Show By Doing

We’ve heard that it takes an open mindset to be successful in today’s rapidly changing construction industry. But what does it look like when a firm truly reflects an open mindset? An ‘aha moment’ can come from the field or the office, from skeptics and promoters of tech adoption.

There is a growing passion in the construction industry for prefabrication and offsite construction processes. More companies than ever are becoming interested in finding ways to have more efficient, cost-effective workflows. To do that, now especially, they need to embrace technology to remain competitive and stay relevant.

More and more companies are adopting and working with innovative solutions like building information modeling (BIM), LiDAR, laser scans, modular, and prefab processes. During the design process and when working with other teams, there can be continuous operations improvements.?

The fairly recent trend of connected construction brings companies a better way to use their project data. Some of the features include:

• Sustainability studies
• Quality control/quality assurance
• Preconstruction and estimates
• Planning for prefabrication
• Cost and scheduling

Construction workflows can be connected step-to-step without losing important information from the project. And those workflows can exist during the full lifecycle of the project, including after commissioning. Connected construction is not just a gimmick to make the company look good at the bid stage.

Forward thinking companies are steadily redefining what is possible in the industry. Granted, the industry will always have its skeptics. Field and support teams, for instance, can be hesitant to embrace a connected construction strategy until they see the results of a coordinated model in action. To get everyone in the company to support changes, it’s best to “show by doing” and to start with a small example.

When the design is integrated from the beginning with design, trade and manufacturing partners, there can be a continuous flow of information without gaps. If you are building a 3D building, it makes sense to be working from 3D data. With a goal of having no surprises onsite, teams can make that a reality by seeing conflicts in the 3D model before construction turns those conflicts into tear outs and rework.

An added benefit of connected construction is that a company can deliver a digital twin of the project model that will support the owner in an innovative way. The digital model can be a living document after a building is commissioned, kept updated and relevant as equipment and systems are maintained and upgraded.

The more connected the project is, the better a company can carry data throughout, beginning with the initial architectural sketches. Budgeting and scheduling can, therefore, be more realistic and attainable.

As a company’s connected construction strategy and process unfold, there will arise an “aha” moment where everyone involved will realize, “Oh, that’s why we do this!”

Join episode 193 of Bridging the Gap Podcast recorded during Advancing Prefabrication 2023. Guests Stuart Meurer and Amr Raafat talk about tech adoption and taking a thoughtful approach to every construction project.?