Contractors increasingly use digital workflows to deliver projects faster

Dive Brief:

• Construction professionals are bolstering their business with digital workflow tools, leading to better efficiency and higher-quality project deliveries, according to new research from Dodge Construction Network and Trimble.
• About half of all respondents share the majority of their project data internally using digital workflows, according to the press release. One in four do so with other stakeholders on their projects, the research found.
• General contractors that focus on vertical construction are utilizing more digital workflows for their processes and earning greater benefits than those which largely engage in civil construction. Specialty trade contractors use them for more administrative tasks, such as managing construction operations and crews.

Dive Insight:

The research spotlights architects, engineers, general contractors, specialty contractors. 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.

Other key findings from the report show that architects lead the industry in their use of multi-company digital workflows, with one third deploying them. Engineers are also deepening their engagement with workflows for specific design practices — 83% of users plan additional investments in digital workflows, according to the release.

Pete Large, senior vice president of Trimble Construction, was bullish on what the research means.

“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,” Large said.

The new reports could signal a step up for the industry, which has historically struggled to adopt new technologies. A Dodge report from last December noted that 38% of respondents shared that they hadn’t built out a digital strategy or that it wasn’t a priority.