Bridging the Gap: Insights & Innovations in Construction

The Long Road to the Finished Product

What are the biggest trends emerging in construction? Do you see any pushback towards them? Join host Todd and guest Kelli Lubeley as they discuss achieving buy-in from the industry when it comes to changing workflows, the importance of “the right timing,” and when innovation might become a normal expectation within the industry. Kelli Lubeley is a BIM Program Manager at Cupertino Electric, Inc.
Kelli has been teaching and implementing VDC technology for thelast 10 years and truly passionate about inspiring others to explore the world of VDC.

Every Company Tells a Story

It’s true: audio and video are the “in” thing, especially when it comes to spreading the word about your company. Do you feel hesitant about adopting videography, or are you completely on board? Join host Todd and guest Dan Maitland as they discuss how to “own your story,” the importance of storytelling through the “hero’s journey,” the ROI on videography in construction companies, and how to embrace the camera as someone who may be camera-shy. Dan Maitland is a commercial producer and video director at Meticulous Image. He is in the business of telling great stories to build your brand and make you money.

Why Knowledge Transfer is Mission Critical

Join host Todd and guest Shannon Tymosko as they discuss commutable skills between Child and Youth Work and the trades, the current divide between “white-collar” and “blue-collar” work, how social media can elevate your and your company’s journey, and how construction is commonly misinterpreted or misunderstood by society at large.
Shannon Tymosko is a third-year electrical apprentice and Skilled Trades Ambassador. She originally completed a Child and Youth Work diploma where she found a passion for people, mental health and learning. Being an advocate for the skilled trades has allowed Shannon to take her passion for people that she found while being a Child and Youth worker and combine it with her new love for the trades.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Foundational Building Blocks for Successful Tech Adoption

After over 125 episodes of the award-winning Bridging the Gap podcast, we have seen a pattern in the messages and insights brought by our guests. As we welcome new members of the workforce into construction, witness the dawn of another great industrial revolution, incorporate new tools and new processes, promote a growth mindset, and embrace more collaboration, there are many questions to ask and answer.
In this special audio production, we walk through the trends set forth in the first two years of the show and set the stage for what is to come in the future.

Finding Familiarity in Change

How do you feel about change in construction? Do you prefer doing things “the way we’ve always done it”? Join host Todd and guest Maret Thatcher as they discuss Maret’s connections with both construction and law, how difficult it is to cause genuine change in the industry, the fun and challenges involved in augmented reality, and how to frame innovation in a way that people may already be used to.
Maret Thatcher is the CEO of Argyle. Previously, she was in the family construction business--a flagging contractor (you’ve seen the signs--Stop/Slow), Maret paid for law school on the jobsite. She was inspired when she tried the Hololens and was told someone would put the BIM on the jobsite. Alternate realities on top of this world made more sense to Maret than arcane legal theory, and Construction called back to her. Now she spends her days helping people understand that AR is just Star Trek for the Jobsite.
Todd Takes
The more we can integrate technology into our normal everyday workflow and project management the more likely it is to be practically used. This will help allow us to better align data to the jobsite.
AR helps to enhance your own builder’s intuition and intelligence into a kind of superpower with a ton of potential. Harness it. The last couple years of seen a ton of growth in construction innovation. As easy temptation that we need to avoid is reverting back to what was comfortable. Let’s keep up the momentum and encourage the try it mentality.
I love that Maret brought up the importance of being personable and mental health. It is ok to be willing to talk about the personal side of things in construction. Get to know the person behind the employee. You will be amazed at the benefits that brings across the board.

Taking Pride in the Trades

How vital do you consider training to be? How about relationship-building on the job? Join host Todd and guest Rebecca Lewis as they discuss misconceptions around “blue collar” and “white collar” jobs, the strange competition between trade schools and colleges, the best way to defend tech adoption to naysayers, and the biggest hurdles that currently face the industry. Rebecca Lewis is an Electrical Revit & CAD Design Engineer at Allison-Smith Company LLC in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
Before I share my Todd Takes, I wanted to give a shout out to a past guest Walker Lockard of DADO for setting up the introduction with Rebecca. I hope you enjoyed hearing her perspective as much as I did. Personally, I walked away with so many points to think about it was difficult to narrow it down to just 3 takes.
 
TODD-TAKES
To Rebecca’s point on taking pride in your work, we as tech providers need to communicate better how technology actually enables field workers to regain pride in their work they feel may be threatened. It starts by taking the time to listen, engage and truly empathize. Then take the needed action to meet them where they are and make it easy to use.
Training that resonates is a critical component as well. By making it more of a hands-on job simulation you increase the likelihood of retention. Take time to explain the why behind the what you are doing. Intentionality will always rule the day with everything from a new tool to leveraging BIM. Get everyone on the same page from the start.
Construction is a relationship business. Do not discount any relationship along your path. The simple fact is that you have to get along with people in order to get any results.

EXCLUSIVE: The Bridge to Connected Data

Join host Todd and guest Sameer Merchant as they discuss the recent developments and “skyrocketing” tech adoption within Autodesk, how the industry has been reinventing itself over the years, the advent of Autodesk Bridge and how it relates to current workflows and software, and what sustainability will look like in the future of construction.
Sameer Merchant is the Head of Product Development for Autodesk Construction Solutions. He leads product development and delivery efforts for Autodesk’s site construction and preconstruction product portfolio, which includes BIM 360 and PlanGrid. Sameer joined Autodesk with the acquisition of PlanGrid, where he was vice president of engineering. Prior to joining PlanGrid, Sameer co-founded and was CTO at AdMarvel, a mobile advertising platform acquired by Opera Software in 2010. While at Opera, Merchant was Vice President of Mobile Commerce, where he started and grew the company’s mobile and data services businesses, managing a global team of more than 400 employees. Merchant began his career at VeriSign, setting up and leading engineering teams across three countries for several business units, including Public Key Infrastructure, Payment Services and Telecommunication Services. He and his team built massively scaled products that were used by Fortune 500 customers and partners including Adobe, Netscape and Microsoft.
 
TODD-TAKES
One of my mantra’s this year is down with silos. I was excited when I heard about Autodesk’s Bridge announcement because it plays right into my mantra. Making sure our technology and data points are connected and flowing seamlessly is mission critical into for us to create growth at scale.
The illustration of the wave building momentum Sameer used when describing the tipping point when innovation becomes practical is a great one. Don’t be one of those people that realizes the wave has broken and passed them by without taking any action to ride the wave. There is a lot of innovative workflows and technologies in construction today. Be intentional to look at them and assess what makes the most sense for you.
I agree with Sameer that “we owe it to each other” to streamline processes, reduce waste and drive to a more lean and sustainable construction industry. It will take all of us coming together to make strides. Connected data is one of the major lynchpins in this endeavor.

Simplifying Construction

How do you avoid overcomplicating construction? What should the role of innovation be in construction firms? What is the true potential of Industrialize Construction? Join host Todd and guests Jeevan Kalanithi and Adam Settino as they discuss the story behind OpenSpace.ai, setting aside time and space for innovation on the job, the importance of finding and considering different perspectives, the role of Industrialized Construction moving forward and more.
Jeevan Kalanithi is the CEO of OpenSpace.ai. Jeevan sold his first company, Sifteo, to 3D Robotics, where he eventually became the President. 3DR, a 200+ person company, launched a drone which made $45M in its first year. Jeevan was most recently an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Lux Capital. He holds a BS from Stanford and an MS from MIT, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.
Adam Settino is a Solutions Engineer Manager at OpenSpace.ai. He spent seven years in design as an architect and the last ten years in construction as Director of Virtual Design and Construction. Most recently, his fiery passion for identifying where technology can improve how we design and build has led him to the tech world, joining the team at OpenSpace as their Solutions Engineer Manager.
TODD-TAKES
There is no need to overcomplicate things. Simple is always better. I know this is easier said than done. However, with some intentional focus on the goal to simplify you will be able to achieve just that.
It is so important to get different perspectives early and often. If people are involved in the planning, they are much more likely to be bought in during adoption.
We need to democratize innovation throughout the company and encourage finding and bubbling up those small 1% improvements. When you are able to stack 1% improvements on each other you will be amazed the distance you can go.

Combining Tech and Human Expertise

Are the lines between construction and manufacturing starting to blur? What does that mean for you? Join host Todd and guest Gil Mayron as they discuss the ins and outs of 3D printing, the competition and dedication that goes into automation, recent shifts in perception in the industry, and more.
Gil Mayron is the Founder and CEO of Cobot Nation, Architects of Automation™. He is a pioneer of the consumer 3D Printing industry as the Founder and CEO of Botmill 3D, which manufactured and sold the first fully-assembled consumer 3D printers. Mr. Mayron continued to lead corporate development strategies for the consumer division at 3D Systems. He composed the first ever licensing deals involving 3D printing with Sony, Viacom, NBA, DreamWorks and many others.
 
TODD-TAKES
I really resonated with Gil’s line at the start of the show to create something out of chaos. Construction at times can seem an industry with chaos infused in the DNA. However, that just means there is a tremendous opportunity to innovate and make something incredible.
If you don’t start automating tasks where needed now, your competitors will. Remember it is a journey and not as simple as flipping a switch for innovation. Don’t be one of those people that realizes they are in catch up mode and 2-3 years behind everyone else on the transformation path.
Innovation must be paired with a logical path to get there. Take time to plan your innovation and be intentional.

The Future of Skilled Trades Labor

What is the future of the skilled labor trades market? Why do younger workers seem to be moving away from it? Join host Todd and guest David Broomhead as they discuss making the skilled trades more attractive to the younger generation, the opportunities for change that arise with “the great resignation,” the role that technology plays in the industry’s future, and more.
David Broomhead is the CEO and Founder of Trade Hounds, a construction-only platform that allows Tradespeople to network and improve their craft through engaging our community. David likes the mighty North Queensland Cowboys, the New England Patriots, surfing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
TODD-TAKES
We have talked about it before but there is a great need in the industry for everyone to come together and share a collective message that resonates with those outside the industry. The labor shortage is a problem the effects all of us and so all of us need to band together to solve it.
I think it is time to do away with the outdated “blue collar” vs. “white collar” branding divide. It creates a false perception and does not adequately show the full extent of options and possibilities in the construction industry.
Be proactive in reaching out to the younger generation. David and I talked about creating apprenticeship programs to provide exposure to the industry. I think that is a great idea to get people excited and knowledgeable on what is happening in this great industry.