That’s right, those men and women better known for pouring concrete in the hot sun, twisting steel and wiring buildings are embracing high technology. Why? Because they have to.
In the competitive world of construction, the ability to transfer information quickly can help companies not only win jobs, but complete them on schedule.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
And to some degree, capitalizing on the most basic technology can help the small construction firms even the playing field as they compete against the powerful industry giants.
Paul Berg, of Applied Technologies, in Simsbury, Conn., a 25-year veteran of the construction industry, consults with construction companies throughout the country on the importance of building web sites and using the information superhighway to work more efficiently and market a company’s strengths. Capitalizing on the opportunities afforded through high technology, according to Berg, is critical to the success of construction companies — big and small.
Berg started his career as a surveyor, before getting into the construction business. After a successful run, Berg saw a flattening regional economy. He started to re-think what he was doing. He decided to couple his work experience and a fascination with computers.
“I decided that I was going to do something I liked doing,” said Berg. “And I had all this experience with the construction industry.”
So a computer consultant for the construction industry was born. And he’s getting busier by the day.
Construction companies are ready for the ride on the information highway. They long ago accepted the notion of fax machines and now use them in accepting bids and reviewing contracts. They have, in fact, become commonplace at the main office and on the job.
The next step, is the Internet. Berg is persuading his former colleagues of the importance of taking such a step. There are those within the construction industry who may be slow to embrace the importance, for example, of establishing a web site. But the push towards high technology is only going to become stronger, said Berg. Already, he said, a “critical mass of awareness” is building.
Keeping up with technology, said Berg, makes business sense.
“If you are not connected and (easy) to communicate with electronically, you’re too much trouble to do business with,” he said.
Berg’s message appears to be sticking.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Providence Marriott, he was the guest of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (RIAGC), where he made a presentation focusing on the Internet and web sites entitled; “Internet Road Runner or Road Kill?”
Berg focused his presentation to the contractors’ group on “plain English” answers to how a company can become more effective through the use of the Internet and other technologies.
His message was simple.
“This year, especially, more and more businesses are adding web pages and e-mail,” said Berg. “Today, trying to do business efficiently without Internet capability is like trying to do business without a fax machine.”
Establishing a basic web page, said Berg, is relatively inexpensive, yet it provides a company with an opportunity to reach potential customers. If a construction company is hesitant to invest in such technology, Berg suggests starting with the basics. He said all companies should register a domain name and establish e-mail addresses for their employees.
“That gives you brand-name recognition and another way to communicate,” said Berg. “For a few hundred dollars, you can have a professional presence. It can give a good snapshot of a company’s capabilities.”
But the possibilities afforded by high technology for the construction industry go far beyond web sites.
One emerging technology that Berg discussed “enables contractors to view plans and do estimating over the Internet.” Another is immersive imaging — “a 3-D photographic technique for presenting interior space that can be viewed from different angles within an image bubble.”
Berg’s calls it the “Image Bubble Sphere-O-Ramic Photography,” and it has been a hit in the construction industry. Using a computer screen, Berg, takes a client on a walking tour of the lobby of a Boston hotel. The details of recent renovation work there — from the high ceilings to carpeting — are vividly clear. It is an impressive sight, and according to Berg, an example of the limitless potential of technology.
But it is in the basics of high technology where the construction industry may be capitalizing the most. Perhaps most critical to construction companies is the ability to keep the main office and the job site, connected. Today, that is being accomplished via the computer.
“Today, the job site can be directly connected to the home office network without a big commotion,” said Berg.
Now where is that more important than at a massive construction site, such as the Providence Place Mall, which is slated to open next August.
“There’s got to be a way of bringing people together not only physically, but virtually,” said Berg. “The bodies need to be there to build it, but that’s only part of it.
Transferring information electronically helps keep a job on schedule.”
Eric Anderson, executive director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, expects interest in computer-assisted technology to snowball among contractors. Anderson said the RIAGC has made the emergence of high technology a priority.
“One of my roles is to start to push this — and to establish our own web site presence,” said Anderson. “The message is: get used to it now and develop it as a tool. You don’t want to be shut out.”
Berg insists that the move toward technology in the construction industry makes good business sense. And, he said, there is no better time to make that move than the present.
“The construction industry is dealing with lower margins,” said Berg. “Companies have to find a way to operate more intelligently.”
