Future-Proofing Construction: Leveraging AI, IoT, and Reliable Connectivity

More and more companies in the construction industry are engaged in digital transformation initiatives. By integrating advanced technologies like AI, 5G, and the IoT, these transformations have the potential to help companies overcome labor and other challenges and gain a competitive edge.

Let’s explore the challenges facing the construction sector and the role of digital transformation and connectivity in improving agility and reliability on jobsites.

Three Challenges in Construction and the Role of Digital Transformation

Three of the most pressing challenges in construction are labor shortages, managing material costs and project execution, and enhancing worker safety. Digital transformation offers promising solutions to these challenges, using advanced technologies to streamline operations, improve procurement processes, and ensure safer working conditions. Here’s how: 

1. Addressing Labor Shortages: The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor. Mobile solutions like rugged laptops and 2-in-1s streamline operations by minimizing errors and reducing the need for manual data entry on jobsites. Automating data collection also leads to shorter project timelines, allowing contractors to spend more time on the jobsite and less time in front of a computer inputting information. Additionally, mobile devices can consolidate information from multiple locations on a single platform, making it easier to access and manage project data from anywhere.
2. Managing Material Costs and Project Execution: Managing material costs and ensuring rapid project execution are challenging due to fluctuating prices and the complex logistics involved in managing many sites simultaneously. Digital tools like rugged devices can help optimize procurement processes by automating the entire cycle, from identifying material requirements to placing orders and tracking deliveries, which reduces delays and minimizes ordering errors. Rugged devices provide contractors and managers with real-time visibility into the workflow and movement of materials.
3. Enhancing Worker Safety: Integrating AI, the IoT, and other advanced technologies into a site’s workflow makes it possible to monitor jobsite conditions in real-time and identify potential hazards. For example, rugged mobile devices can operate drones to inspect hard-to-reach areas, such as the tops of scaffold towers. In addition, AI can detect whether workers are wearing appropriate hard hats, eye protection, and other safety gear. Furthermore,  videos captured by drones can be streamed to mobile devices, allowing project managers to make immediate safety assessments and decisions.

The Essential Role of Reliable Connectivity in Remote and Challenging Conditions

Connectivity is critical for construction, and it can be difficult to maintain with workers often operating in remote areas and in challenging field conditions. Reliable connectivity ensures that all teams, systems, and devices can communicate effectively, whether they’re on or off a jobsite. To achieve this, when selecting mobile technologies, ensure they provide access to the necessary networks, including 4G and 5G. Plus, eSIM features can be helpful to provide infrastructure-independent connectivity, even in rural areas. As a result, advanced connectivity translates into faster access to information, quicker delivery of parts, and more efficient project execution, ultimately saving both time and money.

Connectivity facilitates better communication and collaboration among the many stakeholders involved in construction projects, including designers, engineers, architects, and procurement teams. Team members can share updates, plans, and modifications instantly, reducing the likelihood of errors as everyone has access to the most current information. Decision-making becomes more efficient when discussions take place in real time, allowing issues to be anticipated and resolved before they become problems, rather than waiting for scheduled meetings or physical exchanges of information.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Construction

Mobile devices equipped with advanced connectivity can help construction companies undergoing digital transformation initiatives be successful now and in the future as the industry continues to evolve.

TOUGHBOOK solutions, with their advanced capabilities and reliable connectivity, help drive agility and reliability on jobsites. To learn more, visit https://na.panasonic.com/us/computers-tablets.