SITUATION
It’s reported that over 50% of construction projects are completed late and over budget. This rate is likely to worsen should the industry maintain it’s dogged critical path method controlled by project managers who are simply not equipped nor supported by robust systems to share critical information and manage emergent issues. Maintaining status quo will see profits continually degrade as risks increasingly emerge and pervade projects and teams. This presents issues in areas of safety, quality control and overall performance to name just a few. From a resource perspective, a deficient systemic view prevents ongoing stakeholder input and an opportunity to treat projects as an open system that would invite collaboration and opportunities for improvement. For example, where much demolition waste can be reused and repurposed lessening the demand and cost for new resources and energy output, the industry as a whole suffers from the necessary systems, inter-connectedness and consciousness to facilitate such beneficial outcomes.
OPPORTUNITY
It’s our contention that system wide collaboration with clear and conscious goals shared across all stakeholders, including affected communities, is now required for construction projects to be successful. Digital technologies will bridge disconnects between client, designer, contractor, independent verifier, suppliers and community offering construction projects and their respective organisations significant improvements in resilience, agility, productivity and overall delivery. Coupled with this are opportunities to introduce recycling and/or repurposing of materials and products across the life cycle and value chain of the project. Such innovation will unlock new sources of revenue coupled with ecological sustainable outcomes proving that doing well and doing good is not just possible, but profitable.