Over the past few years the construction industry, along with most verticals, has been impacted by the digital shift. Technology is enabling teams across all verticals to achieve more than ever.  However this means construction teams are under pressure to complete projects faster, to deliver more accurate estimates, and to scale without ever letting quality drop.

Below are five key areas where technology is impacting the AEC and MEP industries. Team leaders should be aware of how these parts of the industry are changing, and how they can adapt to keep up.

1. Increasing Use of Prefab

Prefabrication is quickly gaining traction as more construction companies are understanding its benefits. This increase is largely due to the increased use of BIM software and digital modeling in design.

New platforms designed specifically for contractors enable craftsmen in a prefab shop to manufacture components on a larger scale than at the jobsite, which saves time and money. With the power of a robust construction management software the elements manufactured in a shop are more precise and are more likely to fit without the need for significant reworking in the field. Contractors can cut down on wasted time both in the shop and in the field, reducing labor costs and making it easier to track the status of the part to know when it’s available for installation.

2. Enhanced Materials Management

While ongoing supply chain issues aren’t expected to clear up anytime soon, there are options for materials management software to help adapt to the new normal. From procuring building supplies to tracking shipments to optimizing storage, materials management practices should be adopted early in the project cycle to reap benefits.

Leveraging a platform which connects directly to catalogs will allow you to keep up with BOMs. It also gives your team the opportunity to buy commodities on a price downswing, rather than having to purchase at a time when prices are locked. But materials management doesn’t only save money- it saves time. By tracking the shipment of materials, managers can identify and adjust workforce requirements as indicated by the expected arrival date of specific material, cutting down on wasted man hours on the job.

3. Optimized Field Productivity

To optimize the workload at the job site, functions such as prefabrication and materials management play significant roles. How and when those materials reach the site greatly influences how effective the work done will be. If materials aren’t on site when needed, this can lead to significant costs in unused labor, which can lead to unnecessary delays. On the flip side, materials arriving on site earlier than needed can incur storage costs and risk being damaged, stolen from the work site, or outmoded because of design updates.

Optimizing field productivity comes down to communication and visibility. The introduction of construction management platforms such as EVOLVE allow teams to access all parts of a construction project in one place. It also allows managers to automate tasks such as work cell assignment, tracking progress, providing more accurate estimates, and more. With a strong construction management The right personnel are on site. The arrival of appropriate materials in good condition. All the proper paperwork—plans, permits, etc.—to complete the job. Only then can the job get done right.

4. Improvements to Labor Forecasting

Labor forecasting, or estimating manpower needs, becomes a vital task  as miscalculations can send a schedule--and cost estimates--into the stratosphere. With labor being one of the top two highest expenses on any construction project, there is increasing pressure on managers and executives to find ways to improve labor forecasting. Labor forecasting is typically done by leveraging past experience to determine manpower needs on a daily, weekly, monthly or project-long basis.

Construction management software can look at statistics on time taken for specific jobs and use that information to calculate the need for skilled manpower at specific periods of the project. With these new feeds of data, managers can improve labor forecasting, whether it’s for a day-long task or for an entire project. Integrated materials management platforms provide information on the status of goods ordered or fabrication jobs queued, advising planners on when jobs can be scheduled on-site and when to bring in specific trades. With reliable updates on project status and delivery dates, managers now have the best opportunity to integrate available data into their decisions.

5. Better Progress Visibility and Performance Data

Technology designed specifically for construction teams can provide better visibility into project progress and performance by allowing managers to easily track and monitor various aspects of the project, such as task completion, schedule adherence, budget tracking, and resource allocation. Automated progress tracking saves managers time, and helps to deliver more accurate project estimates and times to completion. It can also facilitate collaboration and communication among project team members.

Additionally, many construction management software solutions offer advanced reporting and analytics capabilities, which can help managers identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions about how to optimize project performance.

During the pandemic, all industries had to embrace technology in order to keep up with demand. Having immediate access to critical information like the progress of a construction project became vital for people who weren’t able to go onto the construction site. Post-pandemic, those well-documented reports are being adopted permanently so they can provide information to anyone around the world who has access to the files.

The EVOLVE platform helps companies such as Cleveland Electric take on more projects without losing quality. Schedule a demo today to learn more.