Many studies and researches show that the construction industry suffers from problems of productivity, cost, schedule and quality of the finished product. The process of these projects is mainly centered on production and intensive exchange of information allowing the design and the realization of the product. This is why information and communication technologies are considered by specialists and researchers as the solution to all these issues.

However, the construction industry remains cautious in its investments in ICT. Mobile technologies and cloud computing open up exciting possibilities for the reduction of these problems. It is now possible, using tablets and smartphones, to access all the information about the project and the product to deliver, while making changes.

On the Road of Mobility

Communication and collaboration are essential to the success of a construction project. In constant evolution, technologies continue to surprise us and offer many opportunities to access to information. Emergence of mobile technologies offers lower-cost solutions to facilitate the sharing of information within projects. With the use of digital technology, there are so many possibilities in terms of modernization of communication, collaboration and information gathering in real time.

“We cut out eight hours a week in paperwork by having our guys gather data while they’re performing the service, on location, using iPad,” says Julian Clayton, Vice President of Research and Technology at Crescent Construction Services.

Top Reasons for Using Mobile Devices

The two main reasons are to offer the possibility to solve problems more effectively and communicate more easily with the office. The following figure includes only the tasks for which more than 60% of respondents said that the mobile tools had a positive impact on the completion of the task in question.

Adoption

According to the Cefrio case study, one of the facts that limits the introduction of new work methods is resistance to change (44%, see the graph below). This resistance is a reality that greatly disrupts the integration of new processes within organizations. Although they are already available in large quantities on the market, mobile technologies are no exception to this rule.

The changes brought by this type of tool mainly affect the teams on the site. The reality of the construction industry is that these teams have an overloaded schedule, so it’s difficult to provide them with adequate support. Under these conditions, teaching new ways of working can actually be difficult for companies wishing to make these changes to maximize the benefits of using mobile technologies.

However, the familiarity with mobile technologies, caused by widespread use for personal purposes, offers the advantage of helping companies to integrate these new tools. One of the strategies considered by companies is self-learning of employees. This approach allows site workers to acclimatize themselves to the arrival of mobile technologies on construction sites, in addition to allowing them to get support from their organization in order to use them more.

Benefits Associated with the Use of Mobile Technologies

In an industry where information can be considered the heart of a project, having constant access to it facilitates decision-making and validation of work on the construction site. Respondents from innovative firms say 92% that accessibility to information is the decisive factor in the decision to integrate mobile technologies into the work process (see graph below).

In addition, leaders recognize that the construction industry is suffering from a significant communication problem and that mobile technologies could improve the exchange of information in the field (92%). For example, a project management software like  ConstructBuy can manage human resources, both internal and external, material and financial. To learn more about the benefits of using project management software, visit What you will get with project management software

The Use of Technologies

However, even if the companies we met want to use mobile technologies on the job sites to better communicate and collaborate, consulting and sending e-mails remains the two predominant uses of these technologies. Curiously, according to those interviewed in the Cefrio case study, access to email does not improve coordination of project teams. Simply because the use of this means of communication is limited to conversations between a few individuals.  Mobile technologies have much more to offer than simple e-mail or calendar consultation. Project Management Software like ConstructBuy will be your best ally from the beginning to the end of your project. Whether you are on the job site with your smart device or at the office with your computer, you’ll have access to real-time information.

ConstructBuy is a free Platform suitable for construction companies of all sizes. The suite of tools available includes project management and communications, estimating, bid management, time and expense management, and business social network.

Find out why more than 25,000 users have chosen ConstructBuy to increase their performance.