The use of technology had already been on the rise, but COVID’s arrival accelerated some aspects of that growth. Adopting technologies offers those in construction careers even more benefits, and construction contractors who take advantage of the latest technology set themselves up to thrive.

New Productivity Technology Is Still Necessary

Recent research by McKinsey shows that construction productivity has remained the same for decades. This comes from the fact that the overall design process, then bidding, and then building means that construction tends to be segmented.

Good construction leadership is still searching for ways to connect all this; technology will likely be the answer. Using software and mobile technology has already generated an improvement to some extent.

Construction and Management Software Helps Contractors Thrive

The rise of software, both for desktops and mobile apps, has had a significant impact on contractors and construction companies. This technology makes it easier for everyone involved in a project to communicate and can therefore reduce downtime.

The software also streamlines the management aspect of construction careers, making construction recruiting easier to update scheduling and project plans. When you factor in the real-time data abilities much of this technology provides, it also allows for much simpler collaboration.

New Technologies to Analyze Old Data 

Contractors and companies with years of construction experience can finally put data they collected over the years to good use with machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies help promote efficiency or enhance project forecasting accuracy.

New Technologies in Offsite Construction 

The industry also has new technologies that help with offsite construction. This is particularly useful in situations when on-site construction is not practical. Advances in technology allow the process to go more smoothly.

Planning and visualization programs ensure that parts built offsite fit together perfectly on-site to avoid any potential delays.

The Push Towards New Technology for Contractors Due to COVID

COVID-19 accelerated the development and adoption of new technology for contractors. A recent McKinsey survey found that 75% of 400 industry leaders agree that the following five to 10 years will feature constant construction shifts and that COVID accelerated these shifts.

For example, with safety concerns about in-person work, contractors looked for any possible ways to reduce contact. While the building process must occur on-site and with other people around, companies can quickly digitize other parts of the process.

The following are just some of how construction leadership and contractors incorporated technology into the construction process during COVID. You will notice that most of them focus on allowing remote work:

  • Using surveillance cameras to monitor progress on site
  • Expanding the safety abilities of tracking devices to contact tracing
  • Switching paper tickets for supplies to digital ones
  • Adopting contactless and digital ticketing and delivery proof

As technology continues to advance, it is sure to help the construction industry continue to thrive.

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