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A time of innovation for the construction industry

Covid-19 has seen a push for digital transformation across the construction industry, rapidly changing how the sector operates in just a few months. Now, as we look towards 2021, we examine which technologies will be impacting the sector.  

In April 2020, a halt on construction activity as a result of Covid-19, meant businesses were required to play catch up in the latter half of the year, just to meet the UK Government’s ambitious housebuilding targets.   

Therefore, it was no surprise that the construction sector took a massive step forward in terms of innovation and technology. This included introducing a housebuilding robot, utilising modular home buildsand adapting to virtual site visits to meet Covid-19 government guidelines 

Now, as the sector prepares for a post-Covid era in 2021, technology will play an even bigger role across the construction industry.  

construction technology

Cloud capabilities

All elements of technology within construction should be underpinned by reliable and flexible connectivity. cloud-based digital infrastructure is an effective IT solution; whereby either some or all of a business’ applications and resources are hosted in a public, private or hybrid cloud platform. Cloud-based solutions can be managed either in-house or by an IT managed service provider like Timico 

This can be particularly beneficial considering the rise of modular builds in the UK. Of the 200,000 homes built each year in the UK, 15,000 are modular. Implementing a cloud solution enables each employee to operate, function and communicate with other workers across multiple device options, whether they are in the factory building the homes, in transit delivering the homes, or at the construction site. This can prove invaluable to a business as can increase speed to market and enable employees to be more flexible in order to meet market demand.  

Network Requirements 

When introducing new innovative tools, a number of construction companies benefit from utilising a hybrid cloud approach. 

At a time when innovation is key, and digital transformation is always on the agenda, a hybrid cloud solution can provide greater flexibility and agility, as workloads can move between the two interconnected environments. The solution also reduces IT downtime, saving costs in the process. When all tied together, these benefits can give businesses the competitive edge they need.  

Microsoft Teams   

Due to the UK Government’s Covid-19 guidelines, virtual site visits became the norm in 2020, and this trend is expected to continue in 2021. Virtual visits can be enabled through a web-based video conferencing application, such as Microsoft Teams. Its an easy way for contractors and site managers to see project progress and problem solve without being on site in person.  

With added voice functionality included in Microsoft Teams Voice, the user can provide greater input on the project, increasing productivity and speeding up the progress of the project. This allows projects to be finished on time and within budget, helping to meet government targets in the process.  

Utilise an IT managed services provider  

There is no doubt that the construction industry is experiencing its most challenging period yet, and disruption to services can have a severe impact on operations, now more than ever. By utilising an IT managed services provider, IT Officers and Managers have peace of mind that a team of experts are continually reviewing and managing its IT infrastructure 

Timico is one of a few converged managed service providers to have its own network, datacentres and a Network Operations Centre (NOC), enabling construction businesses to benefit from having experts on hand 24/7. The team regularly scans and monitors for new threats, detecting new changes and discovering weaknesses in the network. It enables the provider to take action at any point and reduce any threats before it’s too late. 

Prepare for a post-Covid future  

Deploying technology fit for innovation and business needs, will enable businesses to remain agile enough to shift and adapt to any rapid future changes across the construction industry. 

A consultation process with an IT service provider will determine the right technology to meet desired business outcomes.

Are you interested in finding out about the latest technologies to leverage in your business? Sign up for a free session with our sector specialist today! In this session they will get to grips with your business and provide you with insight into how you can get ahead of the competition with the latest technology.

Matt Newman

Nov 20, 2020

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