Discover How To Leverage Technology For The Benefit Of Your Construction Firm
What do we mean by “leveraging technology”? It’s the process of adopting technology to make significant changes in a business. Companies that have embraced technology have been able to innovate new products and services, made a mark in their respective industries, build sustainable company-client relationships, and scale up and down when necessary.
Outsourcing from managed services providers (MSPs) is helping construction firms bridge this gap by providing these technologies and expertise at a fee. Outsourcing from MSPs has driven down costs and made these technologies accessible to all businesses regardless of size and location.
Over the years, more industries have adopted new technologies in business to promote efficiency. However, some sectors have been reluctant to invest in advances in technology and have lagged. The construction sector is an example of such industries. Even with the complexity and scale of construction projects, the industry has not leveraged technologies to help realize its goals.
Check out our latest video to learn more about best practices for leveraging technology for your construction firm:
How Can Your Construction Firm Leverage IT?
The technology that can be leveraged for businesses will vary depending on the needs and goals of the company. However, certain aspects should be implemented when looking to leverage technology.
Digitize Your Workflow
Construction firms have relied on paper workflows for record-keeping, security, and quality assurance for many years. Moving away from paper and storing all their records on computers will make it easier to transfer this data to the cloud. Digitization will also eliminate the need to haul files and documents from one site to another.
Additionally, you will benefit from the following:
- A paper-free operation will ease communication between contractors, the head office, partner companies, and site offices.
- All parties involved in a project can get instant updates; clients can track the progress of projects, contractors can follow the work they’ve done, materials that have been shipped can easily be located and sent to the designated sites.
- Billing is also more efficient as the firm can easily send out invoices to clients.
Embrace Cloud Computing
The demand for cloud computing is on the rise as businesses continually move away from the use of physical offices. Cloud-based services enable easy accessibility of company data by its clients, stakeholders, partners, and the general public.
By moving to the cloud, your construction firm can save up on funds that would typically be used to procure physical IT infrastructure and on-location support staff and systems.
A cloud-based service expert will help you shift to the cloud and also manage and maintain the platform on your behalf.
Automate Your Processes
Once your workflow is digitized and based in the cloud, routine tasks such as the ordering of materials and equipment to a worksite, marketing, and data analysis can be automated. Intelligence techniques such as machine learning and artificial intelligence are vital in the automation process. They help to optimize your workflows and create automation solutions specific to the workings of your construction firm.
According to a study conducted by Gartner Summits in 2011, they predicted that by 2020 85% of company-customer relationships will be managed without human interaction.
Automation will reduce the time it would typically take your stuff to perform these tasks, and it will help them focus on more pressing and complex issues. It will also improve efficiency.
However, it is vital to carry out a comprehensive and objective analysis of the company before rolling out automation. This analysis will enable you to pick an automation solution that meets the needs of your firm.
Benefits Of Leveraging Technology For Your Construction Firm
You Can Easily Access Your Data From Anywhere
Companies that formerly relied on paper and one-on-one contact to share information were struggling to keep up with the advances in technology. With businesses being remotely run, there is a high demand to make data accessible.
The development of cloud-based services has made data (safety reports, daily progress reports, and timesheets) available to contractors, clients, employees, designers, and partners. This integrated, data-unified system will help contractors work collaboratively with project team members.
As a result, materials can be appropriately procured, work gets completed in line with the client’s specifications, and inspections can be carried out in real-time and defects shared with the relevant parties.
Employees can also share and update data, and communicate in real-time, promoting efficiency throughout the firm.
You’ll Encounter Minimal Disruptions
Leveraging technology by using an MSP will enable your firm to maintain a 24/7 system and network availability as they provide help-line desk solutions and experts that rapidly respond in case of an outage. An MSP will also provide recovery solutions that will restore IT infrastructure and tools to maintain communication.
You’ll Be More Secure
With the cases of cyber-attacks increasing daily, a company must enforce vigilant systems that ensure data security. Consulting a reliable and verified MSP would help promote data security. Some MSPs also offer cyber-security insurance, which will help protect the company in the case of a data breach.
You’ll Become More Competitive
With easy accessibility to advanced technology that was formerly only accessible to large organizations, smaller construction firms can now focus on delivering better products and services to their clients. This availability gives them a competitive advantage in the construction field.
Looking For Ways You Can Leverage IT For Your Construction Firm?
For construction firms to remain relevant and competitive in the technology-driven business environment, they need to implement technological solutions that will meet the needs of their company. The key is to engage IT service solutions that are highly professional and certified.
Kyocera Intelligence offers expertise and years of experience in leveraging technology that will be instrumental in customizing solutions to meet your specific business needs. Speak to Kyocera Intelligence, a reputable IT service provider located in Nashville that serves businesses throughout Baltimore, MD Philadelphia, PA & Washington, DC, and the surrounding areas.
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