Construction Technology & Tools: Then & Now

Long ago the process of building something involved the creation of designs and blueprints, filing duplicate copies with the local building inspector and the maintenance of boxes or drawers full of invoices, work orders, change orders and other documentation. This way of doing things may have been adequate for many small builders but as more and more requirements for building design and safety came about, the need for a more efficient and better way of communicating information among construction project stakeholders became a necessity.

The changes that have taken place in construction through the availability of technology has allowed you to build better, safer buildings faster and at a lower cost than in the past. Here is a discussion of the evolution of the tools and technology used in construction and how the development of technology enables collaboration among building stakeholders (i.e. architects, designers, site managers and contractors).

The Evolution of Tools and Technology Used in Construction

The concept of project management became synonymous with construction management beginning in the 1950s. Larger contractors working on federal projects employed project management techniques in order to compete for large dollar projects. These techniques involve avoiding problems that may arise during the course of the project, establishing new techniques, achieving objectives in an efficient and fast manner and managing the complexities of group dynamics.

How Changes in Technology Enable Collaboration

The concept of project management has been defined for construction project management in terms of the following: requirements; forward thinking; communications and evaluation. The use of these concepts motivates those members of your team and allows group thinking toward the proper completion of the project. Communication allows construction project stakeholders to discuss required construction documents and ensure that all participants in the project are well informed and up-to-date on important requirements. Technology helps link all of the aspects of project management into a seamless flow, allowing changes and updates to be communicated quickly and efficiently through the use of everyday devices we all have access to in our daily lives.

Today’s Tools: Changing the Way Contractors and Site Managers Communicate

Tools that are available for you to consider as part of your construction management include apps designed for mobile devices such as the iPad or smartphones. In addition to apps, other tools that can provide you with the tools needed to complete your project on time and on budget include the use of USB flash drives to store information that can be easily used by multiple users on the job site, Dropbox, a file sharing facility that has project management capabilities built in, and construction documents (CDs) managed by construction document software. All of these solutions cause the users of the technology to be trained in their use and to manage most of their own data.  This can be a challenge for the majority of users and distract them from their primary job functions.  This must be overcome to permit these technologies to be adopted.  The advent of technology has ushered in a different way in which construction projects are completed and represent a catalyst for future of how buildings are built.  The savvy team understands that adopting the technology is absolutely necessary, it also understands that selecting the right technology for the team is absolutely essential for technology to be used effectively.

Change the way your construction project stakeholders stay connected with help from FASTTAC. Our easy-to-use construction collaboration software, which simplifies the processes mentioned above and fosters faster adoption, creates a streamlined channel of communication that keeps everyone on the same page. Give your crew the most powerful tool they can have and request your free demo of the construction collaboration software from FASTTAC today.