TechBrief

The construction industry has long issued paper purchase orders (POs), which, in theory, flow from a buyer to a material supplier to confirm orders for construction materials. They also routinely use manual, paper-based processes to track tickets generated as materials move from plant to jobsite. But, in an information-intensive industry like construction, paper documents are often a hazard since they can disappear and be difficult — or impossible — to locate, share or distribute in their correct, most recent version. Paper documents can often become damaged or smeared, making them impossible to read and use.
BY DEXTER BACHELDER, VICE PRESIDENT, COMMAND ALKON
A MEMBER OF MULTIPLE AGC CHAPTERS

AGC has prepared a packet of information to help document current market conditions that helped influence many firms’ decisions for Paycheck Protection Program loans now that the government is starting to review PPP forgiveness requests. The intent of this packet is to provide a snapshot of media coverage starting on March 27 – the launch of the initial round of Paycheck Protection Program loans – covering topics like declining demand, growing layoffs and general worries about market conditions for the construction industry.

 

Only eight states and the District of Columbia have recouped the severe pandemic-induced losses of construction jobs that occurred last spring, according to an analysis by AGC of America of government employment data released recently. Association officials warned that job losses will become even more widespread unless lawmakers promptly renew and expand the loan program that enabled firms to temporarily retain and rehire many workers.

Fax machines, paper records, spreadsheets and landline phones are going the way of the dinosaur in most industries. Yet those and other outdated technologies have kept a stubborn foothold in construction, especially once you step down in size from the top-tier firms.

Design-build project delivery has grown in popularity over the last several years. This collaborative approach to design and construction has helped streamline project timelines and budgets as construction and design teams partner from the outset in developing a design and quickly troubleshooting any construction challenges along the way. In fact, design-build construction spending in the US is expected to grow 18% from 2018 to 2021, reaching over $320 billion.