Are you the kind of person who has zero fear about trying something new or are you more likely to wait until you are absolutely, positively sure it’s a smart move? Some people have no hesitation exploring the unknown; others prefer to observe and assess before jumping in. Some people live in smart homes and have never met an app they didn’t like, while most others, not so much.
A cautious approach to technology adoption doesn’t make you a luddite, but there is a limit to how long any of us should cling to the past. An article published earlier this year in Building Design + Construction (BD+C) included an architectural drawing from the ninth century that was very much like what you might see today. How many things can you think of that have not changed in more than a thousand years? The first thing that comes to mind are the tools we use in engineering and construction. This slow pace of technology adoption is perfect for anyone hesitant about the impact of digital transformation and moving business to the cloud. There is no shame in being late adopters, but we have to question why anyone would continue to resist technology that will make your job so much easier.
The 50,000-Foot View: Big Tech Sets Its Sights on Big Building
That same BD+C article discussed the ramifications of Big Tech looking to digitize the trillion-dollar construction industry. It referenced the growing disruptions of building information modeling (BIM) and IoT (the internet of things). Are these signals of Big Tech’s plans to re-engineer an industry typically slow to adopt new technology? Will the complexities of multi-layered contracts, prolonged and highly changeable project schedules and long investment horizons continue to contribute to the industry’s reluctance to change the status quo? Regardless of all this Big Tech/big money talk among industry giants, there are easier ways for smaller AEC firms to adopt technology solutions to advance their businesses, without spending millions.
Progress that Starts on the Ground Floor
When you are heads-down focused on running your business, you don’t have the luxury of idle time or focus to worry about what’s happening in industry boardrooms. You spend your time more productively on activities that move the needle for your business, e.g., following leads, developing bids, tracking project milestones and chasing payments. With these kinds of priorities, however, you should definitely keep your eye on any trends that can help you accomplish those tasks with greater effectiveness. You simply can’t afford inefficiency (and who can?). Technology will be a game changer for you.
What Technology Can Do For You
A few years ago, Forbes offered an interesting rationale for tech adoption: “…new technology offerings can provide a competitive edge, enhance productivity and sometimes most importantly, amp up the cool factor.” The latter may sound silly, but it certainly has appeal when you are recruiting from a generation that grew up with smartphones, iPads and Chromebooks in school. Amid the day-to-day pressure of project delivery, technology offers a far more valuable and immediate benefit: it makes your job easier. It can accelerate outcomes and increase productivity. It puts answers at your fingertips, whether you are a project manager or a company executive. It ensures instant access to project details, contract changes and status updates. It equips you with the knowledge to deliver your services more effectively, and more critically, track invoices for those services on a timely basis.
Getting Ready for the Future
The most recent construction industry survey by KPMG noted that technology doesn’t replace people, it boosts their capabilities. “Humans remain the heart and soul of projects. Leaders may have continued concerns over the ability of the next generation to fully grasp the fundamentals of project delivery, but they don’t feel this challenge can be solved purely by technology… the best way forward is to re-define project culture, train the next-generation workforce on both technical and non-technical ‘soft’ controls, and increase investment in technological capabilities of newer recruits, with guidance from more experienced workers.”
Project management software is one of those tools, helping ease the transition to greater tech adoption, while enhancing business capabilities. That same survey rated future readiness, based on a number of metrics, including an appetite for innovation. Innovation in project management starts with a move from manual spreadsheets and multiple tools for tracking to integrated systems that allow for transparency and immediacy in viewing project statuses at any point in time. If you’d like to explore this step for your business, let’s talk.