New research finds contractors are most concerned with maintaining a safe construction site (66%), attracting and retaining skilled labour (57%) and maximising productivity (52%).
The survey identifies how the construction industry is tapping into technology to help plan, build and maintain assets in the built environment.
But numbers show that the industry is not addressing two of its top three concerns. Less than half of those focused on attracting and retaining skilled labour adopt software to meet this need, and only 40.5% of respondents use construction software to maximise field productivity. Instead, software is mostly selected for its ability to impact financial, scheduling, and reputational needs.
Respondents to the survey, conducted by FMI Corporation in partnership with Procore, were asked about their experiences and challenges with construction software. Feedback shows the industry is digitising at an increasing rate but more needs to be done for construction firms to reap the most value from the technology they use.
Brandon Olivieri O’Connor, UK&I director at Procore, said:
“As well as the issues that organisations are experiencing, the research identified how technology companies can help.
“Respondents said that they expected their technology partners to provide access to experts, both in the solution being offered and the industry itself, as well as training and functionality that can be configured. This feedback is invaluable as it aligns with what the Procore platform and service already delivers for our customers.”
The survey uncovered a major contradiction in industry views on data utilisation. Many industry leaders believe data intelligence is important as it can positively impact financial performance. But, while leaders recognise this potential, they told FMI they are not currently concerned with drawing insights from data. Several other studies show that up to 90% of all construction data remains unused.
Surprisingly, 15% of construction leaders do not know whether they have software in place. The survey also shows 65% of companies do not have a stated point of view about technology and 70% have not created a technology roadmap.
Lack of awareness about construction technology may lead to uncertainty as to how to buy the right construction technology in the first place. When asked to rank the factors that influenced their purchases of technology solutions, respondents stated:
- Functionality;
- ease of use and adoption;
- price and/or cost.
34% cite low user adoption as construction’s biggest problem with new technology. Poor ease of use and lack of integration were mentioned by 17% and 16% of respondents respectively. And slightly more than 60% of users report problems with their technology, related mostly to poor adoption and functionality.
This research indicates the need for improvements including better training, assessment of needs, partnerships rather than vendor relationships between supplier and user, and other supplier-side responses. They also point to the need for greater industry awareness.