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Technology is streamlining every aspect of construction, but yielding all the benefits requires thoughtful, strategic adoption — and sometimes, it can feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.

For project managers and other site leaders striving to build their teams’ technological proficiency, successful implementation requires dedicated resources and committing equally to strategic initiatives and day-to-day work.

However, in firms where resources are slim, the urgency of daily duties can crowd out the imperative of implementing new technology — even though technology has the power to optimize time management by streamlining those daily tasks. 

This article explores the dynamics of tech’s acceptance in the construction industry, the benefits of enabling innovative technology and tips on creating a of “work-work” balance that allows PMs to blend technology leadership into their day-to-day job expectations.

Change & Construction: A Fraught Relationship

The techniques of construction have changed little in over 100 years, even as the tools of today would be unrecognizable to our forebears.

Those tools — including BIM, Power BI and data analytics — have delivered major advances in communications, planning, scheduling, operational efficiencies and risk mitigation that touch every element of construction. 

New levels of communications and collaboration can ease many of construction’s persistent challenges. They save travel time, foster shared understanding of solutions, prevent misunderstandings and document alterations in real time. 

Still, some companies operate in the belief that converting a drawing into a PDF is leveraging technology, when it actually achieves little more than digitizing old paper systems.

Sophisticated use of technology facilitates true collaboration and insights into immediate challenges and developing trends. 

Seizing technology emerges from turning the jumbled box of today’s technology tools into a synchronized, streamlined jobsite strategy that mitigates and averts risk, saves time and costs, drives operational efficiencies and operational excellence and facilitates value engineering. 

The Importance of Tech on the Job

Well-built projects happen with or without technology, but smart tools bring about the highest-quality structures at the lowest possible costs, whether they’re counted in dollars, time or human life. 

For project leaders, technology creates:

• A hub for capturing high-quality data with consistency and uniformity: Siloes are broken down and gaps are filled. Knowledge gathering becomes standardized, for simplified sharing and “apples to apples” comparisons and analysis, whether the data comes from memos, drawings, contracts or budgets. The data is relevant and timely, for greater usefulness and confidence in its accuracy.
• Business insights: High-quality data fuels higher-order thinking. Quality data processed through sophisticated analytics surfaces trends across every aspect of the business and its projects. The resulting insights inform strategies and tactics that sharpen the business’ competitive edge and drive continuous improvement in project outcomes.

Still, technology is only as useful as the information fed into it, and excellence only happens in cultures committed to inputting quality data. 

With a lingering gap between aspirational use cases and real-world implementation, project leaders must be vigilant about encouraging adoption of technology throughout the enterprise.

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Making Progress: Getting the Work Done for Today & Tomorrow

In the rush of daily priorities and crises, it’s easy to deprioritize technology adoption. However, shortsightedness simply perpetuates the headaches that threaten to slow down projects, increase costs, raise risks and undermine efficiencies.

Make the process manageable by concentrating on one pain point one at a time. Be a valve, not a faucet, and keep the software provider’s service reps in line with those priorities. They should also be sensitive to the capacities of everyone involved. 

Just like people, organizations tend to skip the homework needed to adopt change while they pursue daily business. When someone is putting short-term needs before long-term gains, step in with frank discussions about the tradeoffs between immediate tasks and strategic priorities. 

Sometimes, matters must be reprioritized in order to prevent today’s “urgent” crisis from getting in the way of something that matters long into the future. 

When there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to drive change, it’s time to create bandwidth. Make delegating a habit and work with company officers to reassign the time-consuming tasks that a less-experienced person can manage. 

Cutting-edge Resources

Time carved out for technological change is wasted if the technology in question is outdated or obsolete. 

Project leaders can keep pace with innovation through these resources:

• Industry Conferences

  Don’t miss the breakout sessions, which facilitate direct dialog with construction’s most experienced tech leaders.

• Online Outlets

  In industry libraries, blog posts and podcasts, construction leaders share their wisdom and lessons learned, for practical application in the field. User groups allow posting of questions or challenges that others have probably encountered and resolved.

• AI Tools

  Tightly worded queries entered into AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT can help synthesize construction technology trends. For instance, prompt AI to explain the connections between construction technology and RFIs. Don’t accept AI’s answers at face value but, instead, trace back to original sources for their insights and the possibility of connecting with the authors for deeper conversations. 

The Path Forward: Smarter Construction

Adopting technology in construction isn't just about having the latest tools; it's about integrating them thoughtfully into daily workflows.

Busy PMs don’t have to neglect tomorrow’s innovations for the sake of today’s problems. Those who manage both gain an edge in consistently delivering results that improve with every project. By making strategic adjustments and committing to continuous improvement, project leaders can overcome present challenges and unlock technology's full potential.

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