The forward march of technology is changing many industries and construction is no different. The construction site of today is a different place to yesteryear and continues to change with each passing decade. The investment in new construction technology will be key to transforming the industry in the years to come.
Despite the new technologies, productivity growth in the construction industry has remained stubbornly flat, increasing by around 15% over the last three decades. Some have pointed towards the slow uptake of technology across the wider industry, with only a relatively small number of operators taking advantage of the technological improvements available to building firms.
Birds-eye views of sites
The addition of drone technology to the construction world has been transformative to the industry. Drones have made initial site surveys faster, easier and more accurate, providing a view of an entire site in one go from above. This removes any obstacles regarding difficult to access sites, or areas that are impossible to reach on foot.
Drones are also helpful with inspections, allowing fast access to roofs and high-up parts of buildings. Previously this kind of work needed rope access or significant health and safety involvement, which costs time.
Modular building and off-site construction
Weather and environmental conditions are one of the oldest and most frequent problems in construction. Adverse weather conditions can delay a project indefinitely, so avoiding these as a delay is a huge advantage and potential cost saving.
One of the ways companies are avoiding these delays is by embracing modular building technology. Much of the construction can be done off-site and indoors, before being transported to site and assembled into the final building. Estimates suggest that modular building can accelerate project timelines between 20% and 50%, which helps to reduce labour costs and improve margin.
Automated building machines
The technology now exists for repetitive tasks such as bricklaying to be outsourced to machines, with only minimal human involvement. The same can be said for plastering, where machines are now capable of rendering new walls. Advances in painting technology means spraying cuts down the time and cost of decorating rooms too.
By cutting down labour costs, construction businesses save significant sums of money, improving margins. There’s also the added benefit of more predictable time frames – machines can work non-stop, don’t get sick and will produce a predictable amount of work in a given time period.
Technology helps to improve project administration
The influence of technology in construction extends beyond the physical building of a project – it also influences the project management aspects of a job. At MPS we offer market-leading contract management solutions that make communication, stakeholder management and project control significantly easier.
By removing unnecessary layers of administration and making the management of important documentation easy, the contract management solution is an incredibly effective way of staying in control of a project, ensuring all parties stay happy with the delivery.
To help with your contract management, visit the MPS website to see how our unique CCM Contract Management System can revolutionise the way you do business or call 01223 597933 or email sales@mpsprocess.com
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