In recent years, software providers have jumped into action to solve construction’s big data problem, while hardware providers have disrupted old, inefficient installation procedures with innovative technology.
But as new, revolutionary construction technology solutions emerge, a common complaint among construction professionals is the tired cold calls and business email solicitations that culminate in longwinded sales demos. Too frequently, the pitch decks employed in these kinds of exchanges fail to deliver on a simple principle that is so fundamentally important that it’s embraced and taught everywhere—from introductory college composition classes to J-schools and creative writing MFAs, or easily recognized in practice among cinematographers and other film practitioners: show, don’t tell.
Recently built, the Oracle Industry Lab disrupts these outdated, uninspiring communication methods of the past and brings the “show, don’t tell” mantra into living, experiential form—30,000 square feet of hands-on experience for customers in a variety of industries, including utilities, communications, construction and engineering, and manufacturing.
Located just outside Chicago in Deerfield, Illinois, the Oracle Industry Lab is described as “a unique idea incubator designed to help businesses in a variety of industries tackle their most complex challenges.” The Deerfield lab is among the first of a “global network of industry innovation labs.” Oracle is adding additional lab facilities in England and Australia later this year.
“The core technology used in the word’s most essential industries doesn’t run in an office; it runs on a construction site, in the utility operations center, on the manufacturing floor. So, why not let customers develop, test, and validate technology in similar environments?”
Mike Sicilia·Oracle Executive Vice President, Industries
Milwaukee Tool joins innovative lab
Milwaukee Tool joins a list of participating collaborators ranging from BIM and reality-capture SaaS providers to household automation suppliers like Mitsubishi.
The company has joined the Oracle Industry Lab in its construction and engineering segment, a safe space where customers can immerse themselves, free from the hard sell, and experience for themselves the industry’s most cutting-edge tech through a hands-on, “simulated worksite demonstrating the power of the Internet of Things.”
Customers can “experiment, learn, and stay on the leading edge.” They also can collaborate with industry leaders to solve the challenges they face every day, creating the potential for future innovations, collaborations, and software integrations.
"To address the many challenges facing construction today, the collaboration with Oracle has allowed us to leverage our industry leading connected solutions alongside other innovative technology providers to advance the industry, putting real value into the hands of the end user."
Andy Lambert·Director of product for One-Key and construction technology at Milwaukee Tool
Immersive experience
Milwaukee Tool takes a comprehensive approach to delivering One-Key connected products, finding new ways to aggregate tool utilization and location data and put it where end users want it.
Contractors see these products firsthand in the One-Key exhibition space at the Oracle Industry Lab. They also can contextualize them within immersive experiences that educate in real-time how our smart tools are used in the field, how utilization data can be captured and synced to the cloud, and how this data can be collected and leveraged in a meaningful way.
Participating end users can take on distinct roles (project manager, site supervisor, specialty trade, etc.) and move from station to station, each designed bring a theoretical phase of a project into reality:
- M12 FUEL Digital Torque Wrench installation experience: Like what you may find at our New Product Symposium, our structures team has constructed a real-world environment on the floor of the industry lab where customers can use our digital torque wrench to install a fastener in real time. End users can dial in a specific torque target in ft-lbs., torque a bolt, and then synchronize it to the One-Key app
- Back office torque wrench reporting experience: We’ve designed a back-office environment where on-tool data generated in the field can be pulled into a customized torque report generated for clients, inspectors, and others.
This tool was developed with commercial electrical contractors in mind. However, we’ve found that any professional installer who needs to operate within precise manufacturers’ specifications (think, steel contractors, solar panel installers, etc.) can find this tool useful. The Oracle Industry Lab is the space for these professionals to come and try it out.
As we continue to innovate and bring to market new software and hardware products, we will continue to unveil new immersive experiences for contractors in the industry lab.
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