{"id":94225,"date":"2021-06-02T11:19:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T10:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=94225"},"modified":"2021-06-02T11:19:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T10:19:02","slug":"digital-engineering-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/construction-technology-news\/digital-engineering-3\/94225\/","title":{"rendered":"Adapting to change: How Covid-19 is fast-tracking digital construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Wiseman, divisional digital innovation manager at RMD Kwikform<\/a>, highlights how, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, digital engineering capabilities are set to become a key differentiator for contractors and engineers seeking efficiency gains, whilst helping the industry navigate disruptions and mitigate risks<\/h2>\n

Over the past year businesses in every industry have faced the unexpected challenges of a global pandemic. While some industries have thrived during these testing times, others have suffered trade restrictions, drastic drops in demand, and reduced availability of materials and workers. The construction industry is one sector that has been hit particularly hard by Covid-19, with the British Government putting a stop to construction in April 2020. Around 951,000 of the UK\u2019s 2.3 million construction workers were furloughed<\/a>, as lockdown forced them to down tools.<\/p>\n

Although construction workers were able to return to work in May, the impact of the pandemic has continued to be felt, with projects facing supply chain issues, a halt in planning and inspection timetables, and a raft of new measures to ensure safety of the workforce. It is likely that sites across the UK will be subject to ongoing restrictions or limits, even post lockdown and vaccine rollout.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, although the past year has been one of the most challenging in recent memory, it has presented opportunities for the construction industry to not only survive the struggles it faces now and long into the future but to improve and overcome its historic barriers to change. The nature of the external pressures exerted by the global pandemic has meant the industry has been forced to adapt and work differently. Businesses have adopted remote working<\/a> where possible and embraced new technology to help productivity and ensure work is carried out in accordance with evolving health and safety regulations.<\/p>\n

A catalyst for change<\/h3>\n

For many in the industry, the pandemic has accelerated innovation. Long before Covid-19, many construction businesses\u2019 processes, operations, and procedures were considered outdated, with the past year\u2019s events further bringing this to light.<\/p>\n

A recent McKinsey report<\/a>\u00a0has predicted big changes across the construction industry over the next decade, adding that the bulk of short and long-term pandemic-driven issues will be solved with technology. It reports that the mandate for change and technological adoption in construction has never been stronger, with the pandemic \u2018only serving to provide additional urgency to the pre-existing productivity and data-visibility issues facing construction companies.\u2019 And while contractors, architects, engineers, and suppliers have shifted to working and collaborating digitally over the past year, the Covid-19 crisis has also triggered a painful shakeout, with many contractors seeing \u2018shrinking backlogs and more competitive bidding environments.\u2019<\/p>\n

The ways in which innovation and digital automation can help improve productivity, efficiency, and profitability in the sector are well-known. Technology like the integration of AI and BIM to modern methods of construction is not new, but the uptake has been slow. However, the pandemic has provided the necessary impetus for many to adopt alternatives to traditional practices and digitalisation is playing a key role in helping projects to get up and running again. Indeed, in PwC\u2019s 23rd Annual Global CEO Survey<\/a> last year, even before the disruption of Covid-19, 77% of engineering and construction CEOs were already planning for more 4IR operational efficiencies to drive growth. Today, digital engineering capabilities are set to become even more of a key differentiator for those seeking efficiency gains, while helping the industry navigate disruptions and mitigate risks.<\/p>\n

The use of digital engineering tools in construction has several key benefits. These include:<\/h3>\n