Insights on the current state of the Industry

It is widely known that the construction industry has long been reluctant to evolve and use more technology for operations. Other industries have already adopted applications and cloud-based platforms to provide better levels of service to their clients. A clear example of this is the financial industry with banks, brokers and others now providing key services online.

Few engineering firms, construction companies and developers were pioneers and decided to actively invest in new technologies in the last 10 years. Buzzwords like BIM (Building Information Modeling), 3D, 4D (3D + time), 5D (+cost), XD, LOD (Level of Development or Detail, depending on which standards you follow), etc have been flooding the industry but few stakeholders really grasp their meaning and potential.

Countries in which man hours are expensive, experimented with technology for construction a little bit earlier than others and have now captured real tangible benefits from those early adoptions. An example of this is the UK, where the use of the BIM methodology is now mandated in all public projects. The use of BIM not only adds a layer of transparency to the entire project lifecycle but also feeds important information that ideally can later be used in the O&M (Operation and Maintenance) phase of the infrastructure.

Now, more than ever before the construction industry needs to leverage the use of technology in their operations for a smooth digital transformation. Companies and projects require specialized talent beyond just BIM. BIM Managers should evolve to Technology/Construction/Innovation specialists. Only the companies who have a clear vision and successful adoption rates will thrive in the future. Companies who are reluctant to invest in improving the connection between people, technology and processes may not be able to compete and survive.

The success of a digital transformation journey depends on the appropriate mix of key people, technology and processes.

With the Covid 19 Pandemic, the use of technology got a big push and clients who weren’t interested in moving their workflows to the cloud and are now asking for it. The construction site and office need to be dynamically connected, with key information flowing live back and forth without interruption and minimal lag time. This is only possible via the cloud. Previously common systems like servers are becoming obsolete. Company servers are suffering not only from a technology standpoint but also pricewise. It’s much more expensive to buy a server and have a team providing the maintenance and updates needed than subscribing to a cloud-based collaboration tool in which the software provider will comply with levels of service, maintenance, and updates while the user always has access to the latest and greatest in terms of functionality and connectivity.

Going beyond just an ERP system.

Many companies in the industry think that an ERP system will improve their financial standing. It can provide more visibility and order to invoices, accounting and back office uses but it won’t really impact the project documentation, project management and project collaboration that are key to getting paid in a construction project. Proof is everything and that’s why it’s good to also explore cloud collaboration tools for these matters.

A great example of this is the Autodesk Construction Cloud, which is one of the systems I work with every day at Accienta. I help our clients prioritize key workflows in their operations and guide them through choosing the best tool functionality for that purpose. For example, because of the fluctuation in covid cases, sometimes less people should be on site to comply with social distancing preventive measures. At the same time, the rest of the team who are working from home, office or any remote location should be aware of the site activities and key data that’s been captured there. With the traditional paper-based form reporting, this is not possible. It is not efficient to print, stamp and scan documents with few people on site, so something like electronic forms can drastically improve the day-to-day operations and guarantee that all involved parties have the latest and correct information.

Example of customizable Smart Form available via mobile app and/or web browser that can connect site information to the office. This has a practical application for Work inspections, Site Notices, Quality & Safety, etc.

Common Data Environment and ISO19650

Going beyond site reporting, you can also use a tool like this as a CDE or Common Data Environment. This basically means that in a single platform you have all key stakeholders (owner/developer, contractor, consultant, PM, etc) hosting all project documentation and collaboration evidence. This follows a set of predefined rules like roles, permissions, naming convention, specific attributes, etc. The predefined rules can be company specific, project specific or comply with international standards like the ISO19650.

Moreover, in latest system updates you can leverage advanced features like connecting the project schedule to cost elements, photos captured on site, project issues, and more.

Digital Twin

Finally, many of the collaboration tools are continuously improving to be able to capture, host and handover key project data. One of the potential uses of this key project data is through the creation of a Digital Twin, which to put it in simple terms is a representation of the physical asset as a digital asset. A digital Twin could then be connected to smart home devices, sensors and more to have the built infrastructure operating more efficiently.

Digital twins are still a controversial topic since everyone is talking about this concept, but the reality is that processes, tools and teams need to evolve more to achieve them in the best way. And also, analyze and decide in which use cases they provide the most value for each specific project.

Our industry is evolving and our teams, processes, software and partners need to adapt to such changes to thrive in the construction industry of the future that it’s being shaped today.

At Accienta, we are Digital Transformation enablers. Contact us if you want to leverage your technology investments to their full potential. Achieve more value faster and increase technology adoption rates internally and with external stakeholders.

Contact us for more information:?ACCIENTA - Digital Transformation Delivered