Today, new technologies in construction are being developed at a breakneck pace. What seemed like future tech 10, or 20 years ago, like connected equipment and tools, telematics, mobile apps, autonomous heavy equipment, drones, robots, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D printed buildings, are here and being deployed and used on job sites across the world. The point is that advancements in new construction technology have always driven construction forward, so it’s odd that so many companies are slow to adopt new construction technologies. The traditional method of design-bid-build makes construction disjointed and siloed. Every construction site is different, presenting its own unique set of challenges and risks. This makes it difficult to streamline processes and increase productivity the way industries like manufacturing and retail have been able to do.
Today, there are software and mobile solutions to help manage every aspect of a construction project. From preconstruction to scheduling, from project management and field reporting to managing your back office, there’s a software solution out there to help streamline your processes and improve productivity. Most software solutions are cloud-based, allowing changes and updates to documents, schedules, and other management tools to be made in real-time, facilitating better communication and collaboration. Without the construction industry, society will have no buildings and infrastructures that people go to every day. That’s why we have made this special edition of Construction Management Technology. The magazine includes some of the innovators’ work and the views of top-level tech experts and business executives. We hope this edition adds value to your construction initiatives.
Construction firms are now using technology to make better decisions, increase productivity, improve job site safety, and reduce risks. With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning systems, firms can use the mountains of data they have collected over the years on projects to predict future outcomes and gain a competitive advantage when estimating and bidding on construction projects. AI can improve worker productivity by reducing the amount of time wasted moving about the construction site to retrieve tools, materials, and equipment to perform certain tasks. Workers are tracked throughout the day using smartphones or wearables.
Sensors installed on materials and equipment track how everything else is moving around the construction site. Once enough data sets are collected, AI can analyze how workers move about and interact with the site to come up with solutions to reorganize the placement of tools and materials to make them more accessible to workers and reduce downtime. Robots and artificial intelligence (AI) are also being used to monitor job site progress with real-time, actionable data to improve job site productivity. Autonomous drones and rovers are equipped with high-definition cameras and LiDAR to photograph and scan the construction site each day with pinpoint accuracy. AI then uses those scans to compare against your BIM models, 3D drawings, construction schedule, and estimates to inspect the quality of the work performed and determine how much progress has been made each day.
However, with hundreds of different options in the marketplace, it can be overwhelming to figure out which system is the best. To make this process more streamlined, our team of researchers, analysts, and editorial team has shortlisted a set of companies that stand out from the crowd. The companies included in the list offer some of the most innovative as well as exclusive solutions that could create an impact in the construction management technology sector.
Management:
Lauren Lake, Co-Founder & COO
Mallorie Brodie, Co-Founder & CEO
Headquarters: Kitchener, Ontario
Website: gobridgit.com
Bridgit’s mission is simple – to help the construction industry maximize profits by taking a people-first approach. Workforce Intelligence from Bridgit transforms workforce data into actionable insights that inform an organization’s strategic and tactical business decisions.
Management: Joshua Levy
Designation: Co-Founder & CEO
Headquarters: Atlanta, GA
Website: documentcrunch.com
Document Crunch harnesses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology and leverages it to help clients reduce cost, increase speed, and improve the overall quality of their contract and policy reviews. Document Crunch’s AI quickly identifies critical provisions in construction contracts, insurance policies, plans/specifications, and many other documents.
Management: Ron Antevy
Designation: CEO
Headquarters: Sunrise, Florida
Website: e-builder.net
At e-Builder, our mission began small. e-Builder Enterprise came to life from the pages of a college thesis developed by Jon Antevy in the early 90’s, right in the middle of the dot-com era, at the University of Florida.
Management: Fred Ode
Designation: Chairman & CEO
Headquarters: Strongsville, OH
Website: foundationsoft.com
Since 1985, Foundation Software has delivered job cost accounting, project management and mobile applications, along with payroll and services for bookkeepers, to help contractors run the business side of construction. FOUNDATION is a fully integrated construction accounting system that uses Microsoft® SQL Server® and suits a wide range of construction trades.
Management: Vince Broady
Designation: CEO
Headquarters: HOUSTON, TX
Website: managementcontrols.com
Founded in 1989, Management Controls, Inc. transforms the working relationship between owners and contractors by providing both parties full visibility, significant cost controls, and immediate hard-dollar savings. The Management Controls Track Platform is a Contractor Services Management (CSM) solution for industries that depend heavily on contractors for operations, routine maintenance, turnarounds, and capital projects.
Management: Tooey Courtemanche
Designation: Founder & CEO
Headquarters: Carpinteria, CA
Website: procore.com
Procore is connecting everyone in construction on a global platform. That has been our mission since Procore was founded in 2002. Only when we have all the people, systems, and data working together on one platform can we reap the
ultimate benefits of construction technology.
Management: Madis Lehtmets
Designation: CEO & Co-founder
Website: remato.com
Remato was founded with the mission to build a simple and reliable tool for small and medium construction companies to help them achieve more with less. Seamless construction software to manage your people, equipment and projects all from one platform. Build more with less and take step closer to #stressfreeconstruction!
Management: Steve Hare
Designation: CEO
Headquarters: Tyne & Wear, UK
Website: sage.com
At Sage, we knock down barriers with information, insights, and tools to help your business flow. We provide businesses with software and services that are simple and easy to use, as we work with you to give you that feeling of confidence. Customers trust our Payroll, HR, and Finance software to make
business flow with ease.
Management: Eric Malouff
Designation: CEO
Headquarters: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Website: timesuite.com
TimeSuite is a relational architected solution. The software are not a modular system that keeps separate redundant transaction data under various modules. Their data is centralized. Their screens, dialogs and features are dynamic, and their setup is customizable at any time.
Management: Bryan McIver
Designation: President & CEO
Headquarters: Calgary, AB
Website: vitruvisoftware.com
Vitruvi is a GIS enabled, end-to-end telecom construction software platform that drive efficiencies, increases data visibility and reduces costs. Vitruvi redefines the precision of infrastructure wireless and wireline digital construction management (DCM) by seamlessly converting GIS designs into a web and mobile app-based construction management solution.
