How Your Construction Company Can Embrace It

There are obvious parts of any construction company that can’t be digitized – take the actual construction of the facility for example. However, the processes and systems in place are far behind in making the digital transformation. Construction is one of the last industries to make the true digital shift from manual processes.

Coronavirus has made a lasting impact in the way that traditional forms of business are conducted. It’s revealed many weak spots in industries that were vulnerable to change.

McKinsey says that “we have vaulted five years forward in consumer and business digital adoption in a matter of around eight weeks.” Organizations can no longer accept their current ways and deny the need for change. Sustainability is called into question for a company that wants to continue on with manual processes because “that’s the way we’ve always done things”.

Now this is not to say that change is easy. But it is certainly not impossible.

There are existing tools that companies have been using for years to assist in making productivity more efficient. (These tools are digital by the way.) For starters, O3 Solutions software is built on the methodology of Advanced Work Packaging and the platform is entirely digital and cloud-based. You can forget using excel spreadsheets, sticky notes and pieces of paper in the field to manage, track and report on the progress and status of your projects.

Being prepared is one thing but completely improving your productivity is an entirely new ballgame. According to McKinsey, “A remote-first setup allows companies to mobilize global expertise instantly, organize a project review with 20—or 200—people immediately, and respond to customer inquiries more rapidly by providing everything from product information to sales and after-sales support digitally. In effect, remote ways of working have, at least in part, driven the faster execution drumbeat that we’re all experiencing in our organizations. And this step change in remote adoption is now arguably substantial enough to reconsider current business models.”

Here’s a simple 30-60-90 plan to begin making the digital shift for your construction company.

To implement a new methodology whether it’s digital or otherwise, adoption has to start with the top. Executives need to set the tone for success and adoption for the entire organization to buy-in.

Finally, if you think your organization shouldn’t change, you need to ask yourself whether your competition is making the change and will they be better for it?