| | September 20178CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONNavigating Through the Technology Landscape of the Construction SectorBy Jon Witty, VP & GM, Sage Construction and Real EstateMost construction companies don't roll out the red-carpet when it comes to making big investments in information technology. In fact most construction companies will invest in almost anything else, especially if it can be charged to a job. The construction industry traditionally spends less on IT as a percent of revenue than most other industries. Contractors thrive on building things, and the challenge is making the connection between smart IT investments and building the business! It's no longer uncommon to see a backhoe driver checking drawings on an iPad or a project team working with sophisticated 3D electronic building models so contractors' will embrace technology once they see the practical value. For CIOs in construction companies, the goal is to show how technology expenditures will enable the quickest and largest return for their company, drive productivity and create competitive advantage. There are three big trends that CIO's need to address: mobility, collaboration and data insight.Mobilizing the FieldThe downturn in the industry drove a tipping point in the adoption of mobile technology. This was the result of having to do work outside of the company's immediate geographic area. This has continued and now while every construction company knows that money is made and lost in the field, there is a way to harness devices and software to help field management make better decisions and increase productivity.So it's not surprising to see that this year alone, 45 percent of contractors plan to increase their use of tablets, and 38 percent plan to increase their use of smartphones on the job, according to the Sage 2014 construction IT survey. Cloud-based applications for these mobile devices are also on the rise. According to the research, the top planned uses of cloud-based mobile applications include:· Sharing drawings, photos, schedules, and documents· Accessing customer and project information· Accessing job cost and project reports· Filing daily field reports· Time and capture approvalThe CIO's challenge with mobility is to integrate technology that is both cost effective and enables better insight and collaboration. Software-as-a-Service applications plug into your current systems offering new capabilities to your field team so that they can access information anytime and anywhere. CIO's need to have strategies to address things like BYOD, company provided devices, security, confidential information and connectivity to name a few.
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