Research + Tech

Technology can help attract, retain workers

As the construction industry continues to face a labor shortage, developing and retaining talent is crucial. Technology can play an important role in retention and satisfaction when implemented with employees in mind, according to forconstructionpros.com.

A survey from TRUCE Software, Lisle, Ill., asked workers how employers can use technology to enhance employees' experiences.

Thirty-one percent of respondents said enforcing work/life boundaries is the best way employers can attract, retain and empower employees, and 21% said offering the latest technology is the best way to do so.

Respondents also largely view technology at work favorably; half believe work-related technology will help them be more productive at work in 2022, and more than one-third believe it will allow more flexibility. A 2021 TRUCE Software study specific to workforce mobility found 60% of respondents believe mobile devices make them more productive on the job.

However, technology at work also brings challenges. Respondents expressed a desire for more policies to protect work/life balance, and about 25% said having to always be connected was their biggest concern with work technology.

Study reveals construction owners will drive digitization

Dodge Construction Network, in partnership with Trimble Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., recently released a Dodge SmartMarket Brief based on a comprehensive study of construction owners, architects, engineers and contractors, according to construction.com. The study and resulting report evaluate the use and benefits of digital workflows in the construction industry.

The report reveals the degree to which owners have embraced digital workflows for multiple design and construction processes and suggests owners’ influence will drive greater use of these tools in the industry.

An owner’s design and construction process requires data to be shared with internal stakeholders, external project teams and supply chain participants during the project. Traditionally, individual parties use their own software systems or rely on manual rekeying of data into spreadsheets and other documents, which can be inefficient.

Key findings from the report include:

• Owners are more deeply engaged with digital workflows than other project team members; 54% of owners have integrated software solutions or are using a single, connected construction management solution.
• Owners realize the need to improve the flow of communication and data between themselves and other project team members; 59% of owners report frequent breakdowns in communication between themselves and project team members, and 45% are satisfied with their connectivity with external companies.
• Sixty-six percent of owners using digital workflows say the workflows frequently result in better decision making on projects because they can be used to trace the root causes of delays and errors.
• More than two-thirds of owners contractually require contractors to use some digital documentation and practices.
• Sixty percent of owners report they have digital workflows for at least half their project data between departments within their organization. However, only 28% report a similar level of digital data exchange with external companies.

“Owners have the greatest influence on the project team,” says Steve Jones, senior director of industry insights at Dodge Construction Network. “If they decide digital workflows will improve projects, the rest of the industry will embrace them, as well. This study reveals owners are already deeply into their own digital transformation, and we expect to see wider use soon of these tools.”