Construction businesses are navigating a challenging landscape. They face economic volatility, supply chain uncertainty, and shifting customer and employee expectations, to name a few. Running effective and efficient businesses requires contractors to emphasize operational visibility, data-driven analysis, and informed decision-making.
Jobsite intelligence solutions have a critical part to play in this equation.
Jobsite intelligence in construction can be defined as gathering information from the work site, turning that information into insight, and then enabling an action that improves outcomes. The journey to jobsite intelligence started two decades ago. Low-resolution “webcams” were used for point-and-shoot imagery and video to provide remote site updates and work validation. Now, self-contained all-weather technology solutions are the standard. They leverage HD imagery, multi-location time-lapse, IR illumination, and more to enable project safety, security, and success.
From documentation and validation to surveillance and compliance, to full-scale workflow and operational visibility, there are many reasons contractors invest in jobsite intelligence solutions.
Contractors Grapple With Ongoing Safety, Productivity Challenges
Safety remains an industry-wide issue, with nearly 50 percent of commercial general contractors and construction managers looking to improve safety measures and planning. Furthermore, survey data shows that more than 40 percent of contractors saw declining labor productivity across jobsites over the past year and a half. To compound these dire metrics, the labor gap in construction is expected to widen. An estimated 300,000 – 400,000 construction jobs remain unfilled across the industry. This further stretches already thin resources.
To complicate matters, jobsites are increasingly dynamic. People, materials, and machines are constantly on the move. According to Deloitte, contractors are likely to see a shift in workforce strategies to overcome these challenges and address current labor concerns. The data tells the story of new generations entering the workforce with new expectations that the construction industry needs to consider. In fact, 70 percent of Gen Z employees say they would leave their job for one with better technology. Construction will always rely on strong domain expertise passed on by prior generations and infused into new ways of working. However, both experience and technology must come together for the industry to build better.
As a result, contractors are investing in jobsite intelligence solutions. These solutions are integral to the holistic transformation of industry practices. Project managers and other decision makers gain greater visibility into workflows. Individuals and teams can remotely access site cameras and video feeds from any mobile device. This allows them to make smarter decisions about each jobsite and evaluate onsite activities to determine future actions. Furthermore, a digitally native workforce can apply technology within their workday. They can leverage intelligence tools to effectively get the job done. It’s one of the reasons the construction camera market is projected to reach upwards of $500 million within the next decade.
Surveillance Demands are Increasing
As the cost of materials and machines increases, protecting valuable assets becomes of higher importance. Statistics show that tools, heavy equipment, and building materials make up over 60 percent of construction site theft. And, pricing for construction equipment remains more than 20 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Add to this the increase in frequency and severity of natural disasters and other environmental impacts on jobsites and supply chains, and you’ve painted a potentially bleak picture for builder’s risk insurance.
New generations of jobsite intelligence solutions combat this challenge. Continued innovation in what cameras capture and how they capture more adequately addresses builders’ risk needs for surveillance and monitoring. For example, Infrared (IR) and thermal capture means surveillance regardless of lighting conditions. Wireless and solar-powered camera units can be hoisted up high to make them far more difficult to tamper with as opposed to a floor-mounted or trenched solution.
Nowadays, it’s not enough to “see” what is happening, but how fast can you act on what you see to mitigate risk. Once a threat has been validated (or a false alarm dismissed), it’s time for action. How fast can surveillance go from detection to deterrence to additional action, such as alerting managers, security, or even the police? Many advanced jobsite intelligence solutions now come with talk down deterrence to warn off bad actors. Additionally, with the ability to automatically trigger alerts to authorities, time to action is greatly reduced. This gives responsible parties confidence that they will return to the site how it was left the day before.
Stakeholders Need More Efficient Ways to Measure Progress
Building better is the name of the game. Contractors, how quickly, accurately, and efficiently can you document what happened on a jobsite? How seamlessly can you validate that action, and measure it against plans or metrics or project goals? Project managers, how can you be strategic with your time and prioritize your day more effectively? Financial stakeholders, how fast can you get a loan approved or allocate funds so that projects are completed on time?
The list goes on, but one thing is clear: For every extra minute that is spent detailing proof of work, or moving between sites, or chasing information that is not readily available, is a minute lost that could have been spent completing projects and delivering successful builds.
According to McKinsey, contractors and customers are in demand of interoperability, with a desire for solutions that can address multiple use cases. Jobsite intelligence solutions meet this demand. Functionally, these solutions can now see, capture, surveil, talk down, alert, validate, and more. And when it comes to accessibility, you can get visual information in many forms. This includes from the cloud, through a smartphone or laptop, via a standalone URL or embedded within project management software such as Procore and Autodesk.
Added value without added complication – this is the power of advanced jobsite intelligence solutions.
This is also a white space in which automation is beginning to unlock potential. By automating progress monitoring or using AI to timestamp when incidents may occur on a site, or when materials may enter and/or leave the project site, jobsite intelligence solutions are evolving to meet future needs of contractors. This level of support automates tedious or time-consuming tasks for stretched workers freeing up time for more strategic action.
Modernizing Construction Workflows to Make Informed Decisions
Construction isn’t the first industry to reimagine the way work is done through data-driven intelligence. It certainly won’t be the last. Reflecting on all the applications discussed, one thing is common: Quicker access to information means better decision-making, better prioritization, and better outcomes.
This is what will define the success of intelligence solutions on the jobsite over the next decade.
Those that position stakeholders across the construction value chain to do the job better will win. Those that don’t will be found out quickly.
I look forward to seeing construction reach its potential.