How ConTech Enables Remote/Hybrid Work for Construction
Summary: The global pandemic accelerated remote/hybrid work but not remote/hybrid work in construction. ConTech is missing an opportunity to help productivity and female recruitment.
How COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation in construction
The term “going digital” is nothing new. Long before the global pandemic, businesses were already adopting digital technologies and strategies to keep up with rapid change and gain a competitive advantage.
But when the pandemic of 2020 hit us, the world hit the accelerator. Consumers rushed to ecommerce sites and food delivery apps. Businesses responded with vastly increased use of digital video by their workforce using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meetings, and Apple Facetime, as well as remote-worker monitoring software like Intelogos. Countrywide, office occupancy has plummeted (resource: CDC, Kastle Systems, “Back to Work Barometer“, March 2022).
Initially the construction industry was no exception: Research by JLL found that overall, three years of growth in ConTech use was compressed into a mere nine months in 2020. But when health restrictions relaxed in 2022, any tech even remotely related to the pandemic was quickly dropped. As usual, even when moving forward, construction took two baby steps forward and then one back.
How the pandemic shook up the location of work
How employment in different sectors was affected by the pandemic is explored in McKinsey & Company’s report titled “The Future of Work after COVID-19”. It assessed the lasting impact of the pandemic on labor demand, the mix of occupations, and the workforce skills required in eight different countries.
One of the conclusions of the report was that jobs in work areas with higher levels of physical proximity to coworkers and customers were likely to see greater transformation after the pandemic.
Construction was not among the affected industries: Construction sites received low ratings of overall physical proximity. Jobsites are temporary and not necessarily close to where workers live. And the work itself is manual and physical, unlike office work performed with computers.
Is remote and hybrid work even possible in construction outside HQ? And how will ConTech make it happen?
The many reasons technology adoption in construction is slow
Many other sources have observed that overall tech adoption in construction has been much slower than other industries. There are many reasons, some good, some inexplicable – see our own article here.
Construction culture was formed in the field where building occurs, whereas most software and data technology is for use in the office by desk workers. We also believe that cultural reasons affect tech adoption in construction too.
Finally, construction executives build investments for their project owners, but don’t invest much in their own companies. Margins are often thin, and small and medium sized contractors are typically small and family owned. They’d rather keep any profits than reinvest in their business.
Limitations of “ConTech” For Remote/Hybrid Work in Construction
Briq’s 2023 construction report gives multiple examples of trending construction technologies:
- VR/AR could improve safety and productivity thru better training;
- AI/ML makes building’s “book of knowledge” accessible to anyone;
- BIM and VDC bring design and build closer together;
- Drones & IoT sensors might automate inspections;
- Pre-fabrication brings manufacturing efficiencies to the field;
- etc.
These technology use cases sound great, and maybe are great. Yet how practical are they for immediate adoption in the field? And how soon can they meaningfully affect the industry’s productivity lag?
We believe the most hyped ConTech has limited usability in the field which is where, after all, a contractor makes or loses money. For example:
- VR/AR is no substitute for physically manipulating material or inspections performed by a responsible individual;
- AI/ML chatbots cannot take over decision making from engineers and supers;
- BIM and VDC primarily affect architecture/engineer labor, but not building per se;
- IoT sensors require 5G infrastructure and their installation cost may be prohibitive;
- Drones can quickly give a big picture – but the devil is in the details, not the big picture;;
- Pre-fabrication brings manufacturing efficiencies to the field; but requires new and unique assembly operations in the field.
Most ConTech is either expensive or impractical for most site management tasks. Sensors and a camera can’t substitute for a responsible onsite manager. And although prefabrication reduces the amount of building onsite, it’s no panacea. For example, construction startup ONX Homes builds homes from concrete pieces cast in a factory, after which they are transported to the jobsite. However, construction always required a significant amount of on-site work and factory-built construction is no exception to this rule, writes Brian Potter in his newsletter Construction Physics (“The Katerra Team Rides Again: ONX Homes”). He doubts productivity problems in construction can be solved only by manufacturing and factory-based automation.
ConTech adoption may be slow but it is inevitable to address labor shortages
The construction sector currently lacks skilled and experienced site managers and trade workers. In fact, it lacks every type of worker whether in the field or HQ. This labor shortage is unlikely to be solved anytime soon, while the US construction industry is flourishing as a result of legislation and the growth of the domestic manufacturing sector. Even commercial construction is flourishing in many parts of the country, even as hybrid remote office work has grown (resource: Spring 2024 Construction Starts Forecast).
How ConTech can make remote/hybrid work in construction possible
Although ConTech is only partially applicable in construction due to the requirement of in-person work at job sites, this does not mean that it has no place in construction. While remote working is simply not an option for in-person work, a hybrid model is more likely to emerge where core construction work remains on-site, but with an ever-advancing suite of construction technology tools like Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud.
There’s also a second reason why a hybrid model is desirable, which has everything to do with attracting a younger workforce. Modern work forms that embrace both remote and hybrid working are appealing to younger workers, who have different job expectations than older generations. This is especially true for attracting women into the workforce.
Modern mobile computing is natural to digital natives. Embracing a hybrid model enables construction companies to speed up their digitization transformation process, become more competitive and attract younger workers.
The business opportunity for ConTech lies in construction management tools that enable site managers to be more productive and manage multiple projects at the same time without needing to be 100% physically present onsite.
Doing more construction projects with fewer people means that remote site management tools will be required, so that one supervisor can simultaneously monitor multiple job sites without being physically present at each one. But drones, video and VR won’t do the trick.
SSCI is ConTech that enables Remote/Hybrid Work in Construction
We’ve taken all the above lessons into the design of Safe Site Check In to Make Jobsite Management Easy(™).
Safe Site Check In brings real remote, hybrid jobsite management to the industry. Launched in 2020 for the Construction industry, Safe Site Check In saves jobsite supers, project, safety and cost managers hours performing routine tasks:
- Worker onboarding & badging,
- Safety and Security check-in with screening,
- Daily log creation and archival,
- Safety videos, messages, recordkeeping,
- Project management integration,
- Remote site monitoring,
- Workforce skills profiles,
- Hourly wage, invoice validation,
- Incident and claims documentation.
Deploy in minutes: Setup by creating a poster with a unique QR code. Workers and visitors scan the QR code poster, or use a personal QR badge scanned when entering/leaving. Automates daily log and project updates.
SSCI is a SaaS web app for any device. Monthly subscriptions per jobsite, unlimited number of users. Free trials and volume discounts.
David Brian Ward is a CEO and Founder of Safe Site Check In LLC, a digital jobsite management platform launched in 2020 for the Construction industry. With over 40 years of experience in the technology industry, having launched and grown several successful companies. Mr. Ward is a now a SaaS entrepreneur and innovation leader in the Construction industry.
