Ways Construction Executives Drive Technology to Improve and Increase Productivity

Technology is one of the easiest ways to make smarter business decisions and improve productivity in construction more so than other industries. However, the construction industry is notoriously slow to adopt new technology. While companies have adopted apps within the past year, many of them are working with out of date or apps that have been around for a while but aren’t meant for the construction workflow. However, companies that adopt technology tend to be more productive and more profitable than those that don’t.

Here are top 3 reasons companies typically have problems implementing technology according to the JBKnowledge ConTech Report. The first reason is there isn’t the right staff to support the new software. The other two main reasons are there isn’t a budget for the new technology and hesitation. This hesitation can be on the workers or the executives. Often it is both. Companies experience workers hesitant to adopt or use a new technology and executives that don’t fully believe in the product. When this happens, it is hard to get the solution implemented to know whether or not it works.

Executives and Technology

The majority of software solutions and IT work tends to be under the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Executive Officer rather than under a Chief Information Officer. When the staff responsible for the solution or all technology report to the CFO or CEO it’s adding a lot of additional weight and stress on them. IT staff and Construction Technologists often find it difficult to get their necessary budgets approved in these instances. In part because it is new and often the CFO or CEO doesn’t know how it works. While it’s the Construction Technologist’s job to help them understand, often it is easier to report to a CIO instead. Hesitation on the part of an executive it is often felt by other workers. When other workers know about an executive’s hesitance, they are also likely to be hesitant.

Effective Technology in Practice

Purchasing different solutions haphazardly isn’t an effective technology practice. The reason why companies hire construction technology experts either full time or contract is because there are so many solutions and it can be hard to find the best. Technology is a great way to increase productivity in construction, but it depends on the business’s needs. Telling a team that they can get a tool that will only solve one problem while there is a tool that could solve all of them isn’t effective and can be an issue when it comes to managing technology.

Technology and Productivity

Productivity in construction can increase given the right tools and solutions. However, just like with traditional construction tools, the wrong tech can make a job harder. And training is necessary to ensure the correct usage of the new technology, just like with other tools. Technology isn’t about having the newest toy; it’s about choosing solutions to maximize productivity and minimize duplicate data entry. When construction executives make productivity a priority and drive measures to increase productivity, it is easier to implement the technology.

Budget and Technology

Technology can be expensive, and it’s easy to look at purchase requests for new technology and software and wonder if it’s worth it. It’s not uncommon for companies to wait until computers can’t turn on to update them. The problem is that software and hardware are developing quickly, and computers and software become obsolete. This is why construction companies are looking to IT and others to be able to better inform and explain those costs. There are products for every problem, for every company, in every price range that can improve productivity in construction.

Construction Executives and Productivity

Company executives are responsible for driving company initiatives and goals. Brilliant leaders know what the end goal is and trust their hires to be able to get them there. If the construction company wants to increase its productivity, technology can be a great aid. Executives driving increased productivity in construction know that technology can help. Depending on the size of the company, they might lead the charge to find the right fit. Or they might rely on an employee’s recommendation. However they choose to go about it, it’s important to consider the needs of the company and product that improves specific areas. An all-in-one miracle software often has only one or two areas that it improves while causing difficulties in other areas of business.

To improve productivity in construction executives must lead the charge. When they show, they want productivity to improve and are embracing technology to do so it is harder for other employees to refuse. Construction executives are the chief supporters to get fledgling programs off the ground, and the best to encourage employees to present solutions to productivity problems.