomorrow. peggysmedleyshow.com (6/25/24 – 877) IoT, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, hospitality This episode is…

Peggy Smedley is joined by Julie Shainock, global managing director, travel, transportation, logistics, Microsoft, and Holger Mattig, SVP product management, airline and airport operations, Amadeus. Each share a little bit about the partnership between the companies and the impact it will have on airports and aviation in the future. They also discuss: Resilience in the face of extreme weather events and other threats. The value of a virtual operations center for airports and aviation. What we can expect in operations and investments in the future. Amadeus Disruption Management Report Virtual APOC Product Page Logistics & Transportation Solutions | Microsoft Industry…

Earlier this month, I shared the truth about gen AI (artificial intelligence), explaining we must realize the rise of AI will have an impact on our workforce. We can’t have one without the other. They are the ying and the yang and how we choose to leverage one will in fact impact the other. Let’s be clear here, to be successful in business, we must consider both in tandem. With that, I also explained there are real, true opportunities to be had with generative AI. The reality is many people—and companies—are already using gen AI. PwC suggests one year after…

Peggy Smedley unpacks a recent study about gen AI (artificial intelligence), looking at the hard numbers and identifying the value it provides. She also asks the hard questions: Are the deliverables still strong? Can quality stand the test of time? She also discusses: The percentages gen AI improves product time to market, product manager productivity, and employee experience. Four big takeaways from the study. The true value to be had with gen AI—and what it will require to achieve it. peggysmedleyshow.com (6/18/24 – 876) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain,…