Engineering the Digitalized Jobsite

Last week, Autodesk announced the official closing of its acquisition of BuildingConnected, an online bid management solution designed to serve general contractors and subcontractors. The tech solution facilitates a more streamlined bidding process and gives users access to a network of industry contacts. The closing follows two other Autodesk acquisitions in 2018: PlanGrid and Assemble Systems.

According to a press release issued last week, Autodesk plans to intregrate workflows between BuildingConnected, Autodesk BIM 360, Revit and AutoCAD, and PlanGrid and Assemble Systems, to provide customers with one comprehensive solution for improving workflows throughout the construction process. CBO caught up with Jim Lynch, vice president and general manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions, to talk about the strategy behind the company’s recent acquisitions and why the industry may or may not be ready for a fully connected, digitalized jobsite. See what he had to say below.

The Return on Investment in People

How mentorship increases your ROI and makes for a successful company and culture. 

4 Safety Best Practices for the Modern Jobsite

4 safety best practices for the modern jobsite from Dodge Data & Analytics' Safety Best Practices SmartMarket Brief.

 

For Inspiration, Walk Away

It seems like we all spend a lot of hours with our noses to the grindstone. That sometimes means we get more done, and at others, at least to me, sometimes I cannot see the forest through the trees.

When I’m wrestling with a complex problem, or anything similar for that matter, the solution almost never comes to me in a meeting, or when I’m sitting at work in front of a pile of papers. Light bulb moments are far more likely to happen at unexpected times, when I can step away.

For me, it’s often when I am at my desk at home early in the morning, watching a sunrise or clear sky, with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. A time when the phone is not ringing and there aren’t urgent things to do, counting my blessings with no pressure to do this or that. It’s my time to just sit and wonder “what if” or what could be done in a different way.

You might try this sometime, and as I have, find yourself amazed what happens when the mind is clear. The best ideas may come in solitude.

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Tech Ecosystem: What It Is & Why You Need One

What a tech ecosystem is and why you need one - an in-depth Q&A with the experts from Autodesk & Rhumbix.

Keep Things Simple

Over the years, I have found that there are lots of ways to motivate, but the simplest one is probably the best and the most pleasant for everyone involved. Simply say, “Thank you,” whether verbally or in writing.

Particularly in the construction and real estate industries, there has always seemed to be a lack of people offering a simple “thank you” for a job well done. It is probably something I do too much, but to me, there is never a down side to showing a genuine appreciation.

It really is that simple. If you see someone going above and beyond, mention your gratitude, either in person or through a note. You’ll set that person on a trajectory to try even harder. The best part? They are more likely to pass that grateful behavior to their peers, creating a domino effect of increased performance and appreciation. Leverage at its best.

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10 Hydraulic Attachments to Elevate Your Projects to the Next Level

How to perfectly pick from 10 Hydraulic Attachments to Elevate Your Projects to the Next Level.

The Organic Life of Digitized Data

Too many of today’s project management workflows, while automated, do not facilitate the use of all the data that is created on a project. Few owners are able to query all the information generated on a project—from emails, documents, spreadsheets, CAD files and other apps—to find an answer to a question. To make data work for us, to find answers to as yet unknown questions, we must separate the data creators and data users.

State of the Industry: The Year of Great Transition

Dodge Data & Analytics on How Washington, Project Costs, The Labor Shortage & New Tech Will Define the Construction Industry in 2019.

7 Tips for Prepping Your Fleet for the Busy Season

Prep Your Fleet for the Busy Season With These 7 Tips. 

Before hauling crawler excavators or wheel loaders to your jobsite, ensure the transport and towing vehicles are in good working condition this winter. 

Inspect the tires, brakes, lights, coupling system and tie-down points used to secure your machine. All pins and
connection points should be secure, and the hooks should be functional.  If you see any cracks, stretches or fatigued links in your tie-down equipment, remove them from service.

If you are located in the Northern
United States or in Canada, there may be springtime load restrictions. Load ratings vary from state to state, so check federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding weight, width, length and height of a load before preparing to transport your machine on public roads, bridges, highways or interstates.

What You Can Learn About Simulation from the Process Control Industry

Simulation technology has the potential to completely redesign the training and safety processes of those in not just the construction industry, but many others, too. At Werner Electric Supply, the implementation of a multifunction instrument asset (MIA) is doing just that.

Pour Me One, Will You?

The role of volumetric concrete in the future of U.S. infrastructure.

You Don’t Have Time for This

ExakTime's 4 tips for avoiding common time-management traps.

3 Ways to Step Up Your Strategy

Step up your business strategy with C.A. Murren & Sons’ mottos for continuous growth & profit.

Creating Space Below a Former CBD Department Store

We are about 35% complete building The Sidewalk Film Center and Cinemas, which will be the year round home for the organization as well as their nationally acclaimed film festival.

The confined space of the project, coupled with the extensive rock excavation, requires both gas and electric powered equipment. This can create a potential hazard from fumes and emissions. This was solved by the construction of a containment area that is 100 percent sealed.

After intake of the air in the containment area, the project uses Hepa-Aire Portable Air Scrubbers, which clean the air before it is discharged to the atmosphere. Various monitors inside the work area and at the air’s exit point ensure C02 levels stay healthy both on the job site and for those breathing the scrubbed air outside the building at discharge points.

When completed, the project will maximize the remaining space within the foundation area and below a department store frame first constructed in 1923. The renovated building now also includes a first floor food hall, above and 6 stories of apartment living.

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6 Obstacles of Onboarding Remote Employees

Onboarding remote employees has particular challenges that do not exist for those in the office. The following are a few of the obstacles your company may experience and how to overcome them so that your field employees feel equally as valuable as those in the main office.

You Don’t Have Time for This

ExakTime's 4 tips for avoiding common time-management traps.

3 Technologies that Turn Business Challenges Into Advantages

Through digital transformation with these 3 technologies, construct a successful 2019 at your company.

How Your Firm Can Iterate for Optimal Communication & Responsive Decision-Making

4 tips to help you better manage your construction jobsite teams & the collaboration happening among them

The Skilled Workforce Delusion

3 underlying root problems that are sabotaging your efforts to grow your business and retain good employees

What Industry Issues Will Most Affect Your 2019 Planning?

Construction industry experts weigh in on what issues will most affect their 2019 planning strategy.

Play Your Own Course, Revisited

What follows is something I wrote a few years ago, and as we go into a new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit. I know in my business career, there might have been fewer scars if I had played my own golf course, so to speak.

I recently had dinner with a friend, who is a great golfer in his own right, and whose brother is one of the top PGA tour players. While we did not discuss the dynamics of the game, I thought to myself that, while these guys compete against one another, in a way, they compete against the course.

Good players learn how to put bad shots behind them, along with bad holes. The most successful concentrate on what they do best. They play their own game on the course.

Most have developed the just right rhythm to their own game. They size up the shots they can make and don’t worry about the shots of others. They know their strengths and weakness, and they play to their own strengths.

How many times have I gotten in a slump thinking about our competition–what they have and what they have accomplished? There are no winners in the comparison game. It’s more productive to focus internally. Our team ranks pretty well most of the time, and concentrating on others can and will be an impediment to success.

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The TCJA Legislation Driving IRS Code Reform in 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and how it will cause tax reform in 2019.

You’ve Got (Too Much) Mail

What you really need to know about email backups & archiving

Economic Trends to Consider Heading into 2019

This time last year, approaching 2018, the factors posing the greatest barriers to optimism for contractors were political and economic uncertainties, followed by rising material costs and interest rates. Ending 2018, political and economic uncertainty still is and always will be present, but more recently, tariffs and interest rates have become frequent water-cooler talk.

The Intersection of Leadership Style & Business Vision

What type of leader are you? Stratospheric or granular? Here are the downsides and upsides to both and what to do about them.

5 Top Tech Needs in 2019

Adopt these 5 technologies and secure a leadership position in the construction industry in 2019.