What is Holding Us Back from Innovation?

We have barriers to cross. 

Are there other barriers you see in the industry? 

As you go through the document, let us know. 

We are starting a conversation. We are making strides in the right direction, but cannot develop solutions to problems yet to be identified or discussed. Let’s dive into what is holding us back, part one of a series exploring the past, present, and future of the industry.

There is a digital delivery buzz. There is excitement behind the potential. This shows the high potential, but there are sky high solutions moving faster than any industry can keep up with. Here, we are looking to apply them to an industry that can hardly keep up with itself, with no historic productivity increase. Productivity has been flatlined for decades, but not declining. The loss is not an incentive, but the potential gain is clear.

Digitization has a financial cost and a cost of change. These costs can be inclusive of both software and hardware, along with consultation, and they are not fixed. Beyond the upfront costs of purchasing solutions and training, there are subscriptions. This means, not only does the acquisition itself need budgeting, but as do recurring payments. Subscription pricing can evolve. Unlike a one-time-purchase, with today’s subscription models features and prices can change faster than budget modifications can. Users could be making purchases partially in the dark. Purchases have high costs of change to step back from or have binding contract features. The cost of implementation cannot be fully encapsulated in any estimate. 

While there are organizations that can receive grants or funding, this process is not by any means streamlined. The application process can be very complex and time consuming. Applications must be collaborative. But, it isn’t only the application process that takes time. Funding distribution takes time. Administration changes with priority variation can impact funding opportunities as well. And, what if the price goes up?

The question is not just if the solution exists, not just if it works, but if it works for me. 

This is a dated field. A field set in its ways. Can and will the digitization be executed? 

When it comes to field/ on-site users, we have constraints. Technology adoption is fairly new in the industry as a whole, but especially here. Solutions that do not meet the current industry landscape may require adaptation. They need to be accommodating. Considerations like button size and outdoor visibility cannot be overlooked. Durability is vital, in all conditions. If a location is secluded, there may not be geolocation options or field connectivity. Safe use is the top priority. While many examples of digitization contribute to safety, there are always exceptions. Users must be comfortable to minimize distraction.  

Managing and design softwares have considerations like these as well. If the data needed is being collected, if the designs are being modeled, if metadata is included, if there is stakeholder access. Models and design documents can include confidential data, but still seek collaboration. Legal documents and stamps must be protected. Solutions to address legalities and dated required processes are sought after. There is such thing as too complex. Too much data to digest, much of which is not applicable to the task at hand for specific individuals. Features are added and added. Then, features are split into multiple solutions. Functionality in STEM spaces can often surpass user experience as a priority. 

Usability is key both in field and office. 

While competition promotes progress, it adds difficulty to decision making. There will always be a tradeoff, pros and cons, from features to interoperability. At the core, much of the data is non-transferrable. Today, and for over a decade, the industry fights for design data standardization. If this goal is achieved, it won’t solve the full problem. Providers introduce complexity through partnerships and selective integration. Hardware and software frequently cannot cross barriers, resulting in significant data replication. Data replication introduces a human-factor of data entry, wastes time, and leaves potential for gaps or lost data.

To make decisions on digitization, users must fully understand their needs and capabilities. 

Some digitization is forced by governing parties, be them internal or external. There is, theoretically, a reason behind the new implementation, but this doesn’t mean it benefits everyone. Smaller organizations may be pushed out of opportunities, unable to afford the expected advancements. Others may be given additional workload to implement a solution that only benefits the governing party. 

Workforce shifts are a vital consideration. There is a labor shortage today. The workforce is aging. Both of these are impacting productivity and compounding. An aging workforce is a retiring workforce. The labor shortage will further progress. With younger employees entering with a stronger digital proficiency, it may seem they will bring change. The “master”/ “student” mentality is holding us back. More experienced contributors feel they know more, know the ropes. Newer contributors can contribute new ropes, but experience speaks to approachability as well. Masters have much knowledge and would need to be partially reverted back to students, leading push back on the concept of two-way learning. Individuals who are experienced and making their way out of the industry do not see the value in extra efforts to digitize. 

With a few years left, would you? 

Luckily, while the shifts and status may be holding us back, they are pushing us forward, too. 

There is a new workload to implement changes and additions in existing workflows. There are new skills associated with them. This implies hiring for positions that contribute to furthering progress, investing in positions impacting the future that may make things more difficult today. These positions are more costly in both addition of the roles and wages of the roles. 

Talent attraction efforts are skyrocketing, but they are not quite there. There are more gaps. College pressure has been on the rise. The lack of awareness of other options and opportunities for success perpetuates. Innovating could pose an attractive perspective, but raises concern for job replacement. Today, innovation contributes to streamlining, not replacing. While technology further develops, there is opportunity to supplement the workforce with innovation and produce further job opportunities in development and implementation. 

Many roles in our industry are physically and mentally demanding. Unfortunately, and realistically, this leads to aversions and drug addiction. The construction industry is a top industry for both opioid addiction and suicide. The pressure to work hard and be a provider is often very demanding, working in some environments that are not safe or welcoming to team members. It is hard. There are tough folks running shows. Everyone is working through something. The work is difficult and often complex. As a new employee, or existing, the work culture and environment can be negative. The phrase “work/ life balance” isn’t too common. Lack of collaboration and support decreases productivity while decreasing interest and retention. Lack of variety in employee backgrounds notably decreases productivity and creativity to solve the inevitable multifaceted issues that arise. 

Collaboration lacking in the industry breaches far beyond within specific crews or teams. Different areas of project stakeholders do not communicate smoothly or transparently, even internally. Planners, engineers and designers, project managing teams, owners, architects, each with themselves in mind. The financial motives and working relationships must be understood, as this is business. 

This lack of communication does directly lead to lack of effectiveness. 

Without collaboration, architects cannot include design considerations or construction and surrounding needs, engineers cannot understand constructability needs or architectural motives, construction executors cannot build designs that are delivered excluding critical field or constructability considerations, planners cannot define community needs, construction teams cannot see all surrounding impacts of both construction and delivery, operations and maintenance teams cannot provide effective upkeep without accurate data or streamlined project turnover. There is a compounding effect. There is more.

There can be a lack of transparency in payments and fees in some instances. Is there a financial motive to data replication and back-and-forth? Technically, yes. Does everyone need to continue to do more work than necessary to accomplish the project in order to stay positioned? 

Whose job is it? Who is paying for it? This change would have winners and losers. 

The industry as a whole is stagnant. For the reasons mentioned, in addition to culturally. The world is constantly evolving around the construction space. There are leaders pushing for progress, but there are leaders pushing the status quo. It is still making money, it isn’t broken. Passionate leaders are necessary, not just to make calls to make change, but to lead change. Change management needs leadership to show the way. Change needs champion leaders within the organization as well. Understanding and perspective are key. If there is no support from the bottom up, there is no successful implementation. Not only will training need to be executed to understand the change, it must then be followed with training on execution. No training is one-size-fits-all. Digital training allows for flexibility and accessibility. The same barrier to digitizing in the industry can be seen here, which must be considered when it comes to training planning and methodology. A classroom setting, a virtual experience, hands-on learning are all examples that apply to each individual’s learning differently.

Lack of adoption does impact further development. The solution use feedback is important in progressing applicable solutions, in addition to funding innovative R&D. 

Follow along with me in this article series as we explore both the present, the past, and the future in the industry.