The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the construction industry, causing uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and lockdowns. And these, in turn, have exacerbated existing problem areas and created serious new issues for the industry.
So as we shift into the next ‘normal’ of post-pandemic life, construction companies must find new solutions to succeed in this unfamiliar landscape. Both technology and automation in construction are likely to play a crucial role in industry recovery and growth.
To help your organisation not only survive but actually thrive, we’ve prepared an industry report on how to overcome the top challenges and take advantage of future opportunities.
Below are some highlights from the report about five key challenges facing the construction industry right now.
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Challenge 1 – Supply chain and materials-sourcing issues
The pandemic has created global supply-chain issues that have significantly affected – and continue to affect – the construction industry globally. Disruptions in manufacturing and shipping are still causing significant delays and difficulties in sourcing key building materials.
The good news is that our globally recognised, award-winning data fusion platform, PerspioTM, can help you ensure your company is far less exposed to supply-chain disruptions.
That’s because PerspioTM integrates all your site data into one centralised warehouse and then feeds it into your enterprise applications in real-time. This enables your team to make better-informed decisions about ordering new materials and having specific equipment on-site.
Challenge 2 – Labour and skills shortages
According to Infrastructure Australia (IA) forecasts, labour and skills shortages will remain in the industry for the next few years. This will increase the risk of cost escalations and delays, putting extreme pressure on already-tight margins within the construction industry.
What’s more, existing skilled workers are at a greater risk of burning out and being fatigued, which can exacerbate labour shortages and cause safety issues.
However, with Perspio™’s seamless IoT integration, you can automate your construction workflows, helping your existing workers to become more efficient. Imagine analysing real-time data from any connected device across your operations. You’ll be able to identify operational risks and make the most efficient choices without delay.
Additionally, Perspio™ can reduce the paper-based processes you use to manage personnel and equipment, ensuring you always have the right person behind the right tool. It can also help you to better identify training requirements, keeping your site and personnel safer.
Challenge 3 – Under-utilisation
Australian construction industry productivity has remained virtually flat over the past 25 years. Research even indicates that industry productivity issues are linked with construction time overruns. To prevent delays, some project managers have opted to keep construction equipment and machinery available on-site throughout the whole project.
“The problem with this is that you end up paying for equipment through the course of the project,” says Christian Porter, Chief Commercial Officer of Keolis Downer, “But this means you’re likely to under-utilise equipment, increasing your project cost.”
Without taking steps to increase utilisation, and – in turn – productivity, construction industry operators risk missing out on significant value.
PerspioTM can help with this by linking operational tools with plant, equipment, labour and material data from the site in one simple view. This then enables your site and project managers to work more productively and efficiently.
Meanwhile, mapping out and automating your construction workflows allows you to move from time-cycle-based project schedules to on-demand schedules. This cuts your downtime and minimises unnecessary site activities – lowering your overall costs.
Challenge 4 – Addressing climate change
The Australian building sector contributes almost 25% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the Australian Government’s net-zero emissions goal by 2025, the construction industry will likely need to play its part in reducing emissions.
Some large construction industry players have already announced their goals to reduce emissions. Without taking similar action, construction companies risk lagging far behind their competitors to achieve key environmental benchmarks. That could result in them incurring significant costs from purchasing carbon offsets or missing consideration for specific tenders altogether.
In addition to making your construction operations more efficient, PerspioTM can also make them more environmentally responsible. For example, more efficient operations can help to minimise unnecessary vehicle movements on-site, allowing you to:
- offset emissions against actual utilisation
- improve compliance reporting and waste management
- reduce your carbon footprint.
What’s more, you can also better monitor and respond to potential spills, leaks, or environmental hazards.
Challenge 5 – Resistance to change
Research indicates that adopting IoT technology could create $75-96 billion in annual benefits for the Australian construction industry.
But while the industry has made some incremental changes, the building technologies and systems of the 1950s still – for the most part – reign supreme. This means industry players risk falling behind their competitors and missing out on significant value if they keep resisting change.
And adopting IoT technologies and automation in construction doesn’t have to be complicated. No matter the size of your projects or the complexity of your construction management workflows, we can make it easy for you.
How? First, we get to know your operations, current workflows, and plant assets. Then we design a workflow automation solution to perfectly fit with your existing systems or recommend implementing more efficient alternatives where required.
Use smart technology to get ahead of the pack
Download our report to learn more about how to overcome the top challenges facing the construction industry and help your company outcompete and outperform all the rest.
Download the Report
