My Top 10 Tips implementing digital platforms in Construction

I had a talk with a Senior Project Director 3 months ago. He had previously tried out GenieBelt with success and gave me a call. "We have a project that is basically grid locked in the middle - with a lot of internal friction. I was wondering if GenieBelt could help?". Alarm bells went off on my side. We have been involved in numerous "mid-project implementations", and our experience is that the success rate of modern digital platforms being "thrown in" at a time where everyone is already deeply involved, is significantly lower than being part of the kick-off.

Changing fundamental parts of your project, while going at full speed, might be possible but comes with certain risks...

"Well - yes, perhaps we can help but it requires quite a lot of other factors to be in place" was my hedged answer. "What are these - and while we are at it, what's your experience in general, when someone wants to implement digital platforms?". And the subsequent list I sent to the Director became my Top 10 tips.

The use of Cloud-based platforms that span across all people and projects, is still in its infancy in construction, but the potential is tremendous. Lets not forget the general challenges facing construction:

• A $10 Trillion spending less than 1% of revenue on IT = Least digitised industry
• 8%-10% Global GDP
• 30% Efficiency rate
• 7%-15% Re-work
• 80% Global Average Budget overrun

...and in order to accelerate the changes that are beginning to take root, we need to share best practice, upen up and collaborate across the whole value chain.

GenieBelt is being used by customers across more than 30 countries and thousands of projects, and across all these implementations we have started to detect a clear pattern in "DO's and DONT's" when kickstarting the digital change, as listed below.

Over the next 10 weeks, I will dive deeper into each of the Tips we have come across, but for the time being let me know, if you believe I have missed vital advice.

1. No digital tool is a cure in itself - we can only be a catalyst and enhancer
2. Start small -> Learn -> Correct -> Expand
3. The biggest task is the organisational & cultural change
4. Implement in circles from inside out
5. Avoid starting mid-project
6. Choose an open-minded and positive digital champion
7. Prepare yourself for “flak” / “attack” and STAND FAST
8. Formulate what you want to achieve with the data gained
9. Fundamental principle: “The programme must reflect reality”
10. Organisational Principle: Digital tools support a new management codex - from Centralized to Distributed, so C-lvl support is extremely valuable

Next Monday, I will dive a little deeper into "No digital tool is a cure", but as I mentioned above please share your thoughts and input to this list.

Sincerely

Ulrik Branner, CEO - GenieBelt. "Construction Connected"