2020 Taught Us to Digitally Transform to Support

Matt Zilli was appointed CEO of Clarizen, a global leader in collaborative work management software, in April 2020. He has over 15 years of experience in go-to-market execution, building and leading world-class customer-facing teams, and directing global marketing, sales and customer success campaigns for some of the world’s most recognisable B2B software brands. In this article, Matt shares his insights on the technology that will move the needle for the construction industry in 2021.

COVID-19 brought unprecedented challenges to the construction industry, changing the way companies work and communicate with one another on an extraordinary scale. Some companies are more adaptable than others and continue to work effectively, but for the vast majority of businesses, COVID-19 has left significant gaps in efficiency and productivity.

Being prepared

2020 has shone a light where companies genuinely are on their digital transformation journeys, and it’s clear that for many in the construction industry it’s not very far. No one could have predicted the global pandemic, but the crisis has highlighted how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected.

The UK Government’s Construction 2025 report noted that two-thirds of construction contracting firms are not innovative, which is inhibiting technological progress in the sector. On top of the impact of COVID-19, the ongoing failure to deploy new technologies is having an adverse effect on many construction firms, causing significant delays in meeting timelines and hampering visibility across projects.

The inability to track project variables such as whether materials will arrive on schedule and the right workers will turn up onsite, along with the additional impact of social distancing and other safety measures, are compounding challenges the industry faces around productivity and effectiveness. The result is that the slow digital transformation is hampering firms’ ability to complete projects on deadline and within budget. What’s more, the ongoing uncertainty of what Brexit will bring means that construction companies need to take new approaches and employ new technologies that ensure they are more agile than ever.

As business owners look ahead and plan for 2021, it is vital to implement a strategy to make them efficient and more collaborative. Utilising tools that improve business agility and allow companies to progress on their digital journeys will mean that they are far more likely to gain a competitive edge and succeed.

Moving to a modern method

The construction industry must move to a more technologically-driven approach to become more streamlined and productive in 2021. Deploying robust project management technologies is critical to achieving this aim. Work management and workplace collaboration solutions enable construction companies to address all aspects of a project’s lifecycle, starting when a project lands on a stakeholders desk through to when crews begin onsite and complete the work.

A great deal of planning goes into any project before construction can begin. Using a cloud-based work project management tool streamlines enterprise planning processes, and provides the necessary context and visibility required to facilitate collaboration among all parties involved in a project. Within the construction industry, project portfolio managers and others engaged in the planning process gain the ability to evaluate whether a company or team can take on new projects, and then prioritise them based on the company’s strategic goals, resources and financial position.

Technological tools enable portfolio managers to track progress on all aspects of a project, including schedules, risks and financials, while providing real-time status updates to other stakeholders.  Cloud-based project management solutions are not new to the construction industry, but companies that have dragged their heels in adopting digital technologies now face a greater urgency than ever after facing tough year in 2020 and further hurdles in 2021 – such as continuing issues due to COVID and the impact of Brexit.

Facilitating more collaboration

Project management tools allow for greater and more productive collaboration within project teams, among stakeholders, in individual businesses and across the industry. A work management platform gives everyone a clear view of all ongoing and completed work — including tasks, priorities, resourcing and deadlines. It can also provide senior management with oversight of critical projects, helping feed into tactical and strategic decisions. The ability to share all relevant and timely information helps make work processes smooth and enables efficiencies.

In addition, work management tools help prevent silos from developing within organisations in which the workforce is spread, and team members isolated – which has become more of an issue during the COVID crisis. This is vital to ensuring that opportunities are not missed, goals remain aligned, business continuity is maintained, and productivity is kept up.

Embracing technology to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world

The UK construction industry needs to position itself at the forefront of smart construction now. Adopting innovative technology will enable business owners and project managers to have full visibility and understanding of the performance of their assets, both during construction and through the entire project process. The result will be more jobs completed on time and on budget and in a secure way.

There has never been a more critical time to invest in tools to unlock a new depth of productivity and cost-effectiveness across the construction sector. In an era where embracing uncertainty seems to be the only choice for many companies, business leaders must look at technologies that enable them to adapt quickly to both positive and negative changes. The future is becoming less predictable, and the construction industry must do everything it can to prepare for and succeed in a rapidly changing world.

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Jacobs Secures Place on Framework

Jacobs has announced that it has been appointed to Irish Water’s Engineering Design Services Framework. Jacobs will provide technical support on Irish Water’s programme of capital works to deliver improvements to water services throughout Ireland.

This seven-year framework reinforces Jacobs’ commitment to supporting Irish Water in upgrading Ireland’s water services infrastructure.

Jacobs will provide a wide range of services and strategic planning support, including feasibility studies, investment planning, site survey and investigation services, stakeholder management, construction contract administration and asset management. By leveraging its global capabilities, Jacobs aims to provide Irish Water with a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional, design, construction and programme management.

Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President Europe and Digital Strategies, Donald Morrison, said: “Building on our long-standing relationship, this latest award enables us to bring our diverse skills and knowledge to support Irish Water in the delivery of resilient and sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure. By putting the improvement of social and natural capital at the heart of the solutions we deliver, we hope to establish a lasting legacy that enhances water infrastructure and economic growth in Ireland.”

Over the last six years, Jacobs has worked in collaboration with Irish Water to deliver several key projects, including the National Water Resources Plan, Sludge Hub and Satellite Dewatering Programme, as well as Navan Mid-Meath Water Supply Scheme.

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GCCA and UN Discuss Cement and Concrete

With just 10 years remaining to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) is highlighting the crucial role which concrete is playing as well as action the sector is taking towards achieving the 17 global development targets.

As the most use material after water, concrete is fundamental in the world around us. Cement and concrete producers around the globe are playing a key role in taking climate action, with the GCCA recently announcing its milestone Climate Ambition 2050. This launch enhances the industry’s commitment to drive down its own C02 footprint, with the final aim being to achieve carbon neutral concrete by 2050.

Aligning with global climate targets is seen as a fundamental step towards achieving the SDGs. The GCCA unites forty of the world’s leading cement and concrete companies, who operate in almost every country of the world, in taking decisive climate and sustainability action.

Global webinar on concrete’s contribution to the SDGs

To mark the decade countdown to the SDGs, the GCCA hosted the fourth instalment of its sustainability-focused webinar series on 9 December, titled ‘Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Cement and Concrete’s Contribution’.

As a global industry – that provides an essential material to everyday life – cement and concrete are linked to many areas of sustainable development, including climate change, infrastructure, and sustainable cities and housing, which the global online event discussed.

Speakers from the GCCA and two United Nations global departments, the UN Global Compact and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), discussed the importance of the SDGs and the positive contribution the cement and concrete industry can play, as well as the mitigating activity it is undertaking towards meeting the SDG targets and bringing social and economic enhancements to the communities, regions and countries in which it is present.

Dr Andrew Minson, Concrete and Sustainable Construction Director at the GCCA, highlighted concrete’s key attributes such as its low cost and high availability, its strength and durability, which make it a critical resource to achieving many of the 17 SDGs.

Dr Minson said: “Concrete is the building material to be found in key infrastructure across the world such as homes and schools, transport networks, and water and food supply systems that help communities to flourish. It also provides the basis for clean energy infrastructure, such as wind turbines and dams.

“Concrete is essential to building the infrastructure needed for the sustainable world of tomorrow.”

Sue Allchurch, Chief of Outreach and Engagement, United Nations Global Compact, said: “As we reach the 10-year countdown to attaining the SDGs, it’s crucial that organisations are not only setting ambitious sustainability targets, but aligning their targets with the SDGs and integrating them into their core business strategies. The cement and concrete industry provides an opportunity for transformative change, and as the sector progresses towards its carbon neutral target it will also bring positive impacts across many of the SDGs.”

Dr Scott Thacker, Infrastructure Specialist, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Honorary Research Associate of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, said: “Whilst there has traditionally been a focus on the construction and built environment industry for its environmental impacts, its positive contributions shouldn’t be overlooked as it has a major role to play in delivering the SDGs over the next 10 years. A 2018 report from the Infrastructure Transition Research Consortium highlights that all parts of the built environment (buildings, facilities, water, waste, energy, transport and digital communications) supports society in reaching 92% of SDG targets. Thus, infrastructure can play a key role in influencing progress.”

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Using Technology to Adapt

You could say that 2020 didn’t go exactly as planned. In the last six months, we’ve seen the construction industry step away from normal projects to build Nightingale hospitals such as the modular build at Nightingale Hospital Exeter, support emergency services and adapt buildings to become secure against a virus that none of us saw coming. Here Steve Breen, General Manager of Construction Industries for exclusive Cat® dealer, Finning UK & Ireland, explains how restrictive measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic  are being countered with remote vehicle control technology and a level of agility even the industry itself didn’t realise it had.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our daily lives. Personally, we’ve been unable to see family and friends, we’ve had plans cancelled and many of us have also suffered financially. In the UK, construction work ground to a halt when people were asked to stay indoors for the safety of the whole population. This had a knock-on effect on downtime, supply chains, project completion deadlines and, ultimately, profits.

An alternative to buying new

Construction businesses have always seen the value in investing in new equipment and technology — the initial capital expenditure can be high, but it’s worth it as it allows them to compete for new business while keeping existing customers happy. While this attitude to technology hasn’t changed, the pandemic has increased scrutiny on spending — factors like return on investment (ROI), cost per hour, reward versus risk and comparisons with alternative options are being considered in much more detail.

As a result, there has been an increase in the number of companies rebuilding their machines instead of buying a brand-new replacement. In fact, the Finning Repair, Rebuild and Response (RRR) team has delivered £3 million of certified rebuilds in 2020 alone. The benefits are obvious to anyone looking for an alternative way of managing their fleet, by keeping all the benefits of as-new performance, for a lower price tag.

We’ve also seen increased interest in aftermarket and finance solutions offered by Cat Financial, such as extended ownership models, and an increased focus on service and maintenance.

Social distancing is here to stay

As the lockdown measures put in place to fight COVID-19 were relaxed, businesses geared back up to restart their work. This resulted in a marked increase in demand for construction equipment. The desire to avoid face-to-face contact, plus varying geographical restrictions, has completely changed how we interact with customers, and means that it’s now less common to go to site to physically walk around and inspect a machine.

Looking forward, I predict that construction work will scale up rapidly to make up for lost time on projects, while also maintaining strict social distancing and COVID safety regulations, — which will be around for the foreseeable future. This could lead to more widespread use of digital technologies that enable remote diagnostics for predictive maintenance and semi-autonomy, helping companies to stay resilient.

Take it off-site

These restrictions will also increase the use of remote services and remote vehicles on the jobsite. For example, Cat COMMAND®, allows operators to use line-of-sight (LOS) technology, which enables remote control of the machine from up to 400 metres away, or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) technology, which allows machine operation from any distance using Wi-Fi.

LOS technology controls are integrated with machine electronics to provide the same control and response as if you were in the cab, allowing the operator to maintain productivity on a portable console from a distance. Operating commands are sent directly to the machine’s electronics and hydraulic systems via a dedicated radio transmitter/receiver, resulting in real-time feedback. Also, by removing the user from the cab, it eliminates machine vibration felt by the operator, reducing fatigue.

NLOS technology, where simulators replicate the control position of the operator to allow remote control, no matter the distance, will make big ripples through the industry and will bring many more benefits than just increased safety.

For smaller companies, a single user of NLOS technology can easily switch control between multiple machines on multiple jobsites, reducing travel time and improving operating efficiencies — especially in situations where the workflow would usually be disrupted by bad weather. It also allows for construction to begin again immediately after a disruptive or hazardous process, like blasting. This is a huge benefit for the demolition industry.

NLOS can also tackle one of the UK construction industry’s biggest issues — the shortage of skilled workers. NLOS technology makes machine operation more accessible for several reasons. Firstly, it opens up the opportunity to accommodate both those with physical limitations and older workers, the largest demographic in construction, keeping them in the industry for longer. Using NLOS, they’re able to operate a machine safely, from a distance, which may be more suitable for someone struggling with a health condition.

NLOS technology will help create an industry that thrives on modern technology. Construction is generally seen as one of the UK’s least digitalised industries, which is off-putting for our young workers who grew up surrounded by technology. These workers want and need opportunities to use their digital skills in their jobs, so we should continue using the latest technology in our construction practices, now and in the future.

Throughout the uncertainty of 2020, the construction industry has adapted to survive by taking advantage of cost-saving solutions and enhanced technology that ultimately enabled it to restart. While technology like NLOS has risen to prominence in response to social distancing and current restrictions, its potential impact on other industry issues will slowly start to show in 2021.

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Technology Trends in 2021

In this article Mikael Sandberg, chairman at VX Fiber, explores the reason why fibre-to-the premises (FTTP) is one technology trend the UK construction industry simply cannot afford to ignore in 2021.

In November, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered the Spending Review 2020 – to Parliament. It included details of a £7.1 billion National Home Building Fund designed to help build the homes and the infrastructure communities need to succeed.

It followed on nicely from legislation announced by Oliver Dowden – the digital secretary – earlier in the year, which was designed to ensure that all new-build homes come with gigabit-speed broadband. Developers are required to ensure that high-quality digital infrastructure is installed from the outset, making it a priority as part of the build. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) supplying the broadband connectivity must also be on board before the first brick is laid.

Both announcements came as no surprise, homeowners are demanding more from developers in terms of amenities and utilities, as well as space and flexibility. More specifications for new builds include “baked in” smart home – whether that’s as simple as a few smart switches in the wall, or a full home system covering security, heating, entertainment, work and play. But the one thing that can stop a smart home in its tracks is unreliable internet. And perhaps more importantly, the government needs to ensure that the UK can recover – economically and socio-economically – from COVID-19. It’s a global pandemic that has fundamentally changed the way we all work and live and accelerated our increasing reliance on technology.

According to Gartner, Inc. 88% of global businesses mandated or encouraged all their employees to work from home as the virus started to spread at exponential rates. Nine months in, as the workforce adheres to the ever-changing nature of lockdown rules, and tiers, there’s been a continuous shift back and forth to ‘working from home’ and ‘work from anywhere’ (or ‘hybrid’) models. Home broadband is now being used to access a plethora of online work and productivity tools – not just email.  What’s more, research from the Centre for Economics & Business Research (CEBR), predicts that COVID-19 will change the landscape of the UK workforce forever, with three types of workers emerging: those who mainly work in a workplace (e.g. an office); those who mainly work at home; and those who do a bit of both. As a direct result, approximately 25% of the UK workforce (6 million people) will be working from home on any given day by 2025.

Parents and students have also turned – in varying degrees – to innovative online educational tools to support remote learning and home-schooling (the EdTech market is predicted to be worth £3.4bn by 2021). And in an interview with Andrew Marr, health secretary Matt Hancock stated that during the height of the pandemic 50% of patients used video conferencing for GP appointments and/or accessed health services online. With this in mind a reliable, secure and high-speed Internet connection is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s an essential utility.

The construction industry has a number of options when it comes to the choice of digital infrastructure and connectivity it can provide. But if it is serious about future-proofing properties, the only viable option is ensuring that all new build homes have access to full fibre infrastructure, providing every property with a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connection.  This means deploying fibre-optic cabling into every property within a development, providing gigabit-symmetric connectivity and bandwidth. The term ‘fibre’ is often misused. Most fibre broadband is offered as Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC), meaning that during the ‘last mile’ into the home, that speedy data is sent over slow and unreliable copper wires.  Most of these were installed in the 1950s and carrying internet data is not what they were designed to do. Plus, this ageing infrastructure has a nasty habit of going wrong. FTTP is also likely to outlive the building, whereby hybrid networks will need replacing in the near future either out of performance or regulatory necessity.

Taking on the deployment of FTTP networks across all new build homes may seem like a daunting and potentially expensive task. It’s fair to say that some housebuilders have been supporting and installing FTTP connectivity, but this has often been for higher specification homes. It can no longer be considered as just a gold standard, FTTP should be seen as an essential part of the value proposition of all new builds.  The solution is for housebuilders and/or developers to partner with a digital infrastructure specialist.

Developing and deploying full fibre infrastructure isn’t about expanding a single network of its own. This is where an active Open Access approach comes into play, a model based on a proven operating concept in Sweden, one that Swedish digital infrastructure specialist VX Fiber has a long heritage – over 20 years’ experience in partnering with fibre owners and operating networks on an open access basis. This approach has played a key role in enhancing Sweden’s gigabit full fibre connectivity – a country where over 70% of homes and businesses are now passed by fibre, with over 60% of those fully connected.

A digital infrastructure specialist will work closely with a developer and/or housebuilder to create a bespoke network which can be tailored to its specific needs or circumstances. VX Fiber uses an open access model to operate the full fibre infrastructure and engage third party Service Providers to provide services to the end-user subscriber (homeowner/tenant).  “Open Access” typically means the access granted to multiple Service Providers to wholesale service over one physical network infrastructure.  This enables Service Providers to reach the subscriber without the need to deploy a new fibre access network themselves.  Developers are then free to monetise the resulting service for the benefit of their owners and tenants. All products and services are made available through a web portal via carefully selected Service Provider partners, making it easy to sell, provision and maintain the network with minimal system administration.

For the developer or housebuilder, this means the only choice is whether to own and install the fibre i.e.  they can retain ownership of the full fibre infrastructure and decide on timing/phasing of the physical installation to each property without having to worry about service provision. For homeowners/tenants, the model offers real freedom of choice – they can switch providers without barriers instantly, try new services as they are developed, and enjoy greater transparency into the cost and quality of Service Provider’s offerings. The property itself benefits from an increase in marketability and an increase in sale/rental value. And for developers and/or estate managers this brings exceptional operational efficiency and high utilisation of the fibre networks, a direct revenue from the fibre asset which means higher financial returns for the fibre owner (developer or estate manager).

This is why FTTP is the technology trend that the UK construction industry cannot afford to ignore in 2021. Homes that aren’t kitted out with high speed internet and data connections offering full fibre coverage, at the fastest speeds alongside the exponential capacity it brings, quite simply are no longer fit for purpose. And FTTP has – perhaps most importantly – a positive impact on the happiness of those who make a new build house their home.

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Landmark Devolution Deal for West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire reached a key milestone on the way to becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority as the Order for its multimillion-pound devolution deal was laid in Parliament by Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Luke Hall MP.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the region’s first ever Mayoral elections will take place on 6 May 2021. The newly elected Mayor and Mayoral Combined Authority will have control over an annual £38 million investment fund, as well as new powers over transport, education and housing and planning. The new Mayor of West Yorkshire will also become the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The deal comprises control of a new, flexible single pot of funding for economic growth of £38 million per year for 30 years, meaning the Mayoral Combined Authority will have access to more than £1.1 billion in total to be invested in the region.

This is on top of further investment, including:

• £317 million from the Transforming Cities Fund
• £101 million government funding for West Yorkshire flood risk management schemes
• £25 million Heritage Fund
• £3.2 million to support the development of housing sites across West Yorkshire
• Up to £500,000 for the Bradford Station Masterplan and funding for the Outline Business Case for Leeds station redevelopment
• £75,000 for a West Yorkshire Local Digital Skills Partnership

This is a significant step in the Government’s ambitious agenda to level up opportunity and prosperity across the country. It will also provide critical support to the economic recovery of West Yorkshire communities from the impact of COVID-19.

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Luke Hall MP, said: “I have laid the Order before Parliament which, if approved, will implement the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal, bringing new powers and tens of millions of pounds a year in new funding to West Yorkshire.

“This deal is part of our ambitious agenda to level up and deliver devolution across the country.

“It is a significant step towards delivering real benefits to the people of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield, putting decision-making in the hands of these communities and ensuring local leaders have the tools they need to drive forward the region’s recovery from the pandemic.”

The Order will now be considered by both Houses of Parliament, and if approved will be signed into law in the coming months.

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Building upon change in 2021

In this article, John Miles, Technical Manager at Assent Building Control, discusses how the challenges of 2020 will lead to long term change for the industry. Assent Building Control is a leading Approved Inspector in the UK.

2020 has been a game of two halves for the building and construction sector. On one hand we have seen more commercial property become vacant as businesses fall during the pandemic, and the temporary slowing of the homes market as lockdown halted house moves and restricted access to materials. On the other hand, there have been new requirements and upturns. The sector had to deliver emergency projects at short notice – notably the Nightingale Hospitals – and after an initial property slump, stamp duty holidays have created a housing boom.

Although the first vaccines are being administered in the UK as I write, COVID-19 is going to be with us for some time and will continue to impact the construction sector well into 2021, maybe permanently. But the pandemic is just one of several challenges the sector must deal with in the year ahead. The consequences of Grenfell are still rippling for instance, with new fire safety information management rules coming into force. 2021 will continue to be a game of two halves – adapting to existing ongoing change and innovating in what will hopefully become the aftermath of the pandemic. I see three crucial areas of focus.

Fire safety information management

Due for publication next summer, the BSI’s new fire safety information management standard, BS8644 2021, aims to ensure that all a building’s fire safety information is digitally stored and easily accessible by all parties that may need it.

The standard represents a crucial benchmark for the industry to follow, ensuring that any building’s critical information is quickly and easily shared between relevant authorised parties – whether that is the fire service, the police, anti-terrorism units or others.

Businesses in the sector must start preparing now and realise it is not a one size fits all approach. They must review and, if required, adjust their practices for storing and accessing information, and consider adopting information management platforms to help them do so. Compliance is not going to be an overnight process; organisations need time to prepare.

Initial steps should include learning and familiarisation around the changes and preparing clear implementation plans. I also encourage businesses to collaborate with their suppliers and industry peers. This is a common standard the whole sector must follow for very good reasons. It makes sense to start early and share best practice.

Significant building footprint changes

COVID-19 has shaken up the world and some of the impacts will be felt for a long time. Some, such as working practices and building utilisation, are likely to change for good. Official figures show that working from home has become a way of life for almost half of British workers. Many workplaces currently lie empty which begs the question, what will their owners do with them in 2021 and beyond? On the high street, reports suggest another 18,000 premises could become empty in 2020, close to double the number in 2019.

I anticipate an increased number of opportunistic development purchases triggering more building footprint changes, which could lead to unforeseen building regulations challenges.

Retail premises will be a major focus. It’s unlikely the traditional town or city centre high street will recover and this will lead to greater repurposing of these properties into either co-living or co-working spaces. Take for example STOK in Stockport – repurposing the former Marks & Spencer store into an office and leisure development. Or the Kampus built-to-rent residential neighbourhood, repurposing buildings owned by Manchester Metropolitan University. These projects represent an accelerated shift from traditional concentric planning to more multi-purpose neighbourhoods.

A key consideration with large scale footprint changes is the need for early site access for building inspectors and consideration of building regulations requirements. Changing business use can throw up unforeseen issues which can delay projects or lead to budgets overrunning without early inspection and careful planning. A greater focus on studying the pathology of building fabric and the impact this has on future use will be required. Information management will be crucial to the timely gathering of buildings data, to ensure projects progress with pace and on budget, reducing time to market and protecting developer margins.

COVID-19-induced digitalisation of industry processes

It’s fair to say that building and construction has not been the quickest adopter of digital transformation so far. We’re a bricks and mortar industry, literally, and it shows. However, Covid-19 has created the conditions to make digital a reality in 2021 and beyond.

Investment in technology is increasingly required to support the new normal and to allow secure transfer of information between all parties involved in a project. Businesses need to adopt new processes and technologies to streamline actions and prevent further delays in project developments.

One example is site inspections. It became necessary to use technology to conduct COVID-19-secure remote inspections in 2020 due to the difficulties of having third parties visiting sites under COVID-19 restrictions. Measures such as video-based site inspections were introduced and offer more cost efficiency and future digital audit trails as additional benefits. We think these digitised processes will become mainstream in 2021.

This presents challenges and opportunities to the sector. Cost and time efficiencies can be significant; however, it will mean closer working with trusted digital service providers that can offer the secure platforms required for compliant information sharing. Given that construction sites aren’t blessed with the most reliable and stable internet connectivity there are infrastructure challenges to contend with, but the industry also has a responsibility to seek out suitable digital solutions.

2020 has been a year of conflict for building and construction but much of this could result in welcome change in 2021 and beyond. At Assent, we’ve seen first-hand how far the construction sector has come in its evolution during the challenges of 2020. Like many others, we have had to face up to immediate change but also keep an eye on where the sector is heading in the future. Although COVID-19 was unexpected and unwanted, the slowdown over summer has afforded us, like many, the chance to rethink and accelerate other areas of the business and our digital services ready for the future.

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