- In the last video I discussed one example
of recognizing the barriers
in adopting technology in construction
and developing a strategy to solve that challenge.
Before we leave the discussion
on using digital technologies in the field,
I want to discuss another issue that people cite
as a barrier and that is hardware platforms.
I think that one of the reasons we have held on
to paper drawings for so long in construction
is that paper seems cheap.
When it gets ripped or greasy or lost
we don't think that much
about replacing the paper blueprints.
If you contrast this with the cost of giving
each crew a tablet,
and some people do contend to be concerned about the cost.
I actually just had a conversation
with a friend of mine about this.
I've been trying to get him to go digital
for at least two years now.
He sends small crews to install concrete reinforcing
and housing foundations all over a large metropolitan area.
He has all the issues that I've discussed
related to paper drawings.
Out of date plans,
crews getting rerouted in the middle of the day
so they don't have the correct plans
for the new job they're being sent to, and so on.
He said he finally looked into going digital,
but just felt that the cost of an iPad
for each crew was too high.
And he was really concerned
they would lose them or just destroy them.
Now, I'm trying to not directly call out
one of my good friends here, but I totally disagree.
Maybe as managers,
we need to give more credit to our field personnel.
We give them lots of tools
that are way more expensive than a tablet.
We expect them to take care of them.
They can do the same with these digital tools.
There are many tablets and rugged cases available today
to fit a variety of different needs.
The nice thing about many of the software applications,
including all the ones I've mentioned here,
is that they run across many platforms.
So they work on iPads, they work on Android tablets,
they work on Windows, they work on smartphones.
I'm telling you, you can find a solution.
Oh, and by the way, paper is not cheap.
You're just used to paying for it.
I've actually gone in and showed companies that on jobs
where they get issued lots of addendums and plan revisions,
the cost of the software would be less
than the cost of constantly printing
and copying and distributing the blueprints.
Plus digital is a much more sustainable solution
to constantly printing and throwing away paper drawings.
Now on a larger scale, there are also plenty
of large format viewing options available.
Sometimes you just want to gather around a set of drawings
or a 3D model and look at it together.
And we're sort of used to doing this
by throwing a set of blueprints on the table
and flipping through the pages.
Sometimes the small screen just doesn't cut it.
That's easy too.
These days, it's not uncommon to see digital solutions
available as kiosks spread throughout the job site.
I know there's a cost to this hardware,
but take a look at your budget for printing drawings
on a large commercial construction project
and see how much you might save
by never printing drawings again.
You certainly can't ignore the hardware issue
and the associated costs
when trying to justify going digital.
Just make sure you look at some of the savings
that you can realize to offset these costs.
Also, don't forget to factor in the savings
from the problems that you can solve.
Again, in a digital solution,
I can have some of the team gather an office
around a large screen,
but I can also bring in team members
who can't travel to the meeting
or don't want to drive across town.
That's difficult to do successfully
when you're working with paper.