Digital transformation in construction is ongoing and you can have a say in what it’s going to look like. In this article, we will be discussing digital tools that will help you shape the future of the industry.
Construction and tools are two words neatly associated with each other. Mostly when we speak about on-site work. However, tools are just as crucial when it comes to the back office, and their significance is growing with each day. Tools don’t just help construct buildings and infrastructure - they are also crucial for building processes that plan, maintain and manage these operations. In other words, to secure your business future in the sector, you need to widen your horizons when thinking of tools and their utilisation.
The focus of this article is to explore what kind of tools one should employ in order to not just stay in line with the changing times but to also be the change. The construction sector is currently exploring new tools and their usability. There is no time like now to leave your mark and set the rules for the whole industry.
What is the Biggest Change in the Construction Industry?
Currently, the biggest change in the construction industry is recognition of the impact digitisation can deliver. From improving the quality of the end product and its delivery times to smoothening planning and execution, digital transformation is beginning to take over the industry. The construction sector is notorious for being slow to adapt to new technology, therefore the emphasis on embracing is very contrasting.
Naturally, this change alone will be the starting point for many upcoming ones. In fact, it is setting the tone for the future of the industry. By embracing it, companies will find themselves in a position to not just adapt but drive future developments.
Multiple Areas to Innovate
Innovating the whole sector means the innovation of all business aspects, not a selected few. Alas, you shouldn’t expect to have it all done at once. With multiple sides of the construction industry, there are naturally multiple areas to bring change to. Let’s talk about the two biggest ones.
Essential On-site Improvements
Technology is at the heart of construction when it comes to on-site work. Naturally, a lot of different machinery is required to complete tasks, not to mention without compromising the safety of workers in the process. However, this isn’t the only way you can improve both the quality and speed of how your on-site teams perform. Adding technology to team management will make a massive difference in these areas too.
Keeping track of attendance is one of them. Let’s admit it, absenteeism and buddy-punching are common in construction, but this doesn’t mean you should accept either. The right tools can help you solve this long-festering issue once and for all. Then, digitising timesheets can give you an upper hand when it comes to processing payments, be it for temps, full-time staff or contractors. These and many more advantages of introducing technology to on-site processes won’t just give you a layer of security. It will save a lot of time for all parties involved.
Bettering Off-site Procedures
Although the back office of construction firms isn’t a complete stranger to using software, Excel is usually the peak of modernisation you will see. Along with some equally old and rigid accounting package that still leaves the teams having to handle most of the procedures manually. Well, this has to change because not only do these processes require accuracy, but in the world of today they need to move fast. Naturally, the future of the industry will have even higher expectations and firms with manual approaches won’t be able to survive.
There aren’t many processes that cannot be digitised, and we foresee the future in which they all get automated to a degree if not entirely. This will allow companies to have a faster turnaround on admin work, something the construction industry has a bountiful of. From onboarding to payments, most of these procedures are heavily involved with legal compliance, meaning they are incredibly important. Another advantage of digitisation is that all documents involved will be stored at a digital location too, making them easily accessible and more secure. Most of the time, changes can be reversed and deleted files can be restored.
Tools to Start Shaping the Future
Going back to the tool topic, there are no strict rules in place so far, per se. However, based on experience from other industries, there are two key factors to take into consideration when choosing the solutions to aid you.
Collaboration-Driven Platforms
One of the absolute necessities to transform the future of the entire sector is smooth communication within the business. Alas, in industries like construction, where some staff work in the office, some work on-site and some are fully remote, it can be difficult to establish. However, the digital age we live in makes it more than possible. Modern technology is more often than not built on a SaaS model, meaning it’s accessible via an internet browser - making it available across all kinds of devices.
What’s more, it enables collaboration in real-time, complete with tracking of changes and easy reverses to previous versions. Finding a platform where your teams can communicate and collaborate easily despite being in different locations and working in different departments is crucial. The change cannot happen if your teams are disjointed: you need to work together as one well-oiled piece of machinery.
Customisation as a Deciding Factor
Gone are the days when you had to build your processes around the software. When the market is bustling with solutions that are ready to adapt to your operations and enhance them, it would be foolish to settle for anything else. Not to mention, instead of being a separate entity of its own, tools that will truly elevate how your business runs will seamlessly blend into it, both functionally and visually.
The tools to meet these requirements will give you a lot of freedom in terms of customisation. The very basics include things like adding your branding and integrating with your other tools. More sophisticated solutions, on the other hand, can allow you to build templates and processes from scratch. For example, at Timesheet Software we have nearly infinite customisation options across every module. You can make the platform to be fully unique to your company alone, no matter how niche your needs are.
The Change Starts from Within
Before you can start shaping the future, however, you need to shape your business to be ready for the said future. There is only much one person can do. That said, you will need your teams to be on the same page with you.
No Tool Can Change the Mindset
You can onboard the most advanced and innovative solutions currently available on the market, but that won’t guarantee you success. Simply put, tools are just that: an aid to help you fulfil your company’s mission. Without a mutual goal and understanding of why your team are utilising the said tools, they will be useless. To make sure this isn’t a waste of resources, you need to work on building the right mindset.
To build the future, you need to have a vision of what the future looks like. What’s more, you need to communicate this vision to your teams, ensuring you are on the same page when it comes to sharing it. Aligned behind a mutual goal, you will be seeking to work together. Digital tools won’t create that environment - they will be there to accommodate your journey.In other words, before you get the tools, make sure you have people ready to wield them.
Summary
The right digital tools can significantly improve both on-site and off-site operations. Given the requirements for quality, quantity, safety and speed are on a constant rise, it’s a matter of time before their utilisation becomes unavoidable. Before that time, however, you are in a position to explore and find out what kind of software serves best the purposes and challenges of construction firms. In other words, through experimenting and taking the first steps, you are in a position to shape the future of the industry.
There are currently no rights or wrongs as the process of digital transformation is still fairly fresh in the construction sector. However, there are two key aspects you need to consider when choosing the tools: their ability to support real-time collaboration and the level of customisation. What are the other must-haves? That is for you to decide.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Begin exploring today.
