Ahead Business Consulting (ABC) and Digital Construction Skills are amongst those working to drive an increase in the use of construction-related digital solutions by, for example, identifying and installing software to improve business performance.
Saffron Grant, managing director of Digital Construction Skills said: 鈥淢any companies in the sector do not realise they can get 拢5k - 拢25k from the CITB Skills & Training fund for training or coaching to add digital capabilities to their businesses, even if they have as little as two employees.
鈥淚nvesting in technology will put construction firms in a strong position to capitalise on government spending on infrastructure and housing as the economy recovers from Covid-19.鈥�
Andrew Pollard, a director of Falkirk-based ABC, said: 鈥淭here are 40,000 construction firms in Scotland, of which 20,000 are sole traders and nearly all the rest employ fewer than 10 people.
鈥淚t is a sector where the barriers to adopting technology are particularly high, because the margins are low and training time is non-earning time.鈥�
But, he said, even simple digital tools could help many small and medium businesses work more efficiently, improve their margins, and reduce risk. 鈥淔or most small and medium enterprises, project monitoring is rudimentary and relies on timesheets, visual inspection and experience.
鈥淧roject management software has traditionally been expensive and targeted at corporate professionals. That is, however, no longer the case since there are now affordable and easy-to-use tools that can help construction firms improve delivery, customer communication and productivity.
鈥淚t might involve using simple technology like accessing drawings via a tablet or using a digital checklist to ensure steps are completed in the right sequence. And it goes right through to end-to-end systems which track where your builders are when they're out on jobs and sends messages to the customer to let them know their repair man or builder is on the way.鈥�
Simple processes like taking photographs of work once it is complete can also provide assurance and avoid post-construction scenarios like having to knock through a wall or ceiling to check the work behind it.
And as low-carbon solutions become increasingly important in construction, technology will be key to accessing and mobilising these. 鈥淔or example, embedding low carbon alternatives is an easier proposition if firms are already using carbon calculators, have robust job costing and are able to plan well,鈥� he said.
This includes the Scottish Government鈥檚 plans, outlined in September last year , to invest 拢24 billion in infrastructure and an 拢11.5 billion UK government plan to build 180,000 new affordable homes by 2026.
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