The digital construction skills podcast.

Job management (aka field services management) software is a digital solution that can help connect everything across a business from office to site. We are joined on this podcast by Alexandra Mooney Partnerships manager and Paul Kerr Business Development manager (Scotland) for simPRO  one of the leading providers of this service in the UK for the construction and trades sector. 

Alex and Paul who are working hard every day with many SME businesses and in this podcast, they help us demystify some of the common terminologies that are used and clearly describe what exactly a job management solution can do for a business, how easy it is set up and what support is available to help you with the on boarding process.  

simPRO are what we would describe as model of excellence in this field. Listen in as we cut through the white noise and get under the bonnet of this topic and show you what what a top class job management software provider should look like.

In this Podcast we hear from John Lohan founding partner Integrated Project Delivery. IPD was formed in 2016 to offer client-sided consultancy for Major Infrastructure and Construction Projects and the IPD team have been involved with some of the most significant UK and International projects in recent times including Waterloo International Terminal, Heathrow Terminal 5, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link into St Pancras Station, 2012 London Olympics, AP-LNG Queensland, Australia, and MTRC Rail Project in Hong Kong.

In this thought-provoking interview we hear

· How the Integrated Project Delivery Model and its systemic approach to Project delivery differs from the more traditional methods.

· Why SMEs are the source of all real knowledge and innovation in the construction industry.

· What the standard processes the IPD model focus on that enable successful project delivery

· What lessons can be learned by the construction SME sector in adopting the tools and systems of the Integrated Project Delivery Model

· Why digital prototyping and BIM are vital enablers for developing standard products and for the evolution of off- site manufacturing methods.

· Why creating collaborative environments and fostering the right behaviours creates a culture of innovation for the SMEs.

· Why IPD focus their business on educating and working with clients and how this has a positive impact on the SME businesses involved with the project delivery.

· What digital tools and solutions can construction SMEs adopt to become more productive.

· Why any sized construction SME can adopt the IPD way of working and avoid just “Getting better at firefighting.

· Why businesses need to focus attention on systems and not setting of goals.

In this episode we hear 3 success stories from our CITB Digital Transformation through leaders project partners and how they are helping construction SME businesses with digital adoption

We begin with Dr Scott McGibbon, a stonemason, leading consultant and researcher who tells us about a major renovation project of stone tenement buildings which involved using laser scanning equipment. Scott explains why collaboration between contractors, subject matter and tech experts was key to the project success.

We then hear from Alan Penrose, Technical support and Training at Sunbelt Rentals, who explains how he worked with Tough Construction to implement machine control for their ground works activities and how this transformed one of their core activities on site.

Lastly we hear from Steve Claybrook from Leica Geosystems who tells us this inspirational story about a dozer operator in his 60s called Murray from Knights Construction Group who quickly got to grips with machine control.

In this episode we discuss survey mapping and modelling software (which is also known as Digital Terrain Modelling or DTM software)

We find out:

On this podcast you hear from

Gail McEwen- Lead Trainer at Digital Construction Skills

Nigel Lorriman- General Manager at LSS/McCarthy Taylor

Phil Langrishe- Co-owner and Managing Director, Applications in CADD

Adam Ball- Applications Engineer at Leica Geosystems

and

Peter Roberts- Technical Support and Training at Topcon Positoning

The questions are asked by Saffron Grant, Managing Director of Digital Construction Skills

This is an edited version of our “Ask the panel” 1 Hour special on survey mapping and modelling software recorded on 15th March 2021

Running time 20 minutes

On this podcast you will hear from Andy Dodman Head of Health and Safety at leading Tier 1 utility contractor Barhale Construction and Pete Ashcroft Director of Sygma Solutions a leading provider of service avoidance training. Running time 20 minutes

You will hear from Andy how Barhale have adopted digital tools such as the CAT usage monitoring app and data analytics into the core site activities of their business and why this has contributed to a staggering 35% reduction in utility strikes between 2019 and 2020. We also hear how the implementation of new ways of working was received by the end users and what has become possible in terms of coaching and leadership on site.

Pete Ashcroft is recognised as one of the foremost authorities in the UK construction industry on underground service detection equipment and it’s use and capabilities. Pete tells us why the use of digital tools is also having a transformative affect on how we coach, train and assess the competency of Genny and CAT operators.

Saffron Grant, Director of Digital Construction skills asks the questions.

This was originally recorded on 1st March as part of Digital Construction Skills Ask the panel special on digital tools and underground services. You can listen to the full event in episode 4.

In this podcast, Saffron Grant interviews George Harold, CEO of Integrated Facilities Solutions.

George Harold co-founded his business, Integrated Facilities Solutions (IFS), 20 years ago. His company were early pioneers in helping building asset owners and operators manage their information digitally. IFS are now recognised as one of the leading specialists in digital information for the whole building and asset lifecycle. Via software and value-added services, IFS provide a secure structure – from design and construction collaboration right through to coordination and delivery of a project’s close-out and handover documentation for the owner/operator.

We also find out about the solutions and support available from companies such as IFS and why George sees huge opportunities for business growth in the facilities management sector.

This talk was recorded at the Edinburgh Connections Business Exchange event in February 2021. Running time 18 minutes

https://edinburghconnections.pblink.co.uk/

Integrated Facilities Solutions | Dublin (ifacsolutions.com)

https://www.ifacsolutions.com/

Saffron Grant, Managing Director of Digital construction skills gives an overview of what the benefits of adopting digital tools in relation to construction and shares the 5 top tips to get started with a digital strategy if you are a construction SME or asset owner.   

Subjects covered 

Why bother with digital solutions in the first place? 

How do you get started? 

How do you reduce the risk? 

How do you get the most out of digital tools? 

What free training and support is available through the CITB funded digital leadership project? 

What other funding support is available to construction SMEs? 

This event was originally recorded at the Edinburgh Connections Business Exchange event on the 4th Feb 2021.

A huge thanks to the following for allowing us to re-share this content 

Bart Kowalczyk Director and Co-Founder of Edinburgh Connections 

Anna Drogon- Event Co-ordinator, Edinburgh Connections

Scotland's "Mr Networking" Colin McKeand, Co-Founder of Edinburgh Connections. 

 https://edinburghconnections.co.uk/

Saffron Grant Director of Digital construction skills in conversation with Andrew Morrison of AM Bid www.ambid.co.uk on his popular weekly Linkedin Live series.  

Saffron talks about how Digital construction skills are working on a number of CITB funded and Innovate UK funded projects designed to help the construction SME sector implement digital solutions to help improve business resilience and capability.

In this podcast you will find out:-

What kind of funding and support is available to help with digital skills that SMEs might not know about.

Why some of the help and support digital construction skills provides is free and funded by the CITB.

Why the help and support is designed to be flexible to meet the specific needs of the SME sector and why no forms need to be filled in to get started with the process.

What the purpose of the Innovate UK funded Resilience diagnostic platform is, who might use it and how might it help them.

What the relationship is between digital enablement and business resilience.

What is meant by resource poverty in the context of construction sector SMEs.

Thanks to Andrew Morrison of AM Bid for kindly giving permission to re-share this content. This was originally recorded in February 2021.

For for information here's a link to AM Bid Website:

AM Bid: UK Bid Writing Specialists Creating Winning Bids and Proposals

You can also reach out to Saffron by e mailing her at [email protected] or simply book a free 30 minute call to see how you can access the CITB funded 8 hours free Digital Strategy Support. 

https://ChrisGrantbookappointment.as.me/

In this episode Saffron speaks to Kathleen McLoughlin, Business Improvement Manager of Masonry Solutions limited. Kathleen talks about the leadership training she has recently taken part in and what benefits that this has brought both to her and her company.

Kathleen took part in the "Power Within" Leadership training ran by the Business Growth Academy. For more information on the programme,  you can visit https://thepowerwithintraining.com. For more information on Masonry Solutions Ltd you can visit https://masonrysolutionsltd.co.uk 

How do people get started with survey mapping and modelling software if they haven’t been using any before now?  

What are the benefits of Digital Terrain Modelling software to businesses both large and small? 

 What do we mean by "point clouds"?  What computing power do you need to run survey software?  

Are survey software files interoperable with other systems?  

What has this all got to do with BIM and playing golf with a spoon?  

How can survey mapping and modelling software allow us to completely transform how we manage the site engineering aspects of construction and how this could be used to optimise activities such as transport logistics?  

 These are the questions  and some of the points of discussion with some of the leading software and technical support providers at our fifth Ask the panel Event on the theme of setting out and surveying. 

 In this episode we were joined by: 

 Nigel Lorriman - General manager- LSS- McCarthy Taylor

 Phil Langrishe- Part owner/Managing director APPLICATIONS IN CADD LTD

Peter Roberts- Technical support Topcon Positioning GB 

Adam Ball- Technical support, Leica Geosystems part of Hexagon

Gail McEwen- Training and Support- Setting out for construction 

Tor- Erik "TED" Djupos Applications Engineer, Trimble

 The Q&A session was hosted by Saffron Grant, Managing Director of Digital construction skills. Saffron is also director of Setting out for construction and author of the book- "Setting out for construction- a practical guide to site surveying" 

This event is brought to you thanks to CITB funding through our Digital transformation through leaders project.