The Importance of Technology in Construction

Just because things have always been done a certain "way," does not mean that "way" is the best "way" to do things.  According to Winston Churchill “ there is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.”   We all know if there is an industry that doesn't embrace change it is the Construction Industry.  It is not surprising that historically the construction industry has been one of the last industries to embrace the benefits of technology.  However, companies that are willing to change and incorporate new technologies into their business are seeing huge gains and pulling ahead of their competition.

If any industry is mobile, it is the construction industry.  Most construction companies have multiple job sites with multiple crews working on multiple tasks.  Knowing what is happening at all times on all job sites has always been a near impossible task.   Technology that was developed for smart phone and tablets has opened doors for the construction industry to more accurately track what is happening at project sites.  In a recent study done by McGraw Hill Construction, they found that companies who invested in mobile resource management systems reported “shorter work schedules by 9%, Project cost decreases of 10% and increases in project ROI of 2%.”

I think Winston Churchill would agree that using technology is "the right direction."

ConExpo Musings

Last week, over 130,000 attendees and thousands of exhibitors descended on the Las Vegas Convention center for the 2014 ConExpo conference.  Held every 3 years, ConExpo is a massive event that brings in contractors and suppliers from all over the world for a week of education and business collaboration. 

As an exhibitor, it was fascinating to be a part of the event, get a pulse of the current state of the industry, and see first hand what companies of all types, throughout the world, are looking for to improve their productivity and profitability.  As a technology provider to the industry, we were honored to have so many crucial conversations with hundreds of people from all types of companies and trades. From those conversations, we were able to discover some valuable information about the current state of the industry:

1.  While the economy has seemed to rebound recently, the rough stretch of the past several years has produced smarter, savvier business owners who are focused on doing more with less and boosting productivity.

2. Technology of all kinds is gaining traction throughout the industry.  Handheld devices, IT staff, and business process applications isn’t just for the big boys anymore.  Companies of all sizes are looking to leverage technology and improve their workflows, processes, and accuracy. 

3.       Contractors are looking for out-of-the-box technology solutions that can quickly integrate with their existing systems and provide customized results to any company regardless of size.

We are excited to see the progress the industry has made over the past several years and look forward to observing and contributing to the promising trends we observed at this year’s conference.

If you didn't get the chance to speak with AboutTime at ConExpo or would like more information follow the link below and a sales representative will contact you.  Click Here.