Don Henrich
Is Your Company Ready to Close the Construction Productivity Gap Once and for All?
Construction is one of the largest industries in the world, accounting for 13% of the world’s domestic gross product (GDP). Despite more than $10 trillion of construction being put in place every year, construction lags behind virtually every industry when it comes to productivity gains.
According to a McKinsey & Company report, construction productivity has only grown, on average, 1% a year over the past two decades. A large reason for that is because construction is still one of the least digitized industries in the world. Even traditional industries like government, mining, oil, and warehousing have all seen more significant gains in productivity due to digitization.
But why has construction lagged behind?
A Look Behind the Curtain of Construction’s Productivity Problem
Just like the industry itself, the reason why construction has not experienced significant gains in efficiency is complex. There is a multitude of factors involved, including:
- Innovation is not a priority: According to Gartner, construction allocates the least amount of revenue for software and technology. The amount is so small that one-third of U.S. contractors say they spend less than 1% of corporate revenue on IT. The construction industry underspends cross-industry averages by 60-70%, with 37% of contractors reporting a limited construction budget as a major factor.
- Teams, technology, and data are disconnected: Construction is a collaborative process that involves architects, designers, consultants, builders, owners, to name a few. A breakdown in communication can cause disconnected teams and information loss, which leads to delays, rework, and waste. According to a recent FMI report, poor project data and miscommunication on projects is responsible for 48% of all rework in construction in the U.S.
- Employees have not bought into change: As one of the oldest industries in the world, old habits die hard. For companies that do adopt new solutions, creating buy-in and real change in the workforce is challenging. Thirty-six percent of construction professionals report technology fails because it’s a poor fit with current processes and procedures, according to FMI research. Considering only 28% of companies are asking for feedback from potential technology users before purchasing, it’s clear to see why firms struggle with technology adoption.
The lack of technology and digitization, connection and integration, and worker buy-in are especially alarming when you consider the volume of data and people involved in your average construction project. No wonder it’s been a struggle for the majority of construction firms to meet the promise of efficient and continuous collaboration.
While it’s easy to point fingers as to why the industry has lagged, moving forward is the real challenge. Ultimately, solving the construction productivity crisis involves creating a collaborative, digitized workflow, with connected technology. And this doesn’t just start in one phase of the construction process – it needs to span the entire lifecycle of a project, from design and planning to on-site and beyond.
A Checklist to Improve Construction Productivity
With the launch of Autodesk Construction Cloud™, we’re challenging all construction companies to rethink their projects and businesses at every stage. That starts with leveraging the power of the cloud to win more work, reduce risk, and deliver projects faster.
It can be a daunting task, but that’s why we created the ultimate construction cloud checklist to walk you through what you need to digitize and connect the construction process from start to finish. Are you ready to close the productivity gap once and for all? Download the checklist!
