Is Modular Construction and Construction Automation a Perfect Match for Your Contracting Business?

You don’t have to be an industry leader to know that construction costs too much, takes too long and can be terribly inefficient. A combination of high labor costs and increasing material prices, to say nothing of politics, makes it much more difficult to get the job done and move on to the next one. This means that large-scale construction projects stretch out almost as far as the calendar can go. People are putting a lot of money into simplifying every stage of the construction process. Modular construction and automation could solve a lot of potential problems. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is the State of Automation and ?
Technological developments tend to require years to really take hold of an industry. Automation and modular construction are no exceptions. There’s a lot of interest and potential, but they are still quite new. For example, modular construction may seem poised to take over the market, but it really only controls a small share. This is partially due to rapid innovations to make the modular design more effective and easier to scale, and partially related to slow adoption. The best practices are still emerging, as competitors test out new approaches and provide more data on their performance. Give it a year or two, and the situation might look totally different.

What Are the Potential Benefits of These Innovations?
Modular construction features the ability to complete projects more accurately and faster. Essentially, it distills parts of construction to operate more like automobile production. As a business that uses modular construction practices, you’re looking more at providing a product than a service. Workers have a set of refined tasks that they perform in a controlled environment. This often leads to a higher rate of predictable quality, and a lower risk of injury. Some experts estimate that modular construction can help companies finish projects in up to half the time.

Construction automation features similar benefits. By removing the worker from the equipment, they are less likely to face injury during operation of the machine. Automated tasks cut down on the number of people needed to do each one, and focus more on supervision than individual operation. This cuts the total costs for the project. It also takes the pressure off businesses needing to find qualified workers in the midst of the current labor shortage.

Why Do Construction Professionals Worry About Modular Construction and Automation?
A futuristic dystopia featuring robots taking over people’s lives is nothing new. The idea that the technology that seems original and cool might come to eat your lunch is a big fear of construction, and it’s not necessarily a bad take. If automation takes what was five jobs and turns it into one or two, that could represent a lot of people who no longer have jobs. When modular construction cuts project times in half, that’s a shorter time that workers can count on a predictable wage. Currently, this is offset by the high number of available construction jobs in relation to the people who want to take them.

How Can Contracting Businesses Take Advantage of These Developments?
There’s plenty of reasons to wait before adopting the latest technologies, but there’s also cause to consider them. Innovations tend to take hold whether you are on-board with them or not. Smart business owners will research the potential of developments in automation and modular construction, to see how they might benefit their own processes. This is a rapidly-changing market with a lot of competitors, and not everyone has the ideal approach. Keeping an open mind and being flexible might make it easier for you to simplify your practices, cut costs and increase project turnaround.

Technological innovation tends to be a controversial subject in construction, but you don’t need to fear it. When you understand what is on the table and how you can use it, you’ll make better choices. To get started building a modern contracting business, visit CSLS today!