Info-Tech Research Group has officially published the results from its new report, which is designed to offer actionable strategies and expert insights, all for the purpose of helping construction firms leverage new opportunities and drive sustainable growth.
Going by the available details, named as The Future of the Construction Industry, the report’s research insights and approach treads up a long distance to emphasize upon the importance of strategic foresight, a forward-looking methodology that helps IT leaders analyze external trends, anticipate future challenges, as well as identify opportunities for innovation and growth.
To understand the significance of such an effort, we must take into account how technological disruption, rising sustainability expectations, and shifting customer demands are accelerating a fundamental shift across the board in regards to how the construction industry builds, operates, and delivers value at scale.
Detailing this very shift, Info-Tech’s recently published report goes onto showcase that construction companies are now under immense pressure to modernize, often without the internal capabilities or strategic direction needed to respond effectively. In case that wasn’t enough, these organizations are simultaneously being called to rethink how they deliver value by using technology to package their services and expertise in scalable, more efficient ways.
Talk about the given lowdown on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the sustainability aspect, where green construction was deemed as a top priority. Having said so, many companies were found to still view sustainability as a regulatory hurdle or nothing more than a disguised branding effort.
Anyway, beyond that, Info-Tech’s report also highlighted the way emerging technologies are turning sustainability into a source of innovation and efficiency. You see, with digital tools in, construction firms are becoming increasingly well-equipped to reduce costs, meet environmental targets, and contribute towards a more resilient future.
Next up, we have the extended realities space. The report in question effectively reveals that, through tools like digital twins and immersive visualization, XR technology is empowering construction teams to model and test complex designs in real time. Such a trend not only improves collaboration, but it can also come in handy to enhance decision-making, mitigate risk, and enable optimization before physical work even begins.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in artificial intelligence. Packing together various different innovations like machine learning (ML), intelligent automation (IA), and generative AI, the wider AI discipline was found to generate a more comprehensive slew of insights into data-driven decision-making.
Info-Tech’s report also expanded upon how these tools can be leveraged to automate and optimize components throughout the construction value chain, thus creating new strategic opportunities.
Rounding up highlights would be the report’s focus on robotics and drones, two technologies that are evolving consistently to offer ways for companies to automate safety and quality control tasks, a crucial component of construction. These technologies are also being used to complete rigorous tasks, delivering greater amount of time at the disposal of human workers to let them handle other, more-demanding jobs.
“The construction industry has been among the slowest industries to adopt new technologies. However, technologies are continuing to advance, making them more applicable to practical use within the industry,” said Michael Adams, research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “As consumer demand continues to increase in volume and complexity, construction companies need to focus on a digital transformation that can support their organizational goals.”
