The majority of the business community have successfully adapted moving into digitalisation in regards to their tools and procedures, except for the construction industry. Smart cities are the way forward and the construction industry needs to keep up and become digitised.
The implementation of new technologies, changing procedures, current technologies that are unable to communicate with each other and hiring or training skilled labour who are educated in digital technologies are some of the biggest challenges into digitalising the construction industry. Furthermore, these challenges could impact the timeline of projects due to adapting to these new procedures including a greater expense on the initial investment.
The construction industry has one of the lowest productivity records as they rely heavily on paper to manage all aspects of project management including procedures and their deliverables. Many contractors use bespoke digital programs that cannot be shared easily via the Internet or cloud-based applications.
If productivity became digitalised, analysing data would be more accurate and be able to record a whole new range of deliverables, which are too hard to analyse on paper. Not to mention, a reduction in disagreements between contractors due to the records like the progress of the project, management of claims, financial discrepancies and any order changes. Moreover, aiding in the digital economy with a more effective planning of infrastructures, reducing the operating and maintenance costs.
The implementation of Internet of Things (IOT) into the construction industry would allow equipment, machinery and even materials to connect with a data system that can track a variety of factors. Monitoring equipment, inventory management, energy efficiency, safety and quality assessments can all be monitored using Near Field Communication (NFC) devices. The introduction of IOT would improve project timelines, risk management and overall efficiency.
A benefit of the new generation coming into the construction world is that they are already ‘digital aware.’ They use technology to identify and a find a solution to issues in their daily lives.
The Digital Construction Summit will delve into these emerging technologies and digitisation of construction industry whilst providing deeper insights into key issues, such as project management & job site monitoring, BIM/VDC technology and big data in construction including design and information management.
The summit will offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about recent technology advances and to hear about challenges faced in complex construction projects from industry-leading expert speakers.
