Architecture, Engineering & Construction Software

What We’re Reading

Social Distancing Strategies Keep Contractors Productive

Construction Dive  June 24, 2020

As jobsites begin re-opening around the country, contractors face challenges in balancing productivity and social distancing. Detailed planning and management of workflow proximity and timing has become crucial. Measures like rotational office schedules, jobsite shift work, and infrared temperature screening have all been implemented to keep projects on track. Additionally, those working in close proximity to others have been encouraged to take frequent breaks in order to be able to remove masks and get fresh air.

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Residential Building Products: A New Take on Cyclicality and Investment Upside

Harris Williams  June 23, 2020

The residential building products sector was far healthier entering this COVID-19-driven recession than it was entering the Great Recession. This downturn will reset the conversation around building products cyclicality for the better. While the near-term outlook remains uncertain, we see the prospect for a quick recovery for the residential building products industry, followed by several years of solid growth, creating strong investment appetite and M&A activity.

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Tech, Stability May Move Gen Z Through the Trades Pipeline

Construction Dive  June 22, 2020

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of California and several large employers have launched campaigns to recruit thousands of Generation Z (people born in the mid-1990s through early 2000s) into the construction trades. A lack of interest and rejection of manual labor and harsh outdoor work environments by tech-savvy college-bound high schoolers has kept the construction talent pipeline thin. Interestingly, the COVID-driven push towards digital training and construction tools has increased interest among Gen Z career seekers.

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Save the Construction Industry by Looking Within

Architect Magazine  June 12, 2020

The mission of many construction technology companies is “fixing” or “saving” the lagging industry. As the construction and housing industries are subject to major outside forces such as political volatility, infrastructure strategy, and job market volatility, the ConTech and PropTech continue to solve various issues, namely productivity. Startups and initiatives also aim to solve other real-world problems like the housing crisis, skilled labor shortage, and the industry’s impact on the environment.

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How Construction Can Emerge Stronger After Coronavirus

McKinsey & Company  May 8, 2020

The rapid tech adoption forced on construction companies by the coronavirus pandemic will continue in the short-term and post-pandemic. Sub-sectors like BIM, off-site construction, digitization, and sustainable building materials will continue to see increased investment over the long-term. An additional lesson learned from the pandemic is how much efficiency can be gained from leveraging construction technology in the face of skilled labor shortages and worksite restrictions.

Read the full article here.