A new study tracks how digital data is shared within the design and construction industry. The research from Dodge Construction Network, together with Trimble, is published in a series of reports: Connected Construction SmartMarket Brief.
Although stakeholders are sharing digital data, the study reveals that internal connections are far more common than external ones, with 48 percent of respondents sharing 50 percent or more of their project data internally using digital workflows, and 24 percent doing so with other stakeholders on their projects.
“In an increasingly connected world and with the rapid adaptation of remote work due to COVID, construction companies are looking for ways to more efficiently, securely and quickly share data with key stakeholders,” said Pete Large, SVP of Trimble Construction, in a statement. “This research project with Dodge shows that teams and projects utilizing digital workflows saw a substantial increase in project quality, supported by faster delivery and decreased delays related to rework. By sharing the findings of this research, we believe these insights can help construction professionals understand how connected construction is used on a practical level.”
Some notable findings from the individual reports describing different personas and types of organizations include:
- Architects lead the industry in their use of multi-company digital workflows, with one-third deploying them.
- Engineers are deepening their engagement with workflows for specific design practices, with 83 percent of users planning additional investments in digital workflows.
- General contractors that focus on vertical (building) construction are utilizing more digital workflows for their construction operation processes and reaping greater benefits than those who are largely engaged in civil construction.
- Specialty trade contractors are currently utilizing digital workflows most frequently for administrative tasks, but their biggest planned investments are for utilizing workflows that will help them with construction operations and crew management.
Despite the differences in their degree of use and how they engage with digital workflows, owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, and specialty trade contractors all report the same key benefits from their use:
- The key benefits for both companies and projects are more informed decision making and increased efficiency of internal processes.
- The primary benefits for improved project outcomes are quality and faster delivery.
An expected benefit revealed in the findings is that those using digital workflows have much more insight into how those processes impact their projects than those who do not use them. This finding was made clear in the close examination of the use of digital workflows for many common administrative, planning and construction operations processes that the respondents perform.
“It is quite likely that the increased insight that comes with the use of digital workflows is one of the main reasons that so many report being able to make better-informed decisions,” said Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director at Dodge Construction Network, in a statement. “What is more exciting, though, is that this finding suggests that the digital transformation of the industry may be able to finally help the industry achieve the productivity gains that have proved so elusive over the years.”
Source: Trimble
