BY ROB MCKINNEY
CONSTRUCTION APP GURU

Late July I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the 7th Annual AGC IT Forum Conference in Chicago. The conference, an industry-leading technology event, consists of a day and a half of amazing presentations and demonstrations of new and cutting-edge technology for the construction industry. There were several great presentations at the conference.

A few of the highlights from the second day for me were:

 

With new technology available to construction companies, there are two choices to make when considering whether to adopt new technology. Either try new things and progress your company forward or continue to manage your projects the old way, without investing in improvement. The adoption of new technology allows companies to save time, money and improve their bottom line. Constant access to data via software and mobile devices allows project members in the field to stay up to date with the most current set of project documents.

The three benefits of implementing construction software:

Improved Communication: One of the key areas software helps improve construction projects is speeding up the real-time communication and collaboration between team members.

Increased Collaboration: To build a collaborative environment you need a better way to communicate. Software platforms improve the way in which construction companies communicate internally and externally.

Boosting Profits: One question people often ask me is "What is the ROI (Return on Investment) for that App?" By this they really mean how can software boost profits and increase the bottom line.

Crowd Sourcing 

One topic of research that I have been very interested in is the new concept of "Crowd Sourcing" data for workflows such as compliance, quality and safety. The idea is simple: allow all users of a platform to input data into the system. One example would be a general contractor allowing subcontractors to enter safety hazards observed on a project site so that they can be noted and corrected.

I have been field testing the Notevault platform for several months exploring the various features. One of the unique features of the platform is the ability to enter voice-recorded notes and deliver them to key team members through a phone call or text message. I had a fellow conference attendee help me out with a live demo. Sean Spicer, from Notevault, called in a message to the demo project I am working on. During my presentation my iPhone rang and I transferred the call to my new Apple Watch so the audience could hear the Notevault Alert Me message play. This was a demonstration of how a software platform can interact with mobile devices and now wearables to keep project team members up to date on items.

Notevault offers field staff a unique way to generate a daily site or safety report from a smartphone. This user mobile app allows users to call in voice notes and have them processed through voice recognition and human translators. They also offer an option to receive a phone call if key events are documented. Users can also add project photos to the reports from a mobile device.

To see a how this works take a look at a video demonstration below.

Last year I read about the beta test that the Go Bridgit Team was working on with Google Glass and the Myo armband. This sounded like a very innovative idea to me. A user could take a photo with a Google Glass, add the photos to the CloseOut App and use the Myo Band to enter the necessary field data. The beta test they created was an amazing combination of hardware and software.

I am a somewhat animated presenter by nature. During my presentations I move around and talk a lot with my hands. So I needed a option to advance slides but not have to hold onto anything very long. I have been looking for a remote control clicker for using in presentations. The best option that I had come up with yet was presenting my slide deck from my iPhone to my MacBook Air. This allows me to open the slide on my phone and broadcast them to my desktop. BUT, I still had to hold the phone and what if I dropped the phone while presenting? Enter the Myo band!

The Myo armband allowed me to deliver the presentation by advancing the slide deck by using simple hand gestures. I could walk around the stage, use my hands, do what I normally do and with the simple act of tapping my fingers together move forward through the presentation. Much to my amazement and joy the Myo worked throughout the presentation. At the end I pulled up my sleeve to reveal the Myo to the audience and explain how this amazing wearable worked.

Blue Collar Labs
At the end of my presentation I made the announcement of the new partnership with construction technology research engine, Blue Collar Labs. With their team of construction scientists led by AEC Technologist, Karl Sorensen, Blue Collar Labs will provide the ConAppGuru community with exclusive research and analysis on emerging technologies that serve the built environment.