In a report done by KPMG in partnership with the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), they discussed how innovation and technology in construction needs to catch up with other industries. The benefits companies have seen while using new technology has been monumental and construction businesses are becoming more interested in investing in technology.
The report also touched on the ideal digital transformation strategy and what is included. They mentioned that a digital transformation strategy in construction should address data-driven project delivery, lifecycle supply chain integration, and a future-enabled workforce.
As you read through those 3 areas, you might be asking yourself what does all that mean? In this article, I will breakdown each of the 3 areas and describe how you can implement these areas of technology into your business.
To read more about the report done by KPMG and the CCA, click here.
1. Data-driven project delivery
The first area we will discuss is data-driven project delivery. This is one of the most important parts that should be addressed when planning your digital transformation strategy.
Being data-driven means you are taking data that is presented to you and using it to make decisions within projects. All your decisions should be made using data. This includes budget data, project progress data, supply data, and any sort of data that can be used to help your business make informed decisions. With this being said, you need to make sure your whole team is making data-driven decisions so that everything is consistent from management to the field team.
Having computerized data helps keep everything organized for your company. Using outdated methods to make decisions will no longer be effective in construction and will keep you behind your competition. If you can keep your data organized and make effective data-driven decisions, you will be seen as an industry leader and you will find that winning jobs becomes much easier.
However, with this digital strategy, you need to collect data at an efficient pace. Collecting data by hand or through messy spreadsheets will not get the job done if you are trying to maximize profits with data-driven project delivery.
Fortunately, with an integrated software solution like Ontraccr, acquiring and viewing large amounts of data becomes easy. By utilizing phones on the job site and having a centralized web app tracking all project data, you will be able to make the most informed, data-driven decisions you can!
Ontraccr also makes data-driven project delivery easier by providing easy to read reports on budgets, productivity, labour costs and much more with our innovative project management features. Furthermore, the project timeline feature in Ontraccr allows you to can gain real-time visibility into your current projects, allowing you to easily identify labour gaps and make smarter business decisions.
If you are ready to start making data-driven decisions, contact us to get started today! Ontraccr also offers custom workflow development so if you have any specific needs around automating existing wasteful workflows, our team would love to learn more so we can propose a solution just for you.
2. Lifecycle supply chain integration
It is very important for you as a construction business to have a full understanding of your suppliers. It is crucial that you know when supplies are coming in, where they are coming from, exact planned and actual quantities, how to get the supplies on site, etc. The whole cycle in the supply chain must be managed from the start to finish.
To implement this into your digital transformation strategy, you need to consider finding a software solution that can help you manage your whole supply chain. The new and innovative way is to use software so why not make that a part of your supply chain management. By using technology and a user-friendly software solution, you can limit problems in the supply chain so you can just worry about your team getting the job done.
3. A future-enabled workforce
A future-enable workforce is so important to the success of your company now and also for all potential young workers you may recruit.By connecting everyone on the job site together, you are participating in a future-enabled workforce. But, this does not mean connecting workers and managers physically. This refers to connecting a team through communication on a digital platform. This is a must when you are considering your digital transformation strategy.
Being able to connect your team together on a centralized communication system can really improve the productivity of your field team. As a manager or supervisor, not only will you be able to communicate with your team from wherever you are, you can also gain real-time visibility into what your team is doing. Team members will also find it so easy to communicate with their supervisors or other workers when progress is being made.
When you have one platform for communication, you will not struggle with trying to find what has been said in the past, as all communication is centralized in one place. No longer will you have to remember what you said in a phone call or check multiple chats to see where something was said. When communication is centralized, you can have all the information you need in one place and you won't lose anything.
Want to learn how Ontraccr can centralize your team's communication? Click here
Phones are also a very great tool in construction. When you allow workers to use phones on the job site, they can provide managers and supervisors with up-to-date information on the project. This is very important in attracting and retaining young workers as they want to be using the newest technologies on their job sites. If you can provide a centralized communication system, with the addition of allowing phones to help workers with communication and projects, your business will become very attractive to all young workers.
To get advice from a Gen Z worker on how you can attract and retain young talent, read our article here.
Why a digital transformation strategy is so important
In the end, in order to rise above your competition, you need to at least be considering having a digital transformation strategy in place. By addressing these 3 key topics, you will be ahead of the game and on your way to becoming an industry leader in construction. Soon enough, all construction companies will be implementing technology into their workflows and your business needs to adapt before its too late.
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