Construction Disrupted

6 reasons why you shouldn’t be worried about losing your job to construction technology and instead should start getting excited about a technically advanced construction industry of the future being in the now, like right now, right in front of you.

1 Technology Creates Jobs

The more new tech that enters the industry (and sticks), the more there will be a requirement for people who know how to actually use it! 

We will need to learn how to deploy it, utilise it and customise it to do the work we want it to. These skills are currently in short supply which means huge job opportunities.

2 A Rise in Wage

When skills are in short supply, they come at a premium. Some of the knowledge and abilities we know we have a short supply of (data analysis’s for example), others are yet to be defined along with the technology.

People who develop skills alongside new technology will be able to charge a premium for their work. This doesn’t mean a career change, this could be a bolt-on to what you currently do.

3 Improved Health and Safety

H&S is improving all the time, in all industries. Technology helps keep us safe onsite and off-site. 

Manual, repetitive jobs that put stress and strain on the body can be done by machines reducing long-term side effects as well as reducing the more immediate threats that come with working on a live site by utilising technology that can spot dangers much quicker than a human can.

4 It Can Make You Better at What You Do

Imagine trying to do your current role without a screen, be it a phone, laptop or desktop computer. You probably can’t or at least it will take to a lot longer and it would feel a lot harder than you’re used to.

It’s the same with new technologies. They can make you better at what you do if deployed correctly. Too much tech can blow your mind and actually be ineffective. One step at a time. Choose your tech and use it to the max!

5 Creating More Opportunities

The spin-off from an influx of new tech is that when industries change dynamically then new opportunities always open up. We discover that when we start using X we also need Y.

Simply put, when one door closes another one opens up (just remember a few years ago people laughed at job ads with the title TikTok Content Creator)!

6 Plugging the Skills Shortage

If we can utilise new technology to automate replaceable skills, making parts of a project quicker and more accurate (such as repetitive and administrative tasks) we can do more with less. 

This allows people to focus on their core work, more focus, better quality work, in a faster time, meaning more projects can be completed quicker. 

Which works well for both individuals and the economy at large… oh and the robots.

Embrace the tech!

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Mentioned in this episode:

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028

Before proceeding with this episode it’s important to note that this isn’t a ’the robots are taking over’ or an ‘AI is stealing people's jobs’ guide nor is it an AI love in where EVERYTHING MUST BE AI. AI will be an important tool that we can utilise to our advantage as long as we’re not sucked into all the BS that is spewed out by those jumping on the bandwagon. These tools really are effective if mixed with HI (Human Intelligence) use them as you would any other digital tool to better productivity, output and performance, quality and knowledge.

Top 3 rules for using AI:

1 - Never rely on it without adding your own human intelligence to it

2 - Have a purpose and work out why you are using it - what’s the outcome. If it’s efficiency, make sure it’s making you more efficient and not slowing you down.

3 - Trail 2 or 3 platforms to see which suits your style and workflow - all AI isn’t made equal

Usage: Idea generation

Platform: Chat GPT

Example: This is very useful for idea generation to Never go off what this spews out, always tweak it and tailor it for your audience, in your own voice to add a layer of humanism to the copy. For example, I find it useful to kick start any form of writing I have to do be it blog posts, email copy or even just content titles.

A simple way to get into using it is to do with:

Explain the scenario: You are a marketer within a UK construction technology company...

Provide a deliverable: … and have been tasked with writing 4 engaging blog posts around the latest construction technology aimed at manufacturers within construction...

Describe the output required: …produce 4 blog post titles and a summary of each article…

Include any specifics: …there must be a strong call to action with each post complimenting the others.

The opportunities to help speed up idea generation in an industry where in-house resources are limited and time spent being creative may be seen as wasteful can be a game changer for your output speed and quality.

Usage: Authentic blog post imagery that is better than shitty stock photography

Platform: Adobe Firefly

Example: It can be tricky to find unique imagery that isn’t from stock. Adobe Firefly lets you create your own AI-generated images based on what you want to create. Even better is the functionality once created. There are options to add or remove elements, change the style (i.e. digital, vector, collage, pencil, etc), or change the colour, tone, lighting and composition. You can truly make it brand appropriate. Key in building mental availability through brand association, a key component to any contech company where competition for awareness is fierce.

Usage: For taking meeting notes, transcribing conversations and generating a list of required actions.

Platform: Scribbl

Example: This becomes very useful when you need to have meaningful outcomes in online meetings, need a transcript instead of taking your own notes or want to break down the various topics that have been discussed. Added features such as time stamping your own topics alongside a recorded video of the meeting make this a powerful tool to use. This is excellent when multiple stakeholders are involved and campaigns need to move quickly and are time-sensitive.

You simply download and it does its thing in the background, not tech stuff. As long as you can hit command/alt, shift and y…. You can use this!

Usage:  Condense detailed documents into easy-to-understand summaries

Platform:  Scholarcy

Example: We’re currently going through a lot of changes within construction, especially legislative and legal, The building safety act, net-zero initiatives, and construction product reviews are just three such entities that can be heavy on the reading, but if you want to brush up on the basics of these Scholarcy takes detailed documents and outputs the essential reading from each document including key concepts, abstracts and synopsis, highlights, summaries and analysis. Critical in such a fast-moving industry.

Usage: Integrate AI with what you are currently using

Platform: Zapier

Example: Integrating Ai with basic functions such as email responses and online chats can save a lot of time, especially for basic prompts where answers can be found online. This can be trickier to set up than the previous 4 examples as you need some basic knowledge of Zapier, but it is basic knowledge that is required. This is an excellent option when you know a lot of people will be communicating using the same platform or asking similar questions / wanting information about similar topics.

Using Zapier to integrate with email, CRMs, calendars, chatbots, forums and note-taking can increase productivity where the admin is heavy and response time is critical.

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Mentioned in this episode:

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028

Although there is an abundance of other factors where Marketing plays a critical role, such as the diagnosis of current market factors, internal auditing of Marketing output as well as the development of strategic intent, it is within the implementation stage where this episode discusses the five principles that are so important to any Construction Technology business.

Product

Be it a SaaS or a physical product Marketing is your gateway to developing better solutions to your target market's problems. This is where it all starts if you aren't solving a problem, you might as well be creating art and art is only needed for the finishing touches of any construction project. 

Marketing is the only department that has that critical eye on the client's needs, the organisation's solutions and the communication between the two with any impartiality. What so often happens is that Marketing is left out of this product development - told to communicate the products/service not develop it.

When in the construction technology industry, you must be developing products as much as the tech itself changes, which is constantly. Marketing is your gateway to understanding what these changes need to be.

Price

Rory Sutherland is quoted as saying that ‘poor promotion is discounting your pricing and you don’t need a degree to do that, any fool can cut the price of something’. And he’s right, cutting pricing simply means you havent got your pricing right in the first place. So let’s not do that.

Your price point can make or break you, but how do you know what is the correct pricing for your services? It can be tricky as the price needs to reflect the potential problem-solving abilities of your offer. Too high and your potential clients may not see the value in it or where an ROI is coming from, too low and it will devalue what you have created.

Through market and competitor analysis as well as inviting stakeholders to be involved you can start to analyse what your pricing structure will look like. Here are multiple ways of doing this such as how much profit do you want to make off each sale or by focusing on a breakeven point. Regardless of how you reach that figure, just like the product, Marketing should be at the decision table. 

Customer Journey

The better you understand a customer's journey the better you can cater for their needs throughout. Not only cater for their needs but make sure you are providing the right information at the right stages of this journey, building up that brand awareness so when they are in a position to purchase, it’s you they think of. Failure to do this just means another brand pops into its head at the point of a decision being made.

This becomes more complex within construction as you are usually targeting multiple stakeholders (buyer, user, owner, developer, beneficiary and so on). Using Marketing to better understand each journey means you stand a better chance of being remembered by your target market and creating dialogue for each stakeholder makes it much easier for all parties to agree on the right solution to a particular problem - let's make sure it's your solution.

A quick note about purchasing here: Having an understanding of where your clients will purchase is an important part of this customer journey. This critical juncture is where a frictionless process is required, and you can use Marketing to understand how to make it so. The less friction there is (especially in the complex world of construction technology) in the purchasing and post-purchase stages the more likely potential clients will purchase quicker and stay a client for longer..

Promotion

The promotional and creative elements of Marketing within construction are pretty poor. I’ve stated countless times from various sources of research that even marketers don't rate the overall output within the industry. As the industry is slow on the uptake of tech, it seems the same can be said for Marketing techniques and creativity. The majority fits the same mould, too heavy on the sales and less so on the brand positioning (we’ll come onto that in a minute).

We need to make a distinct difference here between marketing and creativity, although one without the other isn't effective.

Through Marketing, you will be able to discover the right communication channels to reach your audience. Without doing this there is a lot of wastage and probably wastage that you cannot afford right now when budgets are tight or even being cut.

Through creativity, you will be able to stand out from the crowd. Standing out and being noticed is an important factor within this market due to the continual stream of new competitors and new technology. Without doing this it becomes far too easy for potential clients to forget about who you read and what you do. 

A quick note about budgets here: During turbulent market conditions it can be difficult to apportion the correct budget to any form of Marketing, most see this as a luxury. This is a mistake and although investing when the market is down sounds counterintuitive, it has been proven that those that invest in increasing their share of voice while others are scaling back maintain this additional awareness when markets are more favourable. 

Brand

As most construction technology companies are founded as start-ups it can be difficult to justify spending on brand building (similar to promotional spend), but the brand warrants its own section due to its ability to deliver results long-term.

The benefits of brand building are multiple; higher pricing, better visibility, shorter sales cycles, better investor opportunities can all be attributed to creating a well-known brand. 

While promotional elements are focused on short-term sales activation, the brand is very much long-term, both are important within the world of construction technology from the start-up phase where generating income and investment can be critical, to being well-established within the market which will only occur by maintaining high levels of brand authority.

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Mentioned in this episode:

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028

In this episode, we’ll run through the 10 main challenges facing the construction technology industry, or more specifically the hurdles that are in the way of a more technologically advanced industry appearing from its manually made rubble. We need to better understand these problems in order to overcome them and unlock the significant potential for increased productivity, cost savings, and sustainable growth.

Lack of Digital Adoption: The construction industry has been relatively slow in adopting digital technologies, leading to inefficiencies, delays, and increased costs. We see this within a lot of organisations where legacy systems are still being used and make it difficult to integrate with more advanced technologies. 

There is not only a need for better awareness and understanding of the potential benefits of digital solutions but the mentality of viewing sunk costs as a barrier to improving or replacing older systems must change.

Fragmentation and Lack of Collaboration: The industry is highly fragmented, with multiple stakeholders often working in silos. This lack of collaboration hampers the adoption and integration of new technologies, hindering progress and innovation.

Fragmentation means we are developing systems that cater, very well, to sectors of the industry, but sometimes forget the bigger picture and the need to integrate systems across the supply chain. 

Skilled Workforce Shortage: There is a shortage of skilled workers who possess the necessary knowledge and expertise to implement and operate construction technology effectively. We often hear about the skills gap facing the trades, the workers at the coalface, onsite, getting the work done, but the shortage isn’t so isolated and is affecting almost every corner of the industry. Within Construction Technology this is a double whammy as we have a lack of skilled workers that can utilise and implement new technologies making sure they work well and limited skills when it comes to analysing the data, interpreting information from which accurate and reliable decisions can be made.

The industry needs to invest in training programs and attract young talent to address this gap as well as transfer skills for those where technology will impact their profession the most.

Cost and ROI Concerns: Construction technology can require a significant upfront investment, and many are concerned about the return on investment (ROI). In most cases this is unfound and the investment eventually brings a return. The key word there is EVENTUALLY. 

The construction industry is made up of predominantly small enterprises, with many being sole traders making investments difficult or impossible as a return takes too long and may not be necessary for such a small company. This leads to the question of whether it should be up to the larger organisations to carry the flag here and make technology more accessible for the smaller companies they rely on to contract or even sub-contract. 

Clear evidence of cost savings and productivity gains is crucial to encourage wider adoption.

Data Management and Integration: Construction projects generate vast amounts of data, but effectively managing and integrating this data across various systems and stakeholders remains a challenge. Another challenge within this same category is the sheer amount of data that is collected. As not all data is made equally this poses a problem with the need to interpret what data is of substance and what is fodder. This is compounded by how we receive any information and analysis, is it raw data that can be scrutinised (if we do have the ability to do so), or has it already been interpreted, changed, analysed and perceptions made about what it is telling us? Either way, errors can be made leading to poor decisions being made compounding the thought that technology is not playing a useful role.

Ironically, technology could be the saviour here, giving people the ability to analyse information more accurately and efficiently. But more is needed to be done and improved data standards that will only come from a collective effort and interoperability (as we’ve mentioned) are needed to realise the full potential of construction technology.

Cybersecurity Risks: With the increased reliance on digital systems and interconnected devices, the industry faces cybersecurity threats. Protecting sensitive data, intellectual property, and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks is a significant concern and some may say the horse has already bolted in many respects with so much technology already implemented (some poorly, some not so). The level of security you need will depend on the sensitivity of the information you hold and what your organisation's main purpose is. For example, if you run limited processes online the security you’ll need will probably be basic, but if you’re running a multinational organisation then more robust security is required that compliments a globalised system.

Either way, this must be taken seriously even a simple attack from Malware, Phishing or identity theft can halt an entire company. 

Regulatory Hurdles: The construction industry operates within a complex regulatory environment. Adapting regulations and standards to accommodate emerging technologies can be a slow and challenging process, impeding the adoption of innovative solutions.

The so-called red tape of regulation put in place to protect and encourage best practices can indeed put many off implementing new and innovative technologies due to the time it will take and the payoff is too long. 

Associations, regulatory bodies and governments need to do more to speed up processes and assist both large and small firms to overcome these barriers to technologies.

Resistance to Change: The construction industry has traditionally been conservative and resistant to change. There is a need for cultural shifts and a proactive approach to embracing new technologies, including overcoming resistance from stakeholders.

This comes in tandem with the previous point about cyber security. If we can fix the reservations many have about introducing new technologies the resistance barriers will start to fall.

Scalability: Many construction technology solutions work well on a small scale but face challenges when it comes to scalability and integration with existing systems. Seamless integration and interoperability across different technologies are necessary for widespread adoption.

We need to be thinking long-term and creating software that has the ability to interact with other software right across the supply chain. Stop developing entrenched silos within organisations and within certain sectors of the industry.

Sustainability and Environmental Impact: The industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint and embrace sustainable practices. Construction technology can play a vital role in improving energy efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable material usage.

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Mentioned in this episode:

Adobe Podcast

Adobe Podcast In The Making!

Welcome to Construction Disrupted, the ultimate podcast for the construction industry exploring the limitless possibilities at the dynamic intersection of construction and technology. Delve into the latest topics, news, events, expert insights and marketing that are shaping the industry right now and in the future and hopefully sprinkle a little humour in there.

I’m your guide Peter Sumpton and I run a Construction Technology Marketing Agency, buildDifferent. If you're ready to embrace disruption and the unlocked potential of ConTech, keep on listening and be part of the conversation that is reshaping the future of construction.

Whether you're a construction technology professional, engineer, architect, contractor, or investor, this podcast is your go-to resource for staying informed, inspired, and connected.

This is episode 1 - The why episode where we talk through why the heck this podcast even exists!

So let’s do that!

The construction industry has, until recently, been remarkably consistent in its approach. The actual building process has been so consistent that large-scale builds can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, Iraq, Greece, Rome, and China right through to the industrial revolution and the large-scale projects we are so used to seeing today.

Raw materials are delivered to Manufacturers who subsequently make the products and components that are required.

Procurement on both sides organises the logistics - distribution to site.

Materials such as bricks, blocks, and timber which in themselves haven’t changed much are brought to the construction site.

Once on-site assembly commences. Contractors and subcontractors (typically) perform the work while inspections from formal bodies, associations and regulators r visit the in-progress building to oversee quality and compliance.

With so many sectors and subsectors along this fragmented supply chain, it’s long been seen as an industry primed for disruption. And now with the added pressures and issues the industry as a whole faces - skill shortages, increasing prices, data overload, waste implications, sustainability factors and tighter regulations, it’s unlikely that any one particular technology will disrupt construction on its own. It will take a collaborative effort across multiple workflows for that to happen.

But what we are seeing now is new techniques and technologies invalidating long-held assumptions about how the construction industry (especially the build) should be done.

A confluence of technologies and tools, including digital twins, building information management (BIM) systems, parametric modelling, smart building materials, sustainable construction practices, robotics, automation, drones, VR, AR, IoT, modular construction, artificial intelligence and many more tech innovations are helping to streamline projects, enhance safety measures and optimise productivity.

Put another way, it’s the technology and exploring the tech-driven transformation of the built environment we must turn to if the construction industry is going to thrive into the future and for now, for many, simply survive!

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy day and giving this a listen. 

If you want to chat further about anything you’ve heard on today's episode, have a topic or technology you’d like me to cover or simply want to say hi, you’ll find me on LinkedIn or through the emails; [email protected]

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/ 

https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/a-very-brief-history-of-the-construction-industry

https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/topics/strategy/disruptive-construction-technology-examples.html