A survey of 250 UK construction managers by software provider Procore Technologies reveals that Covid-19 has caused a transformative turn towards technology in the construction industry, with platform technology playing a particularly pivotal role.
Two-thirds (66%) of construction companies surveyed had rolled out some form of new technology during lockdown, with the majority (94%) seeing an improvement in the way their teams work as a result.
The survey reveals managers recognise businesses will want to build on a singular, integrated system in future, with 80% saying platform technology will play a role in how we work in construction in future. Nearly 40% said they cannot do their jobs as effectively without it.
Matthew O’Dowd, group QHSE manager of developer Elliott Group, commented: “The means to work digitally gives us a competitive advantage and ultimately helps us to achieve our mission of delivering projects defect-free – maintaining quality, reliability as well as safety.
“Technology has always played a central role in the way we work, and this has accelerated as a result of Covid-19. Having Procore’s platform technology at our fingertips has enabled us to continue working during the pandemic, and most importantly to do this in a way that has allowed us to make quick decisions and keep everyone connected safely.
“Thanks to this technology, the flow of information has been fast-tracked. We trust that everyone across our team, and our clients, have access to the latest information, in one place and in a format that everyone can understand – whether it’s observations or drawings.”
The research defined platform technology as that which “connects business applications and stores relevant information all in one place, allowing applications and tech tools to talk to each other. A platform might be used to enable visibility over data or to standardise operations.” Nearly nine out of 10 (86%) construction managers surveyed said they would use “one platform” if they could.
Brandon Olivieri O’Connor, director of UK and Ireland at Procore UK&I, said: “With much around construction being disrupted, technology has proved the one constant and this is being increasingly realised by businesses. We’ve seen contractors proactively making the move away from manual methods and excel towards platform technology. Construction won’t be the same as it was before, with connectivity and mobility driving a new way of working.”
He added: “The emphasis will remain on the ability to connect people wherever they are – on one platform – so they can be productive and safe. Procore is a construction platform that connects the entire project team, from the office to the field and across companies, providing one place to work together to do what they do best – build. The result is a team that can run projects from anywhere, enabling them to do more and do it faster.”
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