With the Pandemic and Brexit did the Construction Industry Get a Wakeup call? The Construction Leadership Council has warned that cement, some electrical components, timber, steel, and paints are all in short supply! European experienced Labourers eroded after Brexit!

Various drivers led to the supply chain problems:

• since lockdown started easing, projects have increased demand for already scarce materials.
• warmer winter affected timber production in Scandinavia
• cold winter weather in Texas affected the production of chemicals, plastics and polymer.
• shipping costs have risen sharply due to a shortage of empty containers from Covid-19-related issues and the sharp recovery in global demand.
• UK importing many of its raw materials, lead times for orders are lengthening and prices are growing. The Office for National Statistics has projected a rise of 7-8% in material prices, with increases for certain materials, such as timber, expected to more than double during the course of the year.
• European skilled labourers have left the UK, creating a shortage of manpower in the construction industry.

The results of these trends are margin being reduced and projects being delayed

What are the longer-term opportunities?

Issues amplified by Covid-19 and Brexit are not new:

• low productivity levels,
• low predictability,
• low margins,
• financial fragility, and
• shrinking labour pools.

The unprecedented set of circumstances presented by the pandemic and Brexit have meant that the industry has been forced to work differently.

Businesses have been adopting:

• remote working,
• embracing new technology to help productivity,
• ensuring work is carried out in accordance with evolving health and safety rules, or
• reviewing contracts to better understand and manage the risks posed by unforeseen events.

2020 was certainly one of the most challenging years in living memory, it has presented fantastic opportunities for the construction industry to improve in the long-term and overcome its historic barriers.

How has the construction industry reacted?

Although 2020 was one of the most challenging years in living memory, it has presented opportunities for the construction industry to not only survive the current challenges but to improve in the long term and overcome its historic barriers.

Opportunities for the future

1 More collaboration BIM is a collaborative way of working.

The digital designs, including product parameters, are shared with all parties to outline the work planned and give everyone the opportunity to fully understand what is proposed and all the requirements, including specifications such as fire and acoustic data.

Enabling teams to be truly interconnected requires a solid IT infrastructure.

Being able to access and amend designs from anywhere and from any device is possible thanks to Driving Vision’s powerful collaborative cloud technology. Our technical support team removes the headache and concerns surrounding server or workstation upgrades, freeing you up to focus on what is important. Find out more

We enable your teams to track and resolve issues directly from whichever BIM software you use through a simple automated cloud-based tool.

By providing accountability and transparency, your team will increase productivity. Find out more

As your BIM coordinator, we become a key member of your project team, helping the participants in the effective resolution of issues that arise. Find out more

2 Automated processes businesses need to adapt to industry and market developments or risk being left behind.

For practices, not investing into and adopting innovation, it will prove almost impossible to remain up-to-speed in the construction industry, to win work, and to generate the cash to stay afloat.

The government recently published green paper indicates that change is coming, with contracting authorities set to be encouraged to take a broader view of what constitutes value for money, such as social value.

Unfortunately, businesses may find it difficult to commit the necessary cash, needed for research and development investment, to create more efficient, innovative engineering solutions.

AECO businesses that invest in innovation, capitalise on the learnings, new practices, new technologies, and innovative ways of working, will improve their productivity, and efficiency. It can be more affordable to subcontract, to Driving Vision, their R&D, as it will reduce their investment and improve their ROI.

The integration of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and BIM to design processes, as well as new construction methodologies like modular prefabrication, 3D printing of construction components, the use of drones, and wearable technology to monitor site activity are not new, but the uptake has been slow. This is partly due to the cost, and the general reluctance for change.

How does Driving Vision help you redesign your processes?

Our business experts analyse your current operations and work with you to create a bespoke solution to streamline the way you work. Owners and operators can then fulfill long-term capital goals with Building Information Management (BIM) and lean management principles giving you a real competitive advantage. Find out more

By consolidating your data in a central location and automating data exchanges, your teams will no longer work in silos by using Plannerly.

Through the use of automation, artificial intelligence, and cloud technology, we improve the way you work.

As your BIM coordinator, we become a key member of your project team, helping the participants to establish and manage project workflows.

The pandemic and Brexit have provided the necessary boost for many to adopt [remote working]( and digital alternatives to traditional practices. Now is the time for businesses to fully embrace those ways of working in order to maximise their potential.

Implementing BIM can be daunting, but Driving Vision is here to help you at the pace you are comfortable with. Get started by getting in touch now