Over the last couple of years, automation has picked up a lot of steam as one of the hottest trends in the business world, especially in the sectors that encompass dozens of different data-heavy and complex activities like the construction industry.
And truly, the entire business landscape is undergoing a thorough digital transformation. Why wouldn’t we use this shared data-based infrastructure to let AI take a greater role in business operations? It turned out, though, that the potential of automation goes way past this novel ideal and truly pushes the envelope of what can be accomplished in terms of efficient, optimized, and safe construction. Let us take a quick look at some of the most notable examples.
Pushing the limits of construction site efficiency
To put it simply, machines and AI are much more capable of dealing with various challenges of building processes far more than human employees. In some cases, those would be complex calculations or taxing organizational tasks that can be made much simpler with the use of project management software. In other, we are talking about duties that require a high level of strength or dexterity. Leaving these chores to AI speeds up the process, optimizes the resources you need to invest, and cuts the margin for error.
Increased construction site safety
The reduced margin for error may be the most important but hardly a single factor contributing to the increased workplace safety we got as a result of construction industry automation. All the devices and tools that are used in the process are now IoT-ready and they can engage in two-way communication with your workers. So, aside from the quality protective equipment, you can issue them with VR and AR tools that will help them get a much better understanding of their environment and all of its hazards.
Top-level workflow automation
Up until now, we have mostly talked about the ways automation can benefit individual construction processes. But, it should be mentioned that the average construction project consists of dozens of such tasks and activities. Incorporating all of them into an organized and efficient workflow can prove to be a genuine challenge. Fortunately, the services of professional construction workflow automation can put these pieces back together easily and allow your company to work with the highest possible capacity.
Steps toward a sustainable future
The last decade made the necessity for building a more sustainable society painfully obvious. Using a higher level of automation in your projects can bring this noble idea one step closer to its fruition. First, by optimizing the construction process automation drastically reduces the waste and environmental impact you make as a result. Second, an automated and AI-governed environment sets the foundations for easier implementation of new green materials and construction technologies like, let’s say 3D printing.
Revolution in data collection and analytics
The automated data-based infrastructure is not only capable of making much better sense of the data that is critical for the construction process. By leveraging its IoT assets, constantly opening new channels for data collection, and putting all these pieces of information into a sensible context, automation helps us reach a much better understanding of the nuances of the construction process. This way, we are creating foundations for constant improvement and the pursuit of an even higher level of safety and efficiency.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
If you are not familiar with the term, Building Information Modeling describes the process of creating detailed and interactive building models that can offer participants in the project a very detailed look at various aspects of this process. Thanks to the benefits of automation, IoT, and advanced analytics we have mentioned earlier, these models are now capable of leveraging aspects like building sustainability and current project performance which puts their value and collaborative potential into an entirely new context.
Lower employee turnover
Last but not least, we would like to briefly mention one critical topic that easily ends up left out of such discussions and that is the workers’ perspective. Keeping that in mind, a higher level of automation and all the tangible benefits that come off as a result of it can do a great job in increasing worker satisfaction and alleviating employee turnover. This evolution also makes the construction industry more up-to-date and tech-based which opens up the way for new worker profiles and a younger workforce.
Summing up
We hope these few examples give you a general idea about the tremendous effects the process of automation has on the entire construction industry and how these developments translate into some very tangible benefits you should definitely keep in mind. The most important thing to realize, however, is that it is truly a one-way street. The best way to pass it through and avoid being stuck in the crowd is to simply hit the gas and get to the head of the pack while the traffic still allows you to.
About the author: Mike Johnston is an experienced blogger and editor with a background in creative writing and digital media. He’s a regular contributor to the Smooth Decorator blog and numerous other online publications where he writes about construction, home improvement, interior design, and real estate.