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Technology Sessions at Convention Draw Big Crowds

By Jeanie J. Clapp
Editor-in-Chief, Constructor

With an increase in attendance at this year's 94th Annual Convention, which took place in Palm Desert, Calif. March 6-9, 2013, it was no surprise the technology sessions had standing room only. But the uptick in number isn't the sole reason. Technology, as we all know, is "where it's at," and AGC members need and want to know where it's going. Anxious to hear the latest and greatest in IT construction trends, attendees strapped in, held on and away they went.

Peter Diamandis, founder of the X PRIZE Foundation, set the tone at the convention's opening session on Wednesday, where he wowed the audience and demonstrated what can be accomplished when linear thinking is abandoned for exponential thinking. As he put it, "the day before something's a breakthrough, it's a crazy idea," a theme that commonly reared up in the IT sessions to follow.

agcXML
agcXML, a hot topic these days due to the increased contractor demand for software interoperability standards and practices, took center stage soon after the convention began. The panel included Fara Francis, CIO, AGC of America; Christian Burger, Burger Consulting Group; Dixon Wright, Wells Fargo Insurance Services; John Rapaport, Esq, Component Assembly Systems; John Lord, Component Assembly Systems; and Scott T. Leslie, Small Business Transportation Resource Center, Southwest Region, US Department of Transportation.

"AGC is always interested in identifying, leading and promoting initiatives that are good for our contractor members and our industry as a whole," says Fara Francis, AGC's chief information officer. "Interoperability and open standards will streamline the industry by removing redundancy, improve data quality control, bring a focus on added value instead of re-doing value, and overall make us smarter."

John Rapaport of Component Assembly Systems concurs, "agcXML will squeeze non-value bureaucracy out and make software companies do what we want."

AGC is pioneering the effort to achieve interoperability by working with Burger Consulting Group and a core group of software developers to standardize schema that all contractors can use. Wright spoke to attendees about the program currently at work at California State University at Chico. The school is providing online prototype applications to local contractors participating in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Bond Education Program. As project partners, Caltrans will be implementing agcXML for its procurement website and AGC is working with its membership so that any estimating system will be able to import the Caltrans data using the standard data set and import the contractor's profile as part of a prequalification process or to set up a contractor record. AGC members are encouraged to talk with their software vendors about agcXML and join the LinkedIn Group "agcXML for Construction."

On Thursday, the innovation discussion continued, with dialogue from presenters who discussed the rapidly changing face of technology and warned that simply having technology wasn't good enough. Using it is what's critical. Measurable, creditable and actionable - these three components are key to a successful implementation plan. Contractors need to be able to measure statistics, have good data and take action. Keep up with the pace or come in last.

Technology Showcase
AGC's IT Steering Committee sponsored the Technology Showcase session on Thursday, where industry professionals discussed mobile applications they find most helpful. These included HCSS Heavy Job, BIM 360 Field, AR Media, just to name a few. One presenter highlighted the usefulness of a mobile BIM kiosk that allows field superintendents and foremen to access documents and modeling information in the field. Panelists included Adam Kuyt, Flatiron Construction Corp.; Frank Wilson, Washington University Graduate Studies in Construction Management; Ted Hoog, Construction Centrics, LLC; and Michael Wiggins, McCarthy Building Companies.

In addition to the educational sessions at convention, attendees had the opportunity to meet with exhibitors in the Constructor Expo and learn about products designed to improve business practices. Networking, socializing and even virtual golfing energized the Expo hall.

Technology is here, and it's here to stay. Embrace it, adopt it, and thrive. AGC members can educate themselves on the exciting developments of agcXML and other technological advances by reading future issues of TechBrief and attending the IT Forum Conference in Chicago August 15^th and 16^th. Technology may be "where it's at," but AGC knows where it's going.