Bridging the Gap: Insights & Innovations in Construction

The Theories and Realities of Technology Adoption

What is the future of construction? Are we able to see where technology will take us? Join host Todd and guest Jorge Tubella as they discuss theories and realities of technology adoption, the solutions that the industry is truly looking for versus the ones they are discovering, taking the “leap of faith” when it comes to tech, and much more.
Jorge Tubella is a creative technologist who combines his interest in robotics, artificial intelligence, and design to research construction technology systems. He was a founding member and formerly the Coordinator of the Robotics and Digital Fabrication lab at Florida International University. Jorge has published his work in conferences, delivered workshops on robotics, and has collaborated on a National Science Foundation grant to develop robotic operation courses for the AEC industry using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality learning platforms. He holds a Master of Architecture and a Master of Arts in Architecture from Florida International University.
 
TODD-TAKES
We are experiencing the beginning of the golden age of construction. This is an amazing time to be exploring and adopting ConTech. I am excited for the future of this wide-reaching industry.
It is important to develop an innovation incubation team within your company that is willing to try new things. Yes, innovation comes with an inherent risk, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When you have a mindset to try new things you will discover powerful things you didn’t know before.
Micro-credentialing is an interesting trend to keep taps on. The potential to unlock greater flexibility in order to explore your technical interests and be rewarded is there, if we can collectively approach it with the right mindset.

Bridging the Analog and Digital Gap

Join host Todd and guest Paul Collart as they discuss turning “the complex” into “the simple,” where we’re at in the construction industry when it comes to tech adoption, the future of digital twins, and how to cross-communicate important concepts between each industry.
 
Paul Collart is VP, Strategic Engagement of San Jose, California-based Cupix, a pioneer of cutting-edge 3D digital twin solutions for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries and building owners. Paul joined Cupix in 2017 and formerly served as the company’s Head of Product Strategy. In a technology-focused career spanning more than 25 years, Paul has held executive positions focused on the development and implementation of mobile & terrestrial 3D scanning, 3D tours (real estate & construction), 360 imagery platforms, 3D web platforms, virtual staging, machine learning, commercial real estate (CRE) & test fits, indoor mapping, BIM/VDC, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), photogrammetry and reconstruction technologies.
 
TODD-TAKES
Having a detailed plan with champions at the ready is a key ingredient to successfully implementing new technology. Make sure you are taking time to map it out before you really dive headfirst into the process.
Once you are ready to implement, start with something simplistic and scale up in complexity from there. You don’t have to eat the whole elephant in one bite.
Finally ask yourself are you providing business value with your technology. You should be. Merging the analog and the digital worlds through digital twin technology could be your answer to that question.

The Importance of Branding in Construction

What does your marketing team focus on? Are you paying attention to what reels in a consumer? Join host Todd and guest Tim Brown as they discuss Tim’s transition from web design into the world of contracting, unique challenges that are present in the construction industry, how to provide your company with a strong and communicative brand, pushing quality over quantity, and more. Tim Brown is the CEO and Founder of Hook Agency. He is an experienced Technical Director, Director of Marketing and Strategy, and Web Designer.
Todd Takes
If you don’t have clarity around what your brand is and more importantly how others perceive your brand, stop what you are doing and find out. Having a strong brand is one of the most important things you can do for your business in generating leads and revenue.
Don’t overthink and therefore overcomplicate your marketing, especially when it comes to video. Your iPhone camera will provide a good quality video. The important thing is to start posting content to see what is going to resonate with your audience.
I am a big believer in fostering a natural sense of curiosity. What do you find interesting about your industry, work, and clients? Then lean into that and learn more.

Blue-Collar Cash: How to Recruit for Construction

When you picture “blue collar” jobs, what comes to mind? Do you carry any misconceptions with that term? Join host Todd and guest Ken Rusk as they discuss the “blue-collar crisis,” how to get more people interested in construction as a concept, how to take control of and manage our careers in the best way possible, and much more.
Ken Rusk is the President of Rusk Industries and the author of Wall Street bestselling book, “Blue Collar Cash.” He describes himself as a professional ditch digger, entrepreneur, and proud advocate of following your dreams.

Construction: At the Innovation Forefront

If there are a hundred ways that something can go wrong on a project, there are now a thousand ways to fix it. So what’s best for you and your company? Join host Todd and guest Bob Armbrister as they discuss the benefits of technology adoption, the difference between adoption by field workers and every other department, how our choices now impact us in the future, and more.
Bob Armbrister is the President and CEO of SPARK Business Works. As a member of the leadership team for several organizations over the past decade, he has served as a forward thinking, mission-driven information technology executive. He desires to impact and create significant advancements in efficiency, productivity, and accountability. He enjoys the never-ending challenge of turning complex computer information into understandable and easy-to-access data for strategic thinkers.
Todd Takes:
When starting to implement new technology, it is important to start with user center design. Think through how people are actually going to use and leverage the technology. What needs to change in their workflow and how are you going to streamline that process.
Challenge your assumptions by taking time to sit down with the people that are experiencing the pain points. By getting them involved early in the process, you are helping to ensure you are on the right track that will actually and practically address the issue at hand.
Bob brought up the different personas that should be involved in the implementation process. Think through which personas and stakeholders need to be involved and recruit them to join the team.

Misconceptions Around Modular Construction

When you picture modular construction, what comes to mind? Do you have some preconceived notions that should be challenged? Join host Todd and guest Chip Parsley as they discuss the ins and outs of modular construction, everything that goes into modular manufacturing, and how prefab saves time, money, and effort in the long run.
TODD-TAKES
We all need to be aware of our presumptions about things and regularly take time to make sure they are still accurate. With that in mind, be patience with others and take time to educate them on the realties of the industry.
Help spread the word on the innovative trends happening like modular to show these trends are practical and actively happening.
Take time to reimagine what it means to be productive and learn from those outside the industry, like manufacturing. We can pull valuable, hard learned insights into construction.
Chip Parsley is the Director of Prefabrication Solutions at Poynter Sheet Metal. He has additional experience as a National Sales Director, Business Development Manager, Sales Project Manager, and an Owner/President.

The Marketing Problem in Construction: An MEP Force Roundtable

In your experience, does construction have a PR problem? What can be done to fix that problem? Join roundtable speakers Todd Weyandt, Travis Voss, Brandon Patterson, and Adam Davis as they take a closer look at each major facet of the industry and discuss target audiences, the need to share success and growth stories, whether we need to have a “massive PR campaign,” and embracing both success and failures.
Travis Voss is a Leader of Innovative Technology at Helm Mechanical. He uses his background in the tech field to explore, adapt, and perhaps develop technologies and workflows for the construction industry as it is thrust into its digital transformation. Helping Mechanical, Inc. stay on the cutting edge.
Adam Davis is a Virtual Design Construction Manager at Lighthouse Electric Company, Inc. His specialties include developing and mentoring talented individuals in creating innovation in construction; modeling, virtual design and construction using AutoCAD/Revit, Navisworks; Compressor Station construction, oil and gas, fabrication, pre-fabrication, and Trimble; and Enterprise, Project, and Model-Coordinated scheduling.
Brandon Patterson was Iowa born and raised with a history in the Building Industry. He enjoys working with the Iowa Skilled Trades Team and collaborating with the industry leaders to build the next generation of tradesmen and women.

The Communication Gaps in Construction

As the year wraps up, what have we learned about the industry? What needs to be fixed, and in what ways have we made great strides? Join host Todd and guest Cameron Page as they talk about the jobs that set us up for success in the long run, how to pull together different industry groups for the better, the best ways to convince the industry to adopt new tech and tools, and how a workflow would look in a perfect world.
Cameron Page is CEO of Extracker, the industry’s only change order communication platform. Leaning on his experience as a project manager, Cameron understands the risks involved in processing change orders and how detrimental mistakes can be to a project. Cameron is available to offer listeners the keys to processing change orders faster and how to mitigate risks when speeding up the process.
TODD-TAKES
Technology and collaboration have made the need for visibility all the more important. Leverage technology to help firm up your processes to give greater confidence that you aren’t missing important pieces of information.
Cameron used the example that at a previous company they ran decisions through a simple question of “does this make us a better builder?” I love that. Having a north star that you can measure new initiatives, workflows, software and more against is a handy tool. It will go a long way to set you up for success in the long term by understanding the value and business case behind the action.
Finally, document your processes to minimize disruption as things change and people leave the company. You want to make sure you don’t lose the intuitional data and information that has been learned.

Don‘t Limit the Way You Think About Construction Careers

Would you fit in if you were working in a construction industry job? A lot of people looking for work don’t think so. There is a long-standing perception in our society that construction industry jobs are dirty, difficult, back-breaking labor. And yes, there are certainly jobs like that. However, the added reality is that there are literally hundreds of jobs in or linked to the construction industry that do not require carrying bundles of fiberglass insulation on your shoulder, roofing a building, digging ditches, or muscling around sheets of drywall.
Coralee Beatty joins us this week on the podcast to talk about women in construction and the perceptions surrounding the industry. She urged everyone to look past only what they see or hear passing by a construction site, and research further into the vast sea of opportunity in this industry.
We need to spotlight different faces and voices around the industry to show leadership positions are attainable for all. There is tremendous value in embracing and leveraging a diversity of thought and backgrounds.
Teamwork, active listening and creating understanding are crucial to a healthy and productive work environment and jobsite. Give people permission to have these conversations and make those personal connections at work.
Finally, it is ok to ask for help. A lot of people can feel it is a weakness to not be able to do everything. In fact, it is a strength to admit that you in fact need someone else. Only once we tap into our collective strength can we truly accomplish great things.

The Complexity of Modern Construction

As the year comes to a close, what has changed? What have we learned about collaboration, data, and teamwork? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Eric Whobrey as they discuss the newest opportunities in the world of technology, the boldness of taking a good calculated risk, the education component of the AEC industry, “data for the sake of data,” and much more.
Eric Whobrey is fascinated by technology and how it continues to make businesses more successful, and he finds himself delving deeper the applications of smart design, data analysis, and application development with each new endeavor. He has managed web and data development teams, build technology, established a technology strategy for a billion-dollar business, and actively invests in technology startups. Previously, Eric managed the Operational Effectiveness program at Centro and now runs the technology department for ARCO/Murray, a Design-Build Construction company, and he co-leads a small investment fund.
TODD-TAKES
There is tremendous value in bringing in an outsider perspective to gain fresh eyes. By providing a blend between technology and industry experience you are expanding your scope of knowledge while increasing your chance of success.
Once you have a diverse array of perspectives, it is important to listen and learn from others when trying to implement new technology. Pull in and give ownership to the stakeholders that are experiencing the problem instead of just forcing new technology.
Finally, Eric said “we don’t necessarily have a technology problem. We have a communication, education and empathy problem.” I think that is a great framework to operate in when implementing technology. Develop a plan for all three areas – communication, education and empathy.