When most people think of places where digital transformation and technological innovation are making huge headway, their first thought may not be a construction site, warehouse or distant oil platform.

However, innovation and digitization are taking hold in the construction industry just as much as in any other field. In fact, more than 75% of construction contractors invest in advanced technology to achieve increased productivity, enhanced worker safety and/or improved project schedules.

So how can organizations take advantage of these digital transformation initiatives to empower the employees at the edges of their enterprise, and what benefits can they expect to see from a cohesive digitization strategy?

Stay Connected, Even Offline

Service can be spotty on the construction site, in a remote warehouse or on a long stretch of highway between two jobs—and employees don’t have the time to wait for their processes and devices to catch up with them.

However, with the right digital solutions, automated and digitized workflows can always be there to capture the important information or provide access to the data they need. And, once they are back in an area with connectivity, employees’ notifications and tasks will update automatically while their customizable dashboards sync.

Not only does this keep employees on the same page and connected with their teams, but it also empowers them to do the work they need to do whenever and wherever it needs to get done.

Boost Communication and Streamline Data Capture to Keep Employees Safe

When data, processes and technology come together, teams become more powerful. However, most construction companies have to deal with data silos and paper-based processes that can slow down productivity and decision-making or hamper the agility organizations need to stay ahead of the competition.

Perhaps most important is the power of a connected workforce in helping to keep construction staff safe on the job. Failing to have a cohesive digital strategy slows data sharing and exacerbates already-strained data management processes, such as investigating an incident, documenting project risks and issues or completing an inspection.

Instead, digitized work processes, automated reporting dashboards and connected tools combine information, people and tasks to create a unified data environment that can make it easier to conduct root cause analysis and choose the best path forward. In other words, construction teams can leave behind the need to manually store and manage paper forms, written statements, photos and other documents.

No-Code Platforms Eliminate the Stress of Digitization

It used to be that process digitization meant businesses having to work through weeks or even months of development cycles made up of lines and lines of code. This also meant any post-deployment changes required costly and time-intensive rework.

Fortunately, no-code process digitization platforms give construction companies the ability to design their ideal processes, keep them fresh and leave the management of them in the hands of the process owners.

To start, organizations can take the time to document the work their employees are doing, the information they are accessing, and the location of key decision points and outputs. Once this documentation exists, process owners can access component libraries and predefined logic nodes built into no-code process digitization platforms to remove inefficiencies and hurdles and replace them with online forms, automatic notifications, and accessibility on any platform at any time.

Digitization Drives Construction Innovation

Digitization in construction isn’t just a buzzword; it can be the catalyst for safer, more efficient and more connected operations.

Whether it means simplifying everyday operations or enabling long-term strategic planning, organizations that are able to give their employees access to accurate, timely and relevant data know what it means to empower every employee in their enterprise.