M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Owners, Developers & Managers — Ask The Experts — June 26 - July 16, 2020 — 11B Ask The Experts
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he business world was turned on its ear this spring, with events Leveraging innovation unlocks profitability and competitive advantage Construction and technology: The “Pause” created an opportunity to look ahead T operational process.
With a few simple clicks these, cloud-based solutions help authorized personnel – from accounting staff to project managers and field supervisors – to simply drill down from the most complex to the simplest details. Work order signoffs can even be easily captured and stored electronically with other docu- ments ranging from schemat- ics, blueprints, contracts and material specs, to change orders, photos, spreadsheets and inspection reports – all available for ready review at a moment’s notice from one centralized electronic file.
This includes the ability to seamlessly integrate in- formation from multiple IoT edge devices, wearables, con- nected sensors and equipment through mobile platforms that enable the seamless integra- tion of business applications and cloud-based services. From a necessary evil to profitability advantage Yet despite the clear bene- fits, the idea of switching from a legacy accounting system to one of the latest cloud-based software applications can be daunting. Beyond cost, “user acceptance” is always one of the most difficult challenges to
overcome. Quite frankly, few like change, especially when it disrupts accepted, workable practices and accompanies any measure of downtime or new training procedures. The good news is that unlike the often clunky and wholly disruptive implementations of the past, reputable suppliers are nowworking with business owners to offer layered adop- tion strategies based on a com- pany’s most pressing require - ments and goals. The staged implementation of additional features then builds upon the initial core competencies. continued on page 12B
Modern tech platforms can also help boost efficiencies by directly connecting the field with decision makers and the historical data stored back at the office on any given job or client. There is no substitute for the ability to instantly ac- cess work details, plans and schedules at any time from virtually any location. All of this is now possible through easy-to-use, cloud-based soft- ware applications designed specifically to offer remote users access to the same data available via office desktop computers.
f o r c i n g a rapid change in pace and a re - think of tried and true opera- t i ona l ap - p r o a c h e s across all in- dustries and
Michael Mullin
among companies from large to small. The construction in- dustry was no exception, with many projects grinding to a halt, and operational teams shifting from centralized of- fices to remote workspaces. Simply put, this has not been an easy moment. Yet the “pause,” created an oppor- tunity to assess key business tools and protocols – including weaknesses that had already been impacting profitability and competitive advantage. Consider technology. Today’s construction space is a highly mobile, with much of an organization’s day-to- day operations taking place at the job site. Project data is being generated in the field. The ability to access that real- time updates and make timely informed decisions has become a necessity both in the office and at the build site. As such, using office-centric equipment (think desktops and PCs) as the main tools to record and store data has become inher- ently inefficient. And a lack of – or delayed – communication between team members in their various loca- tions can lead to the failed ex- change of timely, accurate in- formation and project updates. Further, most construction and development companies have full histories of “siloed” data that is difficult to access and, therefore, provides little value from a business intel- ligence perspective. Addressing operational pain-points Today’s robust, cloud-based applications geared specifi- cally to the construction mar- ketplace bring mobility, trans- parency and functionality that addresses traditional pain- points like ineffective office/ field communication, project estimating and time report- ing. They enable real-time access to information on any device and from any location, integrating disparate data, reducing or eliminating errors and delays across the entire
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