The construction industry has seen its fair share of challenges throughout the past two years as the pandemic surged, and the jury’s still out on 2022. The good news is that following technology trends can help withstand challenges and leverage ongoing opportunities for company growth.
Address Labor Shortage with Tech Tools
As with most industries in this post-pandemic climate, the construction industry is experiencing labor shortage, and there is no indication that this will change soon. One of the best investments builders and contractors can make right now is thorough training of valuable and promising workers so they’ll have the skills needed to thrive in the field. Think about equipping workers with new state-of-the-art technology tools — an investment that’s sure to reap rewards even as the industry fluctuates.
Look into Modular and Prefabricated Construction
Don’t overlook the modular construction market — it’s projected to reach $157 billion by next year. Offsite prefabrication and modular construction, where a structure is built offsite and delivered to the planned site, is trending upwards due to consistent quality and decrease in labor costs and construction time. Additionally, material waste has plagued the industry for some time, but this method addresses that inefficiency by recycling leftover materials.
Promote Teamwork with Collaboration Technology
In order to foster communication and coordination between office and field teams, think about implementing a workflow automation platform such as Fluix or Integrify. Swapping paper documents for digital construction forms and automated workflows helps to streamline the process while allowing teams to collaborate and oversee field documents.
Go Green
It’s no secret that reducing our collective carbon footprint is a trend with staying power, and the construction industry is not immune. Companies can be conscious of this by lowering operating costs, improving occupant health, and increasing occupancy rates.
Increase Jobsite Safety with Wearable Tech
Approximately 20% of worker fatalities in 2019 occurred in the construction industry. Suffice to say, safety is a trend. This includes construction technology and better safety equipment such as products with IoT connected sensors that are incorporated into wearables like safety vests and hard hats. These products help improve worker safety by alerting management to a worker’s location. Using wearable and embedded sensors can help prevent injury from falls, heavy machinery, and overexertion.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
Self-driving vehicles and drones can help accelerate the construction process by improving productivity and accuracy without risking job security. This automation process can take care of repetitive tasks while freeing workers to focus on specialized projects and individual responsibilities.
