10
3 Modern Solutions To Help Your Business Tackle Challenges
I
Prioritizing technology in construction
n early 2020, the construction industry was experiencing levels of growth not seen since the Great Recession, while also navigating obstacles that have plagued the industry for years, including a qualified worker shortage and slower rates of adopting new technologies. With the COVID-19 pandemic came a host of other challenges that have forced many to adjust their day-to-day workflows to keep their construction companies in business — and technology has played an integral role in this process. Mobile and cloud-based technologies have kept teams connected and projects moving throughout this period of disruption and uncertainty. Some businesses used the downtime to overhaul their technology solutions, and others sought temporary fixes to quickly increase mobility among their teams. While most agree that technology is an important part of a construction business, with so many competing priorities and so little time, technology often gets put on the back burner. However, technology should become a top priority for construction firms and throughout the industry. Its benefits and efficiency gains are countless, including increased mobility, better business visibility and greater collaboration.
1. Increased Mobility In recent years, mobile solutions have gained popularity in the industry, especially on the jobsite. The 2021 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook, found that 68% of contractors surveyed are using mobile software for daily field reports, 60% are using mobile technology for employee timetracking and approval, 56% are using it for field access to customer and job information and 55% are using mobile technology for the sharing of drawings, photos and documents. These apps help simplify workflows and free up employee time. Cloud adoption rates have been lower when it comes to project management and accounting solutions but, with more back-office teams working remotely, there has been greater interest in cloud-based solutions. There are several options for migrating onpremise solutions to the cloud. These include a self-hosted private cloud, a third-party hosting provider, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription and add-on mobile applications that integrate with existing solutions. When determining which path to the cloud makes the most sense for a business, it is important to make a list of business requirements to ensure that potential solutions will fill those needs. Consider factors such as features and functionality, security, support and whether a solution will integrate with a company’s current solutions.
Construction & Mining Magazine, Vol 5 | Edition No 3
Regardless of the cloud option, increased mobility and real-time access to projectcritical information can have profound effects on productivity. 2. Improved Visibility Having clear visibility into all aspects of a business is essential to spot issues and take corrective actions quickly, but construction businesses generate a lot of data and sorting through all of it can be tedious. Luckily, technology such as accounting and project management solutions provide firms with the vital information they need to make the best decisions for their business. Top solutions make it easy to perform timeconsuming manual tasks — robust reporting systems, automated alerts and detailed dashboards help ensure teams always have a real-time snapshot of where they stand on a project. A solid reporting system can synthesize all data into meaningful project summaries, field reports and financial statements, while an automated alert system can provide more immediate and actionable information. It filters through high quantities of information and can send a text, email or desktop notification when certain conditions are met. A comprehensive dashboard, which provides a visual snapshot of key performance indicators (KPIs) and other business metrics all in one place, presents information clearly, quickly and compellingly.
