PeerAssist Blog

Autodesk and our CMO, Jerad Ferrell, team up to share how understanding data management and construction technology can maximize profits for contractors.

Construction is booming in many parts of the US. But as the industry grows, it is facing a challenge of a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workers, especially among young workers. As a new generation enters the labor market, many have turned away from construction jobs, believing that work in construction leads to a dead-end career. These young workers can’t imagine a future in what they believe is a low-tech, low-paying sector.

Controlling for the unexpected is one of the greatest challenges for the construction industry. Clearly no one can predict the future, but those who plan ahead and put processes in place are more likely to be ready when something unexpected happens.

Construction projects are long and grueling if not managed properly, and software initially designed for the desktop hasn’t translated well to noisy, dusty job sites. Luckily, the emergence of targeted applications is improving this, transforming how tech is being used in the field.

No industry is as ripe for digital transformation as construction. The need to quickly and efficiently capture data in the field is driving the industry towards implementing new systems, with the promise to enable fast adopters to become more competitive.

Sooner or later, the Internet of Things and the massive amount of data that exists will catch up with every industry, including construction. The potential for robotics, sensor and laser technologies, as well as data collection are all factors affecting the future of the industry. At the same time, recent advancements in the construction industry technology are creating immediate pressures for companies to modernize their operations in order to stay competitive. Chief among these is digitization.

Making the switch to digital workflows has been proven to create substantial and immediate benefits to both subcontractors and general contractors. Even replacing a single paper workflow with a digital platform can save a team a significant amount of administrative staff time in inputting, filing and sharing information.

One of the more difficult problems facing the construction industry is not a lack of new technology, but how to integrate applications in the field. While the construction industry has a tendency to adopt construction technology slowly, the obstacles to going digital are not insurmountable.