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Digitisation is real and it’s happening across all industries, and construction is one of them. We’re using more and more digital tools and using platforms and systems to simplify tasks both on site and in the office. We’re using BIM, completing daily reports, and tracking KPIs on our mobile phones. We’re always online and always connected, but why aren’t we building more efficiently and effectively?
Undoubtedly, experience has made our industry’s productivity one of the highest in history, but to this day, productivity levels are at an all time low in construction, a point of shame compared to others. Our intuition can eventually mislead us, and this is where data plays an important part in helping us get back on track.
Luckily (or not), we’re now producing data faster than ever, giving us more information to rely on when it comes to making informed decisions, but just as it’s easy to get lost in data as it is to collect it.
According to a February 2020 report by the Association of General Contractors: “Large infrastructure projects require an average of 130 million emails, 55 million documents, and 12 million workflows. And yet, 13% of construction teams’ working hours are spent looking for this project data. As a result, 96% of the data collected in the construction process goes unused.”
This data could unlock a huge potential to help us increase productivity, safety and save time and money at the same time. Understand what we’re doing wrong, and what we can do to improve processes.
It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed, suspicious and somewhat sceptical towards collecting data, especially in our industry, but how should we overcome this fear?
Analysing data upon project completion drives long-term improvements and we can flatten the learning curve across the whole supply chain. Data tells us a story, gives us direction and proof that we need to change the way we do things.
