New Study Finds Mobile Technologies and Connectivity Poised to Transform Heavy Construction Projects

NEW YORK, NY – May 9, 2018 – Contractors have always faced unique challenges connecting the field, the office and the maintenance operations to effectively manage heavy construction projects. A new study from Dodge Data & Analytics, in partnership with B2W Software, shows that software solutions—and especially mobile capabilities—can generate improvements in the ability of contractors to gather accurate and timely data from the field, control costs more reliably, and manage and maintain their equipment fleets more efficiently.  

A three-part webinar series scheduled for May, June and July, titled “Mobile, Connected and Data-Driven: Exploring the Technology Trends in Heavy Construction,” will provide insights from this study about challenges contractors face in the ways they currently conduct these activities, and where they see the greatest potential for technology to improve processes and outcomes in the very near future.

·      May 16, 2018—"Field-Centric Cost Management: Managing Project Costs in Real-Time, Not Accounting-Time” focuses on technologies that allow contractors to manage costs where they occur—in the field—and respond more immediately to field performance data.   

·      June 13, 2018—"Field Data Collection and Intelligence: Better Performance in the Field Begins with Better Data from the Field” focuses on project performance, safety and employee time data capture in the field.

·      July 11, 2018—"Fleet Maintenance and Management: Turning to Technology to Improve Fleet Maintenance and Management” focuses on the challenges and opportunities around maximizing equipment utilization and cutting maintenance costs for heavy construction fleets.  

“The Dodge Data & Analytics study confirms that heavy contractors are struggling to capture data and use it to optimize project performance and resources, and that there are significant opportunities for them to improve in these areas through the right technologies and mobile capabilities,” says Paul McKeon, founder and CEO of B2W Software. 

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The study finds that contractors believe a range of current and emerging technologies, from mobile devices and applications for project management to big data analysis, will help provide better data from the field and improve project management. The first webinar on May 16th will provide more detailed insights into these trends that will impact cost management in the field, including findings around adoption of such technology by employees.

The study also finds that data captured in the field such as information on project and employee performance and safety must be both accurate and timely to be useful for effective decision making, yet latency and errors are reported as a major challenge in heavy construction. “This lag in the exchange of critical data between field and office, and the concerns about its accuracy, seriously interfere with heavy contractors’ efforts to improve performance,” says Steve Jones, Senior Director of Industry Insights Research with Dodge Data & Analytics, and a lead researcher on the study.

Reinforcing that point, a significant number of contractors surveyed believe that better and timelier data from the field would help them to complete their projects on budget and on schedule. The second webinar on June 13th will reveal more about how contractors are currently gathering data and approaches that can help improve this process.

Another finding of the study is that tracking and maintaining fleets in the heavy construction market can be a significant drain on both budget and human resources. Despite this high cost, the study shows that many contractors are still relying on spreadsheets and paper for these processes. However, those using specialized software, telematics and mobile applications designed for this purpose find that they manage their equipment more effectively, can better optimize resource utilization, and increase equipment uptime, among several other benefits. 

The final webinar on July 11th will look more closely at the findings in the study that demonstrate these benefits and show what contractors think will be most important to improve fleet management over the next two years.

For more information on the webinar series, visit https://www.construction.com/company/dodge-events. The data provided in each webinar will also be made available after each session to those who register.  

About Dodge Data & Analytics: Dodge Data & Analytics is North America’s leading provider of analytics and software-based workflow integration solutions for the construction industry. Building product manufacturers, architects, engineers, contractors, and service providers leverage Dodge to identify and pursue unseen growth opportunities and execute on those opportunities for enhanced business performance. Whether it’s on a local, regional or national level, Dodge makes the hidden obvious, empowering its clients to better understand their markets, uncover key relationships, size growth opportunities, and pursue those opportunities with success. The company’s construction project information is the most comprehensive and verified in the industry. Dodge is leveraging its 100-year-old legacy of continuous innovation to help the industry meet the building challenges of the future.