How Construction Technology Is Making Jobsites Better For Small Contractors
It's no secret that new technological innovations are affecting every industry, and construction is no exception. However, most of the time when there are discussions about construction technology, it's the type of technology that costs thousands of dollars, is used for large-scale job sites, and is made for companies that are bigger than 1,000 employees. But as we mentioned a few blogs ago, most companies in contracting and construction are SMEs and have less than 90 employees.
So if most companies in construction and contracting are small businesses and have a hard time breaking even already, is it to be expected that they can afford large enterprise-focused technology? Or is it more realistic that they should be searching for technology within their own budget? We think it's the latter, and we've highlighted what areas you should be auditing below.
What Is Construction Technology?
Construction technology is any tool, software, or modern development that can increase productivity and efficiency on a job site or within the business operations. Essentially, the goal with every technology you implement at your company should result in more business, fewer costs, or speed in getting the project done. Taking this adaptive approach toward technology will help you understand what areas of your business you need to audit and optimize.
When researching what kind of construction and contractor technology to implement into your business, it's helpful to figure out the number of construction companies or contractors that a tech company has in their clientele. Sure, technologies can be made for multiple industries, but more often than not each industry has specific needs and pain points. For that reason, it's encouraging to know that other people in your industry and company size have found the tools or software useful. If the company was started by people with experience in the industry, that's even better! Then you know they're catering the solution specifically for you and your issues and that can help build even more trust.
When researching what construction technology to implement into your business, it's also important to know exactly what problem you're trying to solve or the area in your business you're trying to cut costs. Whether that's a specific task in health and safety, or a certain area in your operations, auditing your business and determining the exact need of the technology will help you make sure you're not overspending on any solution. Here are the three most common areas that which technology is used to improve construction companies:
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Health and Safety
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Equipment Rentals
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Office Administration
Health and Safety
Nowadays, the most common solution that we're hearing about in regard to making job sites safer are drones and wearable technology. While these are great advancements in technology, their usefulness really depends on the scale of the job, type of job, and financial capabilities of the company. This type of technology, because of how new it is, is often extremely expensive. And while having one drone and one type of wearable might be financially feasible, having a lot of these types of products just isn't necessary for most small businesses.
Oftentimes, health and safety improvements can be achieved through simple training software. These can be programs that gamify the education and teaching process so that employees can retain and learn the policies in a more engaging way. Or it can be buying equipment and clothing that better protect the employee from injury. Advancements in technology don't always have to be expensive and digital improvements. Sometimes it's just simply small changes that can protect employees better.
Equipment Rentals
As an equipment rental marketplace, we know that finding equipment right now is challenging, and for most small contractor companies, owning equipment is a large overhead cost. That's why we believe in the power of renting. Renting equipment saves you from the logistical headache of having to move your equipment from job site to job site, having enough land to hold equipment, and having to do maintenance and upkeep on an entire fleet.
With the DOZR Marketplace, you can search for a large variety of earthmoving, compact, lifts, and aerial equipment from across 15,000 suppliers in North America. The prices for all equipment are transparent, you can get a quote within seconds and pay for all rentals with the same credit account! Not only does our team here handle the delivery of your rented equipment, but we also offer a Rental Protection Plan in the case that you don't have insurance.
As a company that was founded by people in the construction and contracting industries, we know just how expensive equipment can be and work hard to provide solutions for others in the industry.
Office Administration
The third area in which technology is often used to improve construction companies is office administration. When we talk about office administration, don't think of it so much as a physical office. We know that not all small construction companies have a direct office or headquarters. When we say office administration, we're talking more about the day-to-day tasks that company owners and entrepreneurs have to deal with.
This could be anything from health and safety training as outlined above, job site scheduling, paying employees, customer contact organization, or any of the other tasks that involve running the business outside of the job site. Since these types of tasks are not usually in the area of expertise for most founders, this is oftentimes the best place to make a technological investment. These tasks can build up and often become frustrating for contractors who just want to be on the job site and make sure the job gets done. By streamlining some of these more "office" focused tasks, you can work harder and give more time to the area of the business you love while driving more efficiency and reducing headaches off the job site.
Where and When To Invest
Now that we've talked a little about what construction technology is and where it's often implemented, it's time to decide on where you're able to invest. As mentioned, it's critical to do a full audit of your current spending and find where you could increase efficiency while reducing costs. This will mean taking a deep look at your budget and making some decisions on where you could improve. However, if you're trying to grow your business from small to medium, these are crucial steps you need to take in your journey.
