Digital trends in Canada’s evolving construction sector

*Article sponsored by MNP

Thanks to advancements in technology, operational scalability and flexibility is within reach for smaller, more cost-conscious organizations. However, many construction companies are resistant to change. This informative Q&A with MNP Digital leader Dean Leesui talks about why, and how, they should continue on the digitalization journey.

What business challenges are construction organizations asking you to help them solve?

Many organizations are still using paper-based processes. Getting information is time-consuming and younger generations know there are easier, faster ways to do things.

Many are relying on a team that has all the information regarding how the business runs in their heads — a big obstacle to succession planning and a risk to operational continuity. Other challenges are a lack of operational and administrative collaboration across departments, and the fact that they don’t have real-time visibility on finances.

What innovations are you seeing in this sector?

Wearable technology is increasingly being utilized to monitor and improve operations from an insurance and compliance perspective. Drone technology is also helpful for providing visuals on hard-to-reach, dangerous areas, which again is important for insurance and compliance.

What technologies, tools, or platforms are generating the most value for construction companies?

Cloud-based finance and operational solutions such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are becoming popular. They can provide integrated information anywhere, any time, and on any device, giving executives more operational visibility.

Other tools being used include customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, bid/tendering solutions, consolidations and budgeting solutions, and procure-to-pay solutions.  

For organizations that are lower on the maturity curve, what do you recommend as a first step?

Ensure that you’re infusing a digital strategy component within your corporate strategy and planning. In the past, we may have thought about corporate strategy and digital strategy as two separate things. As a first step, embark on a right-sized digital strategy roadmap to holistically assess people, process, technology, and governance and how they align with your business objectives.

Is there anything else you’d like people in the construction sector to know about digital transformation?

A compelling and significant reason for change is to reset the foundation for success for the next generation. How do we set up the business for long-term success given the changing business models, market conditions, and unknown potential disruptions? A digital strategy is a key part of this planning process.

For more information or to find out how MNP can help you, contact Dean Leesui at dean.leesui@mnp.ca or visit mnpdigital.ca.