FELLOWS FORUM
DIGITISING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS LAGGING BEHIND ALL OTHER MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTORS WITH DIGITISATION. DOUG MITCHELL, IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS, DISCUSSES HOW FELLOW PROJECT MANAGERS CAN USE DIGITISATION GAMIFICATION TECHNIQUES AND PROJECT MATURITY MODELS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES.
What are the consequences of the lack of digitisation across the construction industry upon productivity? Recent academic and industry studies imply that it is directly hampering construction productivity growth. Over the past 20 years it’s now assessed to be lagging behind other sectors by as much as 60%. Productivity experts contend that improving data digitisation in construction is the low-hanging fruit for improving productivity growth. 46
DIGITISATION IN THE CAPITAL WORKS/INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY At the most basic level digitisation means using real-time data and reporting so that all stakeholders make better decisions using up-todate information. Mastt, the software development tool I currently consult to, is a webenabled example of digitisation. It takes already available, but isolated, construction management data and uses digital tools to improve data accessibility, analytics, and usage across major projects. When quality data is made universally available to managers across projects, the prospects of improved outcomes is greatly enhanced.
