As a leading technology supplier in the ‘earthworks’ part of the supply-chain, we see three reasons why the UK earth working supply-chain is not tech-ready. In a nutshell, it’s about the complex structure of the market, lack of incentives to move quickly and a general sense of confusion about the way forward. In this post we will explore each of these in turn:
Deploying technology in a ‘layered’ supply-chain
In the UK market, construction projects are structured with a main-contractor and layers of sub-contractors operating in an established supply network. This is fine in the traditional world of construction, but when it comes to driving the maximum impact from technology, all of the elements, from machine to project office, need to be properly connected together.
With a network of contractors and sub-contractors operating on projects together but owning their own assets, it’s very hard to see how the right mix of technologies can be defined, deployed and integrated to work together seamlessly for the benefit of the project.
Perhaps the best place to start is for the lead contractor to specify which types of technologies they want to be used on site, for example when it comes to machine-control on plant. This puts pressure on the lead contractor to demand specific compatible technologies, relying on sub-contractors believing that it’s worth investing in that flavour of technology for their fleet.
Are there a lack of hard incentives to adopt?
Technology companies can’t be faulted for their enthusiasm to solve everyday problems for businesses, workers and consumers. The problem is, savvy businesses have to focus first on whether investments will drive business benefits – saving time (and therefore money), increasing safety, achieving compliance, or driving new revenue streams or services that weren’t possible before. In addition, for construction businesses, technology often means changes to ways of working that can be risky, uncertain and therefore be put off for another time. The old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” often applies here.
When it comes to technology in construction, it feels like many areas of the supply chain are simply watchfully waiting to see what happens next. This approach is understandable, but without any urgent pressure to change, many parts of the industry are missing out on immediate benefits that are fairly easy to realise.
Technology leadership, clarity and direction!
We believe that what’s lacking at an industry level is leadership on technology, clear advice and evidence of the benefits of new ways of working based on very simple use of available innovations. When these simple steps deliver benefit, they can be built upon to deliver the next level of smart working.
So who’s job is it to provide this leadership? Is it government, looking to squeeze more value out of major infrastructure contracts?? In a world where we need to increase productivity at all levels to drive the UK economy, while saving public money on infrastructure projects where possible, it’s clear there’s a need for change.
Bringing the benefits to the construction industry
At SITECH we are hugely passionate about the positive impact of technology in construction. A great example is the use of machine control and machine guidance systems to speed up operator activity, reduce off-plan excavation and grading, while providing real-time site survey direct from the machine back to the project office.
We understand the hesitance to deploy machine control as an example of valuable immediate technology, but as an industry we need to find a way to make immediate improvements to be made with minimal risk and investment.
