Innovation in Construction: Best Practices for Implementing New Tools

Innovation in construction is often synonymous with adopting a growing list of tech products that promise to revolutionize the job site. Certainly, there are many technologies that can change how to design, build and manage projects. But innovation is available to anyone, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. 

Innovation in construction is any tool, method or habit that optimizes the construction process and improves final outcomes. Innovations can include mindblowing new technologies that change how work is done or simple improvements that make a workplace safer and more efficient.

This article explores construction innovation, including the mindsets and culture necessary to implement innovation and best practices for overcoming common challenges.

The Origins of Innovation

Innovations are changes made to improve the process of designing a project, managing it or the project’s final state. Some of the common ways innovation occurs include: 

• Technology: such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) or the use of drones 
• Processes and methodologies: such as lean construction methods, just-in-time deliveries or using document management tools such as Procore for common workflows such as requests for information (RFI) or change orders.
• Materials: such as prefabricated roof trusses or high-strength steel.
• Sustainability practices: such as smart water sensors or using construction telematics to monitor energy usage.
• Safety protocols: such as improved training videos or using 3D modeling to identify potential risks.
• Data: such as analytics measuring completion times or key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the financial health of a company or a project.

A lot of technology has also become easier to access and more affordable, while improvements in data collection and analysis have made it easier to assess its efficacy. 

Importance of Innovation in Construction

Innovation should solve problems and create new possibilities. The potential that can be unlocked is as varied as the problems and inefficiencies that exist. Here are a few common goals innovation can help people pursue:

1. Lean Construction Methods

Lean construction is a methodology that transitions the focus of planning to the management and design of construction processes as opposed to just the end product. This can maximize stakeholder value, minimize waste and create a dynamic and collaborative work environment that increases productivity and stakeholder investment. 

2. Document Management Software

Construction has always required managing an extraordinary amount of documents. In the past, the industry relied on writing things down, collecting and recording all interactions, seeking out information by visiting the site trailer and keeping track of all changes to schedules or drawings. 

Digital document management programs allow people to store all important documents and communication in one place. This makes processes like collecting closeout documents easier while also reducing overall costs by making expenses easier to track, issues easier to resolve and minimizing rework. 

4. BIM

BIM technology helps create virtual models of structures before construction begins. These in-depth models can be analyzed and revised to reduce rework and costs on the actual project. BIM solutions have historically been difficult to use and inaccessible, but improvements are making them increasingly crucial for complex or tight-trodden projects.

5. Prefabricated Construction

Prefab construction involves manufacturing or assembling components at a separate location and then being delivered to the worksite. Common prefab components include roof and floor trusses, wall panels, bridge components, drainage systems for water and wastewater projects and steel framing. Prefabrication can decrease costs, create materials that are extremely precise and reduce the need for onsite storage or assembly.

6. Robotics

Robotics covers a wide range of new technologies that are changing how construction work is done. Robotics often refers to the use of automated machines to complete repeatable tasks. This can help save costs, speed up construction and improve jobsite safety. Robotics also includes drones for inspections and surveys or tools used to create prefabricated elements.

7. Construction Telematics

Construction telematics is a system of devices that collect and analyze data from equipment and machinery. This could include data such as fuel usage, total usage time, idling time and diagnostic information. Tracking the usage and performance of equipment can increase efficiency, improve safety and lengthen the life of machinery. 

Implementing New Innovations: Best Practices

Deciding on and implementing innovations can be tricky. Here are a few best practices to increase the likelihood that a new tool or methodology leads to improved outcomes.

Cultivate positive mindsets and culture.

The success of most innovations depends less on the innovation itself, and more on the culture and mindsets of the people using it. Simply demanding people use a new tool rarely results in a desirable outcome. Teams that have a shared goal of creating excellent work, feel like they’re part of problem-solving and value communication and safety are more likely to try new technology and methods. This openness also means they can help identify areas of improvement and give feedback on how to better use new innovations. 

Keep innovating.

Address resistance and misunderstandings with personal connection.

People fear what they don’t know. Even more, they fear what they’ve been told will replace them, as is often the case with AI. One of the best ways to address these types of anxieties is through personal connection. In most cases, innovations are meant to help people do their job more effectively. Taking time to explain that and to understand concerns and questions can help create plans of implementation that are more likely to be received positively. 

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Prioritize tasks.

Innovations can’t solve everything and they almost always come with trade-offs. A new software might improve quality but add substantial costs. A system for deliveries might decrease cost but increase waste. A planning tool might decrease the timeline but lead to miscommunications. Being clear on what issue an innovation should address and why it’s important to address can help balance these trade-offs.

Reflect and refine processes.

Most innovations require time and iterations to truly enhance the construction process. This applies to becoming fluent with a new software, learning how to use BIM or creating a new safety training. Create time for stakeholders to reflect and share feedback, so that innovations become more effective each time they’re used.

The Future of Construction

Some technological innovations have started to raise questions about the industry's future. Some people believe it won’t be long before AI designs buildings, robotics puts them together, and software manages them. In other words, a common concern is whether people are innovating themselves out of their jobs. 

The industry is likely to change significantly in the next few decades. However, many of these technologies require input and oversight from human expertise and experience. Being part of creating and shaping innovation increases the likelihood that the future has a place for workers and is one where technology is a tool for getting jobs done better.

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