Increases reliance on technology
Nearly half the Australian construction sector has turned to technology for risk management during pandemic uncertainty, states research from construction management software vendor, Procore.
The research showed significant change in construction industry outlook and increased reliance on technology due to COVID-19 pandemic
The How We Build Now – Tracking Technology in Construction 2020 was conducted by ACA Research during April this year.
It showed while business confidence has “dropped considerably for Australian builders as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic”, many are relying on technology to help manage risk (48 per cent) and increase productivity (38 per cent). The research also found that 39 per cent are using this quieter period to update technologies, systems, and processes.
While 69 per cent of construction companies were confident about industry business conditions at the beginning of the year, this has dropped to 43 per cent just two months later.
The confidence of small businesses (under 10 employees) seems to be the hardest hit, dropping to just 30 per cent. Meanwhile, large businesses (100+ employees) appear significantly more resilient, with 57 per cent still confident about the year ahead.
Overall, 33 per cent of builders surveyed said that, if business does not improve over the next 12 months, they will need to consider closing.
Tom Karemacher vice president APAC at Procore told CIO Tech Asia prior to the global pandemic, field teams were already suffering from application fatigue due to the number of point solutions being run on any given project.
“CIOs in construction now have a turning point to think about how they consolidate the number of applications required in the project lifecycle. It’s critical that any technology is a value add for the field team, to ensure the downstream effect is positive and not overwhelming,” he said.
According to Karemacher CIOs in the construction industry must look to the jobsite to ensure the technology decisions they are making are solving real problems for their teams in the field.
“This is more important than ever as we experience a fundamental shift in the way we work,” he said. “A remote working model has been enforced and as a result there is a greater need to collaborate virtually and leverage technology like Procore to remotely manage risk, safety and productivity on the jobsite. The technology must be easy to use, mobile friendly, have offline capabilities, and be built around specific processes in the field to hit the mark.”
Karemacher believes most construction businesses in the region are planning and reviewing their current technology to address the way we will work in the future.
“There is no doubt that COVID-19 has been a catalyst for a major shift to collaborative technology across Asia,” he said. “In terms of trends and immediate take up, it varies by country depending on whether construction has remained an essential service or not.”
According to Pronto the construction industry contributes approximately nine percent of Australia’s GDP, and has been labelled an “essential service” permitted to continue operating during the lockdown period.
While there are signs of work slowing down, there are also positive shifts as the industry continues to transform business processes and support the “new normal” working environment with technology.
