Securing margins with on-site digital construction

[edit] Introduction

In 2022, a White Paper for main contractors was published by construction execution platform Sablono, detailing how to implement on-site digital technology to make projects more profitable and yield maximum results.

[edit] Context

2022 is a tough time for the UK construction industry and it could get tougher: July saw the trade face its first decline in activity for 18 months. The war in Ukraine continues to affect the availability of resources, particularly timber and plaster, slowing project delivery and causing a hike in prices. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) says the cost of construction materials rose by almost a third in May compared to the previous year. Hiring workers is more expensive than ever due to labour shortages and government plans to support the construction industry with their energy bills remain uncertain.

[edit] Recession

With the latest economic indicators suggesting the UK economy will dip into recession before the end of 2022, the new publication ‘Securing margins with on-site digital construction’ is for construction leaders who want to reduce costs and inefficiencies and understand best practices for deploying digital technology and how to implement it effectively across large-scale projects.

[edit] Construction

Construction projects can be complex: the thousands of activities, tasks and parties that make up the final project mean that errors, inefficiencies and miscommunication can easily occur. Too many contractors are still reliant on paper-based processes, wasting time, money and resources which could be moved to the bottom line. On-site digital construction is a robust solution.

[edit] Comment

“As an industry, we are becoming more aware of the role that technology will play in helping us to grow, but the construction execution phase has long been a neglected part of the process,” says Lukas Olbrich, Sablono’s CEO.

“It is, however, the part of the project most vulnerable to errors, miscommunication and inefficiencies - which is understandable as it is difficult to control the many moving parts of the construction phase.

“Only if we as an industry embrace technology that connects the thousands of activities across the supply chain during execution, will we really be able to achieve the cost and productivity savings we all look for. This has the potential to drastically increase margins on projects.”

[edit] Digitisation

Highlighting why on-site digital construction technology may have failed in the past, the guide details potential mistakes that should be avoided in the future, including adopting too many disjointed solutions or incorrectly matching the solution to the problem, and how on-site construction execution software can help by offering an automated and centralised system for tracking projects, giving access to real-time data and connecting all those working on the project so everyone has a clear picture of progress made.

The guide also details how to successfully implement new technologies and how to create a purposeful action plan and can be downloaded here.

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