Category: Construction

How to Build Your Construction Tech Stack

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Fact: technology and app usage is growing in the construction industry. According to the 2020 JBKnowledge ConTech Report, 22% of respondents indicated using six or more construction apps, up from 20.1% in 2019.

While the abundance of apps in construction is certainly a sign of progress (particularly with some reports that the industry is lagging in digital transformation), having lots of tools can be both a blessing and a curse.

Having too many choices when it comes to what tech to use can get overwhelming. It’s not easy to figure out which solutions to adopt, especially amidst growing teams and increasingly complex workflows.

Then there’s the challenge of ensuring that your technology decisions align with your high level business strategy and goals.

Finding and implementing the best construction tech is a tall order, but it’s something that you can accomplish if you take the time to build your construction technology stack — which is exactly what we’ll tackle in this post. The paragraphs below will shed light on actionable and expert-backed insights that can help you come up with the perfect tech stack for your company.

What is a Tech Stack?

A tech stack is a collection of apps and digital tools that are all used to serve a particular business function.

For example, sales teams or organizations can have a tech stack to facilitate the sales process. Teams could have an app for prospecting, another app for setting appointments, and a tool for tracking deals in the pipeline.

The same thing applies to construction professionals. There are apps that aid multiple components of a project, whether it’s design, estimating, building, or closing.

In some cases, the different tools in a tech stack can work together automatically (i.e. they’re integrated with each other or they’re all part of the same platform). Other times, apps are used in isolation and function as point solutions that simply address a specific area or need. 

In today’s landscape, the former is infinitely better than the latter. Apps that are tightly integrated make data exchange between solutions much more seamless, allowing them to be interoperable.

This brings us to our next point…

What is Interoperability and Why Does It Matter?

Interoperability is the ability of computer programs to exchange information with each other. Interoperability is essential to a successful construction technology stack, because it makes it easier for you to access data and insights — so you can then put them to good use.

When you’re using a variety of construction applications, getting them to seamlessly integrate and share information will help you gain a better understanding of your projects, which leads to well-informed decisions.

Interoperability within construction apps also helps teams be more efficient. Nathan Wood, Chief Enabling Officer at SpectrumAEC, said it best:

“Interoperability means the ability for different project delivery stakeholders to effectively communicate and streamline information flow between one another, which is essential in the digital age of construction. Data insights will be hard to come by if you don’t first solve the interoperability dilemma. It’s about bearing down and investing the time necessary to build common language and optimize workflow, allowing teams to break down data silos and build them back better with the appropriate integrations and security protocols.”

How to Build Your Construction Tech Stack

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of technology stacks and why interoperability is important, let’s look at the steps you should take to successfully build a construction tech stack that works for you.

Create Your Strategy

The most important business decisions start at the top. Implementing technology throughout a company will be an uphill battle without 100% buy-in from the firm’s leaders.

As such, the company’s leadership team must be aligned behind a common goal and everyone should understand how technology can help the firm execute on its objectives. 

What’s the role of tech in the overall business strategy? How much should be spent on the business’ tech stack and what’s the expected ROI? When those at the top have clear answers to these questions, it’s much easier to communicate and empower the rest of the organization to find and implement solutions.

Have the Right Team and Processes in Place

The term “people, process, and technology” is popular in the business world for a good reason: these three components must be closely linked to successfully execute in today’s modern environment.

Even the most powerful technology solutions will fall short without the right teams and processes. 

So, consider having a dedicated team to oversee your technology strategy. 

The construction firm Kraus-Anderson, for instance, set up the Business Technology Investment Committee (BTIC), a group that includes the company’s President, Head of IT, Head of Finance, EVP of Operations, General Council and President of Realty. 

According to Tony Peleska, Kraus-Anderson’s VP and Head of Information Technology and Digital Transformation, the BTIC created a process “to review and monitor decision points for success.”

This process, says Tony, includes steps like conducting technology requests and self-assessments, developing a business case for the technology, and creating a comprehensive IT project plan.

This process allows the teams at Kraus-Anderson to not only evaluate and implement technology in the company, it also helps them track the technology’s performance and measure ROI. 

See if you could adopt similar practices in your organization by assigning a team to oversee your tech stack and developing processes for technology requests and implementation.

Build the Right Foundation

The best way to achieve interoperability within your tech stack is to have various tools integrated with a connected construction platform. 

Think of a connected construction platform as the foundation on which your tools, teams, and workflows can function. It connects all these components together and provides a common data environment, so information flows smoothly across the entire project lifecycle. 

With a connected construction platform, people, processes, and technologies can stay aligned at all times, paving the way for higher levels of efficiency, smarter decisions, and ultimately better project results. 

Identify Gaps and Needed Workflows

When deciding on what to include in your tech stack, it helps to identify gaps and redundancies that you can address with technology. 

Start by listing out all the tools and processes that you’re using. From there, you’ll be able to surface gaps by finding the parts of your processes where tools don’t connect. For example, if there’s a step where you need to manually enter data from one app to the next, then you know that there’s an integration gap between the two solutions. 

You may also find redundancies — instances where two apps are essentially accomplishing the same thing or are requiring you to complete unnecessary actions or tasks. For example, you could be sharing and storing duplicate documents in several places without a clear connection, when it’s more efficient to just have a single source of truth. 

Look for Open APIs and Fine-Tune Integrations

At this stage, you may already have a platform in place. Pieces of your tech stack have started to come together, but you likely still rely on other niche applications to fill in the gaps. 

When looking for components to add to your technology stack, set your sights on applications with open APIs or existing integrations with your current solutions. This will make it easier to connect the various software that you’re using, so you can get the most out of them.

As mentioned earlier, software integrations pave the way for data to automatically flow across your entire tech stack. This eliminates the need for manual entry, which reduces errors and data loss. 

Bringing It All Together

As the construction industry continues to evolve and transform, having a solid tech stack will help you keep up and remain competitive. 

To accomplish this, you need to start with a compelling high-level strategy and get buy-in from your organization’s leaders. It’s also helpful to have dedicated teams and processes around technology implementation. 

Finally, it’s important to choose solutions that can function in a common data environment, so that your data, workflows, and teams can stay connected. 

By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a technology stack that serves your organization for years to come. 

 

The post How to Build Your Construction Tech Stack appeared first on Digital Builder.

Weston Homes plans £100m London flats scheme

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Volume house builder Weston Homes has bought part of a former textiles dyeing factory complex in south east London for a £100m multi-storey flats scheme.

The 4.6 acre Dylon factory site will be transformed with a 254 apartments scheme with, undercroft basement parking, and children’s play space  within landscaped gardens.

The site already benefits from full planning consent, granted last Spring, allowing construction to start in late 2022 with a 20 month build programme.

It forms the second phase of the redevelopment of the Dylon works following on from 223 built to Crest Nicholson undertaken in 2017.

The contemporary buildings are designed for first time buyers and will have full height windows, balconies and tiered roofscapes complete with feature London Yellow Stock brickwork, providing a connection to nearby residential buildings.

Bob Weston, Chairman and Manging Director at Weston Homes said: “This new outer London development is part of our ongoing major growth and expansion. The business has a highly diverse range of developments, including a series of major landmark schemes commencing and many others in the pipeline.”

Over the last five years, Weston Homes has purchased land sites for over £2 bn worth of residential and mixed use development across outer London and the South East.

This includes 20 current active sites and over 7,500 new homes in the pipeline including traditional housing and large scale urban regeneration projects.

 

 

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.cmcconstruction.net/?p=1239

Liverpool student block developer goes under

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Subcontractors and suppliers across the North West are braced to lose millions after the company behind the 16-storey Natex student accommodation scheme in Liverpool fell into administration.

Mount Group Student Natex was developing the £45m scheme which was due for completion in December.

The company is now in the hands of administrators Mazars but the wider Mount Group remains unaffected.

Mount Group Student Natex was incorporated in 2016 and work started on the 574-bed scheme in 2019 with Manchester based Barton PM as management contractor.

Mazars told the Liverpool Echo: “The administrators are presently assessing the financial position of the company with a view to determining the optimal strategy for the completion of the development.

“The company’s financial position has been adversely affected by delays and increased costs resulting from, among other factors, the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain issues associated with the pandemic and Brexit.”

One local subcontractor told the Enquirer: “Payments have been delayed for ages on this job and suppliers are owed millions.”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.cmcconstruction.net/?p=1233

Behind the Build: Interview with Devin Sherman, VDC Director, Lee Lewis Construction

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Staying competitive in the construction industry often means anticipating challenges and being ready to overcome them. To do so, you must have the right resources, talent, and technologies on hand. 

Devin Sherman, VDC Director at Lee Lewis Construction, has made a career out of embracing cutting-edge technology and pushing it forward for the success of his firm and its clients. We recently spoke with Devin about his career in the industry, advancements in BIM and VDC at Lee Lewis Construction, and more. Read his story below. 

 

Tell us a little bit about Lee Lewis Construction and what you specialize in.

Lee Lewis Construction was founded in 1975 and is a large general contracting firm with headquarters in Texas. We still think of ourselves as a big little company in that we still have heavy involvement from Lee Lewis himself and his two sons, Ryan and Anthony. Being a large family business has been a very large benefit to us with our growth as it facilitates us to better take care of our clients without having to deal with a ton of corporate red tape.

We’re one of the largest “K through 12” builders in the state of Texas. With offices located in Lubbock, Dallas, San Angelo, and Austin, Texas, we can reach just about every area in Texas. We also do projects in all other areas of the country with substantial work completed in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, and Georgia.

Our team takes pride in being quality-control-oriented, which has contributed to us in our client base. Ninety-five percent of our work comes from repeat clients, which we’re really proud of. We strive to continue to do the best we can and work well with our design teams to come up with the best overall quality product for the owners. 

 

Walk us through your career and what led you to becoming the VDC Director at Lee Lewis Construction?

During my time at Texas Tech, I was actually an intern for Lee Lewis Construction. I was introduced to some of the construction software solutions that were available during the program at Texas Tech. It wasn’t until I started working with Lee Lewis and architects in our area that I realized Revit was the next big thing. 

Most people think that being described as a nerd is offensive, but I take pride in it. I’m a big nerd and love to just geek out on whatever I can. I got into Revit, which was really hitting the West Texas market in the early 2000s. Lee trusted me as a young kid to understand these solutions. I stuck with the products in the Autodesk suite from then until now.

“I like to really push the limits of what software can do for me because it just makes my job easier, right?” —Devin Sherman, VDC Director, Lee Lewis Construction

After I graduated, I started working with an estimator and wore the VDC, BIM, and estimating hats all at the same time. I was able to take a deeper dive into a lot of the software and find ways to not just benefit the VDC team, or BIM world, but also estimating and field teams because that was my job. I like to really push the limits of what software can do for me because it just makes my job easier, right? That’s the whole idea behind all of the Autodesk products is that they make our jobs easier. And it really did over the years, even to this day. 

It’s all come full circle for me. I worked as an intern at Lee Lewis for three years and as a full-time employee for five. Then for about six years, I worked with different companies that used Autodesk. After that, I had the opportunity to come back to Lee Lewis, where they’ve entrusted me with VDC and BIM. Lee has invested a lot in our VDC and BIM programs as well as other technologies so that we can stay at the forefront of cutting-edge technology to benefit our owners and clients to the best of our ability.

 

Since your return to Lee Lewis, what is your proudest accomplishment to date?

We’ve had a lot of success stories within the first four months of my role as VDC Director. We’ve taken our VDC team to the next level and implemented Assemble in all offices. Our brand new drone program has been implemented in all of our offices. 

I’ve also been coordinating with architects in our area to help expand their VDC and BIM programs. They’re also teaching us what they’re doing with Revit. 

To answer your question, we went from having a very small VDC team to developing our programs to being on the same level as some of the largest companies. 

 

What are the biggest challenges you face in your role? How does technology help you meet these challenges?

There are a lot of things that will come into play when speaking about challenges we face. There’s the unforeseen: the COVID-19 pandemic being one of them. Nobody saw this coming, but it’s definitely transformed the way that we do construction. Most of the safety protocols that we were taking before COVID were more to mitigate injury, but now there’s the concern of infection as well. It’s added a whole new layer of protocols that we’ve had to implement in our safety team. 

“There’s no getting around having to work apart yet be on the same site and build a project. The ease of use and ease of implementation of Assemble has really helped.” —Devin Sherman, VDC Director, Lee Lewis Construction

The technologies that we’re using allow us to work remotely. I love using Assemble to quantify materials. There’s no getting around having to work apart yet be on the same site and build a project. The ease of use and ease of implementation of Assemble has really helped. It just spread like wildfire through our company because we use it in estimating and the field to speed up communication while still being able to maintain safe social distancing protocols. I’ve also used it a lot to work with design teams to cut down on communication barriers, and get them quicker responses for both estimating and field questions that they might have.

We recently did an internal case study for a large hospital project in Lubbock for doing concrete takeoffs. Prior to using Assemble, we would have to break out the plans and get BlueBeam out. We would have to start taking off areas, figuring out linear footage and grade beams, counting spot footings, calculating total volume, quantifying slabs, quantifying forming, utilizing conversion formulas, and things of that nature. Which as a whole, generally takes a significant amount of time. Not only from the actual process of completing the takeoffs, but also from gaining an understanding of the full scope of the project through a 2D medium.

So, for this project, I conducted the concrete takeoff in Assemble, and my mentor in estimating, Kirk, did it the traditional way. This building was about 320,000 square feet. With Assemble, the takeoff was complete in about five seconds. It took me probably another 30 minutes to call the concrete supplier, get a concrete quote, call my rebar supplier, get a rebar quote, and then fill in all the cost information in Assemble. Kirk is extremely fast at what he does and it took him about 12 hours. Assemble not only accelerated the takeoff process, but it also accelerated the process for understanding the full scope of work since I was able to view it all in 3D.

As for the future, I’m excited to see the changes that are coming. If you’re not willing to adapt, you’re going to get left behind. Whatever the future brings, just be ready for it. But yeah, things are definitely going to be changing. Autodesk is at the forefront of innovation and technology. You guys tell us what you’re capable of, and we’ll pick up the ball and run with it. 

 

When you think about the future, what are your plans to advance innovation and productivity at Lee Lewis Construction? 

We want to build a single source of truth from conception to completion.  I want to go to one spot, any point in time during the entire process of construction, to find everything related to that specific project. There’s so much data floating around all the time. We use project management software right now, but it doesn’t house everything.

I call this my “redneck common sense” since I’m from West Texas: If my design team is using Autodesk products, it makes sense to use Autodesk products so that whenever we’re transferring data between each other, we don’t lose the fidelity of data. All of that information can be housed on your phone or your tablet so you can access it anywhere and everywhere. Moving to a single source of truth will open up a lot of doors for us and give us more time to stay on the edge of innovation. 

 

What advice would you give to the next generation of men and women entering and preparing for the future of the industry?

One of the things that I tell a lot of our young people is “Don’t be scared to speak up.”

I remember being the young guy pushing Revit, QTO, and Navisworks and people not taking me seriously. Now, we’ve come full circle and those people that told me I was wrong initially about the software are wishing they listened to me back then. So don’t think just because you don’t have a lot of experience that your ideas aren’t valid. Being young is an advantage that you can bring to your team, but the only advice I’d give about bringing your young ideas to the table is to be humble about it. 

There are still lots of things to learn, but know that even as a young professional, your ideas could be the next big game-changer. Don’t be scared to step up to the plate and throw your ideas out there just because you’re young. Who knows, it could be the next big innovation in the industry.

 

Want more stories like this?

Myself and team regularly interview construction leaders to promote knowledge sharing among our community. We cover what works, what doesn’t, and what the future holds. Check out our entire series of Behind the Build interviews, featuring some of the best in construction.

The post Behind the Build: Interview with Devin Sherman, VDC Director, Lee Lewis Construction appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.cmcconstruction.net/?p=1230

HS2 downsizes Euston station to save costs

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HS2 is sliming down the planned Euston station terminus in a bid to save cost and programme time.

The station will now move to a simpler 10 platform design from the originally planned 11 platforms.

This will allow the station main contractor joint venture Mace Dragados to build the £2.6bn project in a single stage, rather than two stages as originally envisaged.

The changes are far less dramatic than some in the industry feared after a 15-month review seeking cost-saving options and efficiency opportunities, depending in part on the scope of the northern route of HS2, particularly the future of the eastern leg.

HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson revealed the new plan in a six-month update to Parliament yesterday.

He said that the changes will ease the £400m budget pressure already identified on Euston station budget.

Stephenson said the exact savings would be identified as the updated design is developed over the coming months.

“In response to a recommendation from the Oakervee Review about looking into the efficiency of the Euston station, the move to a smaller, simpler 10-platform station design at Euston has now been confirmed,” he said in the report

“This will provide a more efficient design and delivery strategy and play a significant role in mitigating the affordability pressures recently identified.

“Moving to this revised HS2 Euston station design maintains the station infrastructure capacity to run 17 trains per hour, as set out in the Phase One full business case.”

Stephenson also highlighted potential minor delays in the southern section of the line leading into Old Oak Common from outer London.

He said contractors were now focused on identifying efficiencies and controlling risk in these key areas.

The added delivery risk stems from residual delays in completing enabling works and handover to main works in certain locations.

Slower than planned design progress and securing planning consents by the main works civils contractors had also limited productivity of the supply chain.

HS2 is currently reporting future potential cost pressures of around £1.3bn compared to £0.8 billion six months ago.

The overall budget for Phase One, including Euston, remains £44.6bn. This is composed of the target cost of £40.3bn and additional government-retained contingency of £4.3bn.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.cmcconstruction.net/?p=1224

Autodesk Partners Dive Into Key Construction Technologies at AU2021

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At Autodesk University this month, you probably learned about the power of our platform and the breadth of our construction integrations. You may have heard Jim Lynch, SVP & GM for Autodesk Construction Solutions, share during his Keynote that Autodesk Construction Cloud is “enabling general contractors, specialty contractors and owners to control how their data is accessed, shared and managed at every stage.” He also warned, “if your data isn’t connected, you’re only able to see a fraction of what your business is capable of.”  

Autodesk Construction Cloud is dedicated to delivering integrated workflows, exemplified by the more than 200 partners leveraging Partner Cards and APIs to deliver strong and meaningful integrations for customers who want to simplify data management and make more informed decisions. Many of those partners joined us this year at Autodesk University and hosted insightful and informative sessions for customers to unlock new insights and improve productivity with these integrated workflows and automations.  

Autodesk University content is available until October 29th. Check out these Industry Talks and the Solution Markeplace featuring many of our ecosystem partners and integrations! 

Jump to Industry Talk:

  • ERP Integrations for Autodesk Construction Cloud 
  • The Breadth and Depth of the Autodesk Construction Ecosystem 
  • How Strategic Workforce Management Completes More Work with Fewer Resources 
  • A Hitchhiker’s Guide to ArcGIS GeoBIM and the Construction Cloud 
  • How to Automate Repetitive Tasks on BIM 360 to Improve Cloud Collaboration 
  • From BIM to Fabrication with Forge 
  • Dig Deeper into Data with Forge and Digital Twins 
  • Using Forge to Build Connected and Customized Workflows in BIM 360 

 

Top Industry Talks from Partners at Autodesk University 2021 

ERP Integrations for Autodesk Construction Cloud 

Speakers: Josh Cheney, Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances at Autodesk – Sophat Sam, Integration Solutions Engineer for Autodesk Construction Cloud – Michael Newland, Director of Product Management, hh2 Cloud Services 

We walked through hh2’s integration between Sage CRE 300 and Autodesk Build as well as QuickBooks Online, which integrates with Autodesk Build using Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect. 

The speakers shared what makes the integrations so useful, their availability, and highlighted which ERPs integrate into Autodesk Build’s Cost Management capabilities. Listeners also had the opportunity to connect with some construction-accounting system integrators for deeper learning. 

Watch session > 

 

The Breadth and Depth of the Autodesk Construction Ecosystem  

Speakers: Anna Lazar, Strategic Alliances & Partnerships at Autodesk – Lauren Lake, Founder & COO at Bridgit – Lisa Kelly, Executive Director at EarthCam – Lambros Kaliakatsos, Founder & CEO at Plexscape 

Autodesk has firmly committed to an open integration ecosystem to help construction firms collaborate and drive efficiency. As a result, technology partners offer over 200 direct integrations and Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect powers hundreds of possible custom integration workflows. Listen to our key partners across industries such as mixed reality, reality capture, financials and budget planning, data and analytics, site and safety management, and more. 

Watch session >

 

How Strategic Workforce Management Completes More Work with Fewer Resources  

Speaker: Lauren Lake, Founder & COO at Bridgit 

With only 80% of the 1 million construction workers who lost their jobs at the start of lockdown returning to work in construction, contractors feel the effect of the labor shortage now more than ever. Whether it’s improving the information sharing or focusing on data-driven decision making, many contractors are asking “How can we do more work with less resources?” 

This conversation covered: 

  • Building stronger project teams using insights into your workforce  
  • Tracking project data to improve bidding and project management 
  • How to avoid cost overruns by managing resources effectively 
  • Moving from segregated information silos to centralized real-time trusted data 


Watch session > 

 

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to ArcGIS GeoBIM and the Construction Cloud 

Speakers: Anthony Renteria, Product Manager at ESRI – Stephen Brockwell, Sr Product Owner at ESRI 

Get on the road to cloud-cloud integration between geographic information system (GIS) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) with ArcGIS GeoBIM and Autodesk Construction Cloud software. This instructional demo showcased customer examples of the benefits gained from the fusion of geography and BIM data for project portfolio management, collaboration, and construction project insights informed by geography. 

By following best practices for geolocating intelligent models, AutoCAD software, AutoCAD Civil 3D software, and Revit software, users can help ensure effective integration of these models in GIS. This reduces the cost of integration by ensuring upfront data quality. To facilitate this, ArcGIS GeoBIM provideds analytics to identify documents with geolocation errors. Managing and visualization issues during the design, construction, and handover of BIM projects is crucial for financial and operational performance.  

Speakers showed how the integration of GIS and BIM with project and issue performance dashboards significantly improves insights into these critical aspects of project management. 

Watch session > 

 

How to Automate Repetitive Tasks on BIM 360 to Improve Cloud Collaboration 

Speaker: Juan Tena Florez, Regional Digital Design Manager at KEO International Consultants 

BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud connects teams and data in real time, empowering project members to anticipate, optimize, and manage all aspects of project performance in a cloud-based platform.  

To provide even more flexibility and capability, the software is built on the Forge platform, which can assist anyone with customization or automation of certain tasks that are not built on the platform by default. In this class, we demonstrated different tools and workflows that can automate some of the most tedious and repetitive manual tasks.  

You will also learn how to integrate the software with other platforms such as Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Dropbox—or with files on premises—and more. 

Watch session >

 

From BIM to Fabrication with Forge 

Speakers: Amy Marks, VP of Industrialized Construction at Autodesk – Az Jasat, Industry Manager of Industrialized Construction at Autodesk – Brian Nickel, Co-owner at AlliedBIM – Britton Langdon, CEO at MSUITE 

Leveraging BIM and automation can dramatically reduce fabrication costs and time—allowing you to do more in less time and with less waste. The convergence of construction and manufacturing is happening right now, giving you tools you need to deliver projects faster, with higher quality, efficiency, and safety.  

In this session, speakers shared how Autodesk partners Allied BIM and MSUITE use Forge to marry BIM to machine automation to power new fabrication automation tools and services; and are developing techniques that can be applied across many processes and industries. 

Watch session > 

 

Dig Deeper into Data with Forge and Digital Twins 

Speakers: Jessica Di Zio, Sr. Product Manger at Autodesk – Michael Beale, Software Developer Advocate at Autodesk – Mani Golparvar, CTO & Co-Founder at Reconstruct Inc. – Shawn Weekly,  Principal at Southern Company – Cindy Baldwi, President at VDCO Tech – Anand Desai, Sr Capital Project Manager at Accenture- Adeel Ali, Data Specialist at Accenture 

Digital twins are digital replicas of physical assets—a bridge between the physical and virtual worlds. Combining real-time data from multiple sources (including your design data) with a 3D interactive model can help you generate greater insights into your project—leading to performance improvements at all phases of the project lifecycle. In this session, you’ll hear from three companies that are using Forge to power their digital twins. They’ll talk you through why they needed to create a digital twin, and how they achieved it with Forge. 

Watch session >

 

Using Forge to Build Connected and Customized Workflows in BIM 360 

Speaker: Matt Anderle, BIM Director at AECOM 

Forge enables companies to connect data and processes, build custom integrations, and streamline workflows to extend Autodesk product capabilities. Enterprise customers can elevate the ROI of BIM 360 software to the next level by maximizing Forge web services that come with BIM 360 subscriptions. 

In this session, AECOM shared innovations and stories about how the firm uses Forge to connect BIM 360 with company-specific project administration workflows in a large enterprise environment. You’ll also learn how they optimize the design collaboration, review, and submittal processes for project teams. You will get a better understanding of what’s available in and applicable from Forge to BIM 360 and gain inspiration for driving business value with models and data. 

Watch session >

 

Check out the Solution Marketplace 

Lots of viewers met our partners during live demo sessions where they connected directly with our attendees to answer questions and show off their products and integrations with Autodesk Construction Cloud.  

You can find all these partners and other integration partners in our Solution Marketplace. Must be logged in to view. Be sure to check out: 

  1. Applied Software
  2. Arkio
  3. Bridgit 
  4. Cintoo 
  5. DocuSign 
  6. DroneDeploy 
  7. Eagle Point Software 
  8. EarthCam 
  9. Esri
  10. Eyrus 
  11. hh2 Cloud Services
  12. HoloBuilder 
  13. GoFormz 
  14. GTP STRATUS
  15. Ideate Software
  16. IMAGINiT Technologies 
  17. Join 
  18. Leica Geosystems 
  19. Linxup 
  20. Milwaukee Tools 
  21. Microdesk 
  22. MSUITE 
  23. Multivista 
  24. Newforma
  25. Newmetrix 
  26. ProjectReady 
  27. Topcon Solutions 
  28. The Wild 
  29. Unity
  30. Xinaps

The post Autodesk Partners Dive Into Key Construction Technologies at AU2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.

Key Takeaways from the AGC and Autodesk 2021 Workforce Survey

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With 2022 rapidly approaching, the construction industry is taking stock of upcoming challenges and opportunities in the market. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still at play as firms look for ways to navigate a difficult labor market, overcome supply chain obstacles, and work more efficiently. 

Each year, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk survey a broad cross section of construction firms to find insights on today’s workforce. Findings from the 2021 Autodesk and AGC Workforce Survey shed light on many of the relevant challenges to be aware of in the coming year, such as labor shortages, project delays, and the rising costs of materials. It also highlights positive emerging trends, including an increased focus on training and development as well as a rise in technology adoption. 

Over 2,100 construction professionals participated in the 2021 Autodesk and AGC Workforce Survey from July to August of this year. Represented firms provide building, highway and transportation, federal construction, and utility infrastructure services. Revenue sizes range from under $50 million to over $500 million. This broad sampling of organizations provides a comprehensive look into the industry’s current obstacles and opportunities. 

 

Firms continue to face workforce shortages

Respondents from across the country revealed that labor shortages still remain a challenge—reporting difficulty in filling nearly every type of position. In fact, there are more openings for craft and salaried positions than there were a year ago.

In last year’s survey, 76% of firms that employ hourly craft workers reported having at least one craft position unfilled. Today, the statistic has increased to 90%. The need to fill salaried positions has also increased, with 62% of firms reporting having openings for these roles. Last year, 42% reported the same. 

Eighty-nine percent of survey respondents say they have a hard time filling hourly craft positions. The hardest hourly roles to hire for are pipelayers (cited by 91% of firms). Bricklayers, concrete workers, installers other than drywall, or truck drivers follow close behind at 88%. 

Eight-six percent of respondents say they struggle to fill open salaried positions. The most difficult to hire salaried roles are project manager and supervisor positions, cited by 79% of firms. On the other hand, fewer than 40% of firms reported difficulty hiring technology and software/database personnel. 

What are the drivers behind the labor shortage in the construction industry? Firms report two key reasons: a lack of qualified candidates and unemployment insurance supplements.

 

Finding employees requires a mix of new and old strategies 

As for recalling furloughed employees, the results are mixed. Of the 25% of firms that have attempted to do so, only 40% say all furloughed employees reported when recalled. The lack of recall varies from unemployment benefits to coronavirus concerns and family responsibilities to unknown reasons. 

Construction firms are employing different strategies to boost the labor market. Nearly one-third have increased spending on training and professional development. Seventy-three percent have increased base pay rates. A little over a third have offered hiring bonuses and incentives. 

Thirty-seven percent are reaching out to career-building programs at high schools and collegiate or technical programs. Nearly a third of firms are using online strategies such as Instagram Live to engage with young applicants. Others, roughly 25%, are connecting with government workforce development and unemployment agencies to find applicants. One out of every four firms is leaning on software to help track incoming applications. 

 

Project delays and material shortages continue in 2021

Project delays continue to be a problem for construction firms. Eighty-eight percent of firms experience project delays, with 75% citing longer lead times or material shortages and 57% reporting delivery delays. Supply chain challenges have led to project changes, postponements, and cancellations for over half of all firms surveyed. 

Even when firms can access materials, they face increasing costs. The rising material prices  have affected projects for 93% of construction firms. 

These challenges have left many industry professionals wondering when they can expect revenues to return to pre-pandemic levels. In our 2020 survey, 38% of firms reported that they believed it would take six months for their business to return to 2019 levels. 26% of firms in the 2021 survey expect it will take six months to match or exceed year-earlier levels, while 17% are unsure when to expect things to go back to “normal.”

 

Construction technology helping offset industry setbacks

In part to offset some of the current industry challenges, construction firms are relying on new technologies. The majority of firms, 57%, say that technology adoption has increased over the past year. An even greater percentage, 60%, anticipate this rate to continue to rise in the next 12 months. The most popular technology investments include:

  • Project management technology (45% of firms have adopted it in the last 12 months)
  • Estimating technology ( 29%)
  • Bidding technology (28%)
  • Document management (28%)
  • Workforce management (27%)
  • Site safety tools (26%)

 

Construction primed for a more resilient future

Allison Scott, Director of Construction Thought Leadership and Customer Marketing at Autodesk, shared in the news release for the 2021 survey, “The continued investments in hiring, training, and technology highlighted in this year’s study show that even while dealing with ongoing challenges nearly two years into the pandemic, the industry remains committed to building better with a resilient workforce.”

If you’d like to discuss the findings of this year’s research and or other industry related topics, please join us in The Big Room, Autodesk’s community of construction professionals.

The post Key Takeaways from the AGC and Autodesk 2021 Workforce Survey appeared first on Digital Builder.

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