The Side Effects of Advancing Technology in Construction
Little need for tech skills. That was once a characteristic of construction jobs. But there’s a digital disruption reshaping the construction industry, putting technology front and center.
There are plenty of reasons to get excited about what technology can do for the construction industry. To emerge as a strong competitor in today’s market, you must hire for the skills that will enable you to maximize the advantages and benefits of the advances that disruptive technologies promise.
Here, we look at these technologies, and highlight a concern that you must tackle to take advantage of the benefits of technology in construction.
New Technologies in the Construction Industry Are Changing the Game
In our article ‘7 Construction Technology Trends to Hire For’, we identified the following technologies that will reshape how you hire, achieve, and deliver in construction:
1. AI, IoT, and Blockchain
The Internet of Things is one of the biggest construction game changers, monitoring and analyzing construction, as well as enhancing maintenance and preventing downtime.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is identifying patterns to create solutions, and track and analyze complex data. Blockchain, meanwhile, is being used increasingly to address scope creep, contractual changes, and avoid costly waste.
2. BIM
BIM enables shared decision making from early-stage design through to completion, improves coordination and accuracy, and reduces costly errors.
3. Digitally Enhanced Manufacturing
Pre-assembled building components and modules created off-site and delivered on-site are delivering speedier efficiency, higher quality, faster results, environmental sustainability, and economic viability.
4. Digital Twin
Digital twin can identify maintenance malfunctions and raise alert, while simulating and predicting analytics to create a digital replica of a physical asset.
5. AR and VR
Augmented and virtual reality are enabling companies to accurately visualize each phase of a project from design through to post-construction. This supports a business’s pitch to stakeholders, bringing plans to life.
6. Robots and Drones
Robots are overseeing tasks to free up a skilled workforce, improving quality and productivity. Drones are being used to view, understand, and inspect sites from an advantageous and efficient viewpoint, identifying and reducing hazards, and reducing interference on the ground.
7. Wearables
Wearables embedded into PPE are monitoring vital signs that indicate a potential risk to health and safety – preventing injury, time off work, and hazards, and educating those in construction jobs about their own safety.
Cybersecurity Is a Concern
We are already experiencing some incredible benefits that technology is creating for construction. But as technology closes the door on many problems, it creates others. Cybersecurity is one of the six major threats to the construction industry. It’s the number one concern for all businesses.
With workers and processes spread across remote teams and on-site staff, construction businesses are at great risk from cyberattack.
With a wider working landscape, you have more entry points for hackers. Your protection relies heavily on a knowledgeable and vigilant workforce, as well as the in-house or outsource skills to maintain system security.
Multi-Disciplinary Teams Are the Future
The ways in which the construction industry is evolving with technology include:
- Skills of labor force must evolve as technology changes roles
- Entrepreneurial opportunities for new companies and start-ups
- Increased demand on project managers as they must deal with constantly changing plans and timelines
Your key to success in construction is multi-disciplinary teams. Technology can be used to drastically increase your stance against competition. To seize its advantages, you must hire individuals who embrace it. You need individuals who have the skills that can’t be replicated by technology, and skills and understanding to use the latest tech to its fullest.
Give Your Workforce the Technology Update It Needs
The efforts you make to remain competitive with technological advances are only as good the skills in your workforce to drive forward.
Digital disruption will have an impact on the construction industry in both positive and negative ways, so we must be prepared for the changes that are coming.
You can keep pace with change in your business by hiring the right people for your construction jobs. Contact Pivot Workforce and discover the talent you need to grow in an industry that will only increase its use of technology.