What’s New in Construction? Get a Load of the Latest Trends
They like to say, “This is how we do it.” I like to say, the most expensive words in business are, “We’ve always done it that way”. It may be true that some folks in the construction industry are a little slower to adopt new tech than those in some other industries, but if you take a look at job sites these days you might be surprised by what you see.
Alongside the old, dusty pickups, forklifts and hardhats, you’re also apt to see tech ranging from drones to 3D printing building structures. Even old-timers are starting to come around to new ways of doing things.
That’s all to say the future of construction is already here. If you haven’t already, it’s time to learn how you can use the latest construction technologies in your business.
What the Tech?!
A lot of new construction technologies can look pretty space-age, especially for those of us who’ve been doing things the old-fashioned way for Lord knows how long. But they’re pumping out new tech these days and there’s plenty of reasons you might want to think about bringing some of it on board.
It pretty much goes without saying that a lot of this tech can be scary, especially for a guy who’s just figuring out how to turn the ringer off on his smartphone. But one of the biggest and most important reasons so many new technologies are being brought into the construction process is because they’re making it safer and more efficient.
Exoskeletons can help a team lift, carry and pull more. And those drones we talked about? They’re more than just some dumb gadget for nerds. They can be used to view a construction site aerially and make sure everything is placed with total precision. They can even keep watch and scan for hazards.
Take it a step further, and we’re going to be seeing more in construction industry trends like self-driving trucks and other automated machinery such as forklifts, diggers, et cetera, doing a lot of the work without needing some guy behind the wheel telling it what to do.
The Digital Makeover
Some guys (probably the same dudes still clinging to their tired old flip phones) are calling it a digital takeover. I like to think of it as more of a makeover — an overall digital transformation in the construction industry, with businesses beginning to adopt management software, industry-related apps (like busybusy — don’t mind us if we namedrop) and other project management tools from the digital realm.
However, if you follow any kind of construction industry news, you’ll know our field is still lagging. Construction remains one of the least digitized industries, and a big part of that (behind worries about budget and lack of support) is just because it’s hard to get workers on board.
And when it comes to digital technologies, about 57% of pros say worksite tracking technology is what’s most important to them. Didn’t see that coming, did you? (Or maybe you did since you’re here.) But time tracking has always been a big problem for construction companies, especially for those relying on paper time cards and other outdated methods of keeping up with their employees. An app like busybusy can seamlessly integrate into the workplace, even incorporating functions like GPS to help you monitor both employees and equipment in the Cloud.
What’s Next in Construction?
One of the biggest things we’re seeing interest in is green building. Reducing your environmental impact, both during and after construction, matters to a lot of folks. While there are still some holdouts when it comes to green building because of its initial high costs, plenty of others are coming around as they realize just how much these buildings can pay off in the long run.
In other construction industry news, modular construction is on the rise in an effort to reduce work times, increase safety and reduce material waste. We’ve been seeing it a lot more, especially over the last five years as this particular part of the industry has almost doubled in size.
The Wrap-Up
When we talk about construction industry trends, it’s not usually an exciting topic. This isn’t a business known for its movers and shakers. But right now, it’s plain to see there are some pretty big changes on the horizon, even in an industry that’s been historically slow to adapt. That might make some construction industry vets who don’t like the idea of change a little antsy. However, with a lot of the potential for change in the industry also comes a lot of potential for growth. In some ways, the construction industry is changing pretty damned fast. And in a lot of other ways, the construction industry is the same as it’s ever been. That’s kind of what I like about it.
busybusy is kind of like that too. It’s got the tools and tech you need to help digitize, but we’ve kept it clean, simple and stylish so you don’t have to be a Silicon Valley tech wizard to use it. Contact us today to learn more about busybusy.
