How the Web is Shaping the Construction Industry


by Heather Jewell - Date: 2007-01-22 - Word Count: 311 Share This!

If you research construction firms that are embracing technology, particularly Web-based technology, to cut costs and improve productivity, you will see that their profit margin per project is significantly higher than their low-tech counterparts that still have many labor-intensive, repetitive manual processes that take up a lot of time and leave more room for error.

The construction industry has taken longer than most to enter the technology era. However, more traditional firms are utilizing Internet applications to cut costs than ever before. In a recent survey conducted by George Hedley, owner of a $75 million construction company, determined that seventy-five percent of construction companies communicate with clients via email, while 66% of them use email to correspond with engineers and architects. Although email has clearly made its way into the construction realm, most companies are reluctant to use the Web for other business tasks. Only 50% of construction companies use the Internet for job correspondence and only 10% for invoicing procedures. In an age where technology, once adopted, makes our lives so much easier and enables us to do more with less, construction managers will soon be turning from reluctance to relief.

Out of the same survey, 50% of construction firms have begun using scheduling software. "A few years ago, we upgraded our scheduling software to a more comprehensive package. Now when we bid on projects, our schedule puts us ahead of our competitors and often is a major factor in winning the job," quoted one company surveyed. Technology is rapidly becoming a delineating factor between industry leaders and lower performers. Investments in technology reduce paperwork, increase productivity, significantly increase revenues, and promote higher quality work due to tighter, more transparent project management/operational processes.

If you would like more information on Web-based technologies for the construction industry call us at (877) 268-7356, ext. 204, visit http://www.NuRelm.com and sign up for our free virtual library.


Related Tags: internet, online marketing, construction, web sites

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