The team had previously joined the CPC at last year’s iSummit Event, where topics discussed included harnessing construction’s big data, synchronizing project data, IoT, and digital twins.
This year, software interoperability (i.e., enabling different software programs and apps to exchange information and share files seamlessly) again was at the center of the summit’s discussion for improving workflows as teams grapple with a problem unique to the industry: Having an ample supply of job openings with too few applicants to fill them.
If you haven’t read the news of our teams’ participation in last year’s iSummit Event, here’s a quick refresher on the Construction Progress Coalition:
CPC stated vision’s is to “Redefine project performance measurement in the digital age,” while its mission is to “Improve project delivery by connecting stakeholders through a Common Data Exchange (CDX).”
The CPC’s AEC (architecture, engineering, & construction) iSummit is an annual event that takes place in Denver, Colorado over the course of three days.
This year, two Milwaukee Tool thought leaders joined the iSummit event: former One-Key digital product manager and current embedded systems product manager Nick Monica, as well as One-Key senior construction technology manager Brianne Stewart.
Nick and Brianne joined a group of industry participants representing professional trade organizations, industry-leading contractors, as well as technology solutions providers (software developers and equipment manufacturers).
Participants banded together in design thinking workshops aimed at solving pain points within key workflows in construction spanning several topic areas including RFPs, design handoffs, location references, work breakdown structure (WBS), and financial performance.
Milwaukee Tool joined a discussion group focusing on “a shared location tag” across construction documents and stakeholders.
Part of this process included upfront collaboration on a definition of “data” for locations including all information relevant to each party, and the conceptualization of a solution (e.g., better sharable/editable design files and reduced manual entry/mistakes through software integration).
Key Themes
Talking about the conference at a high level, Nick Monica recalls: “Proliferation of construction software solutions means there needs to be more interoperability to reduce silos.” He added, “Collaboration of the contractors, tech providers, and trade orgs is very much part of the vision for the future—among other topics such as taking lean to the site, increased diversity in the industry, and automation.”
In early February, we asked 8 industry experts their 2023 construction industry predictions.
Common trends and themes we saw in response included:
These conversations continued at the AEC iSummit Event:
The 2022 Construction Talent Retention survey showed employees leaving the industry voluntarily continues to outpace layoffs/discharges, exacerbating known industry labor shortages.
Furthermore, a contributing factor for industry exits is a lack of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and opportunities for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities compared to other industries. Insurate CRO Abby Ferri had similar sentiments when asked in our previous expert roundup, adding, "With the recent release of BLS statistics showing a disproportionate impact of injuries and fatalities on minority construction workers, safety and risk professionals must identify ways they are currently not serving those populations well.”
Inclusive hiring and retention strategies and a commitment to worker safety remain a critical need for the industry.
Milwaukee Tool’s continued presence and involvement at the Construction Progress Coalition’s AEC iSummit is an important part of our organization’s commitment to driving the industry forward with comprehensive solutions—both through our physical and digital products—that span project lifecycles and help end users achieve greater productivity.
The topics of discussion and the important action items that came from this year’s iSummit show a continued need for data & integrations and full-scale solutions that help contractors build smarter workflows empowering teams to work better together.