The North American construction industry is booming with no signs of slowing down. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Construction Index, about 93 percent of contractors (general & subs) expect to see equal or higher profit margins in 2019.
Despite the boom, the construction industry is facing two major challenges:
1. Fragmented structure in the construction processes
With contractors, engineers, labor, and equipment distributed around the construction cycle, it can be hard to get all the stakeholders on the same page when a decision needs to be made. Often a delay in decision making can lead to a loss in productivity.
2. Unique set of risks with every construction site
Since every site is different, each construction site presents its own unique set of risks and challenges and thus gets difficult to streamline processes to improve productivity.
So, what can be done to improve productivity and increase profits?
The answer is connected construction!
Software and apps:
The technological advancements in the construction industry are happening at a breakneck pace. Today there are software solutions to help manage every aspect of a construction project. From preconstruction to scheduling, and project management there’s a software solution out there to help streamline your construction processes and improve productivity. Embracing the digitization of the construction-based platforms has allowed many contractors to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and tackle more complex projects.
Some of the best construction software and applications come with open APIs that can integrate with other applications for free flow of information back and forth. It’s the software and applications like these that are making the fragmented construction structure become not so siloed. Software providers are forming strategic partnerships to allow you to integrate your data with other software solutions seamlessly for improved work-flow.
The best-of-breed cost estimating and takeoff solutions like Sigma and Planswift use a real-time Live Link integration that leverages the same information back and forth, thus allowing for takeoffs to be completed in half the time and substantially minimizing the risk of error than with the traditional manual process.
BIM:
BIM is another widely implemented technology. Implementing 5D BIM into the workflow will help in connecting design, pre-construction and field execution. The opportunity to combine design, finance and real-time updates means decisions can now be made based on accurate and up-to-date information to minimize risk, improve collaboration, and save time – through one central model for all project stakeholders. Build a live connected full 3D-4D-5D BIM/VDC model with Revit, BIM 360 and Sigma.
Sigma is the perfect platform to start your construction technological journey. Still in doubt? Get started with your free trial.
