Interacted with Eddie Campbell to Shed Light on the Impact of Digital Technology on Construction

“The construction industry will succeed or fail based on its ability to mitigate uncertainty.” As exhausted as professionals may be of hearing that their industry is a snail in digital transformation, engineering and construction may be on the brink of getting a whole new reputation – that of the digital innovator. That's easier said than done.

We know that acknowledging technological investment is often challenging, and cultural change could quickly impact the construction industry.

So we interviewed Eddie Campbell to bring to light his perspective on digital transformation in the construction industry.

Let Us Quickly Get To Our Expert’s Point Of View.

Question 1: How do you see the construction industry in the year 2023? Do you think this year will be a "digital year" for construction professionals?

2023 looks as though it is going to be less busy for all of us. I believe downtimes are a perfect time for innovation. We have put improvement off because we're "just too busy." Less work should mean more competition too.

Competition leads us to tighten up and think harder about how we differentiate ourselves. I hope this will help us improve existing processes and try new things we wouldn't have tried when further work was falling into our laps.

Question 2: The construction industry has undergone dynamic changes over the years. What do you consider as the biggest challenge for this industry now?

The construction business is standing in the way of construction innovation. Reevaluation of insurance, contracts, systems, and processes is a must. I don't believe this will happen at the hands of a business system shift, though.

This will only be fixed when we fix our culture. The construction business is dying for a new approach to how we relate to one another and cover our risks.

Question 3: What potential do you see in the latest construction technology trends? Are they capable of boosting the productivity of construction professionals?

"Technology trends" is broad. Technology rings in our minds as something that is on a screen or maybe found in a robot. Technology has been with us since someone rounded the edges of a stone and called it a wheel. Tech = Tools. Yes, tools boost productivity.

That is why they were invented. So we can achieve an end faster. Helping people understand the tactics for the best use of new tools is what we are constantly training for. The real potential I see is in the fact that there has been an awakening to our great need for improvement.

Question 4: Where do you see the construction industry in the next five years? Please share your valuable insights with our readers.

We are slow and stubborn as an industry. The next five years probably won't bring us rapid improvement. Instead, we will improve little by little. Automation, AI, BIM, robotics, blockchain, smart contracts, and a dozen other buzzy concepts will certainly see advancements.

Dealing with the problem of abounding software platforms and the need for unification will be a key topic. Encouraging the skilled labor market will be another issue altogether.

Get to Know Our Influencer

Question 5: In four words or less, what's your prediction about the transforming construction industry?

Realize, we need change.

Question 6: What's your success mantra?

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

More Details

Eddie is a host of the Construction Brothers Podcast. Through this platform, every week he talks to influencers in the construction industry, explores their ideas, and aims to be the voice of digital innovation in the construction industry and help contractors achieve their desired goals.