Role of Technology in the Construction Industry Post Covid-19
Unlike many industries that are harnessing the power of modern technologies, construction has been reluctant when it comes to the adoption of technology. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted operations in the industry has once again exposed the lack of technology adoption and modernization of the construction industry. The impact of the pandemic on the sector is devastating, leading to the shutting down of construction sites and thereby leaving millions of workers in the industry unemployed. The country lockdown and restrictions on the movement of people and goods have largely affected the financials of the construction industry which is known for its collaborative nature.
Though operations in the industry have been resumed after the easing of imposed restrictions, the cost of projects has increased, making the recovery hard. Technology if better utilized can help the construction industry bounce back and take a giant leap in terms of growth in the post covid world.
On this backdrop, let us look at some of the ways in which technology can come in handy for the construction industry.
Improved Productivity
Conventionally the construction industry operates in silos and has its unique challenges. As every working site is different from others, it is difficult to have established processes for continuity of operations and better productivity. Technology helps to effectively manage various activities right from pre-construction, allocation of works to field reporting and back-end operations. Technology enables the real-time data collection from the construction sites. AI & ML technologies by analysing the abundant data collected enable site managers and key executives to take better decisions and help to improve the overall productivity.
Ensure Employee Safety
The safety of employees in the construction sites is a major concern in the construction industry. Though many measures and being taken to ensure the safety of the employees, they are yielding the desired results. Technology helps to train the employees and labours working in the sites in a better manner. We can easily monitor workers and prevent accidents by using wearable technologies. Apart from that site sensors can be used to know the temperature and other parameters and alert employees in the working sites in order to ensure employee safety.
Complement Human Workforce
Construction is a labour-intensive industry, and labour has emerged as a major challenge to the industry during the recent pandemic. The demand for labour is going to increase in the industry, considering the future growth estimates of the construction industry. Technology can present a perfect solution to the labour shortage problem of the industry. Robots are already being used across many industries to deal with dangerous and monotonous tasks. These robots can also be deployed in the construction industry to reduce the risk of the workers and complement their work. They help to complete the tasks in a faster manner and achieve more productivity. By minimizing the dependence on human beings, robots help business owners to reduce the overall cost of the project execution. Technology also helps to improve communication among various parties across the supply chain in the industry.