Our workplace is changing. It is increasingly taking place in the digital world. Starting with the increased usage of solitary single-feature apps (f.e. any Measurement App) to digital all-round-platforms, such as PlanRadar. Often leading to a variety of software programs thrown at new personnel to accomplish multiple complex tasks. Trying to find out how to make these individual programs work together in an effective and collaborative way, often requires lengthy training periods. In this article, you will learn how to reduce the number of software programs your company is currently using and at the same time encourage teamwork!
The trend of digitization is slowly penetrating every aspect of our lives. From a shift in interpersonal communication to a healthy debate about how much or how little we should resist its temptations. However, many employers agree that the integration of new technologies into in-house processes will secure the competitiveness of a company’s future. It is often unclear how the ideal relationship between software and personnel can be achieved and what the digital work landscape will look like in the future. Will it push our next generation to become isolated lone fighters, or at least be able to foster team spirit? Read in the following article:
- PlanRadar – Better than any measurement app.
- What is „digital Fika“?
- Collaborative tools promote the shift from the individual to the team.
- Digitization – Dreams of the future or trend phenomenon?
- YES, to digitization! But enjoy with caution!
PLANRADAR – Better than any measurement app
Almost every intern or apprentice, who was assigned to their first task on the construction site, was sooner or later ordered to record several measurements. Regardless of the trade, this can lead to a huge amount of data. Recording these measurements manually can quickly become quite confusing. Here is where you assume single-feature apps might be able to help. But simple free measurement apps might only support you out with one minor aspect out of many in a complex process.
Whether you are a newcomer or a seasoned professional, construction workers never really stop learning. With the acquisition of new technologies, new skills must be developed. Steady digitization of the work environment is promising and necessary. The current task of software companies lies in the intuitive nature of user interfaces. Because in the same manner, you set yourself up at your physical workplace in order to work comfortably, in the 2020s “wellbeing” in the “digital work environment” will become a basic requirement. The same will apply to interpersonal communication. Conducting a conversation in person is still unequivocally better, compared to chatting via a messenger service. This quality of interaction must become the norm in a digital workplace.
What is digital FIKA?
In Sweden, there is the term “Fika”, which basically means to chat with friends and colleagues over cake and coffee. The quality of communication we need is a “digital Fika”. This kind of personal closeness will be fundamental in digital workplaces of the not so distant future, as most of the work will be done there and less and less in the physical gatherings of colleagues.
The developers at PlanRadar very much sympathized with this thought and it turned out to be a major selling point to its 20.000+ users worldwide. The merger of a professional ticketing system combined with its intuitive Whatsapp-like communication was certainly key. This supports the natural way of communication on construction sites among all project participants and teams. Applicable to all iOS, Android and Windows devices, the app has long helped construction professionals simplify their lives on the job site as well as in the office. More than 4,500 satisfied customers worldwide, and the number keeps rising, are enthusiastic about the intuitive and practical application, which can even save you up to 7 hours per user per week! A single platform to simplify your documentation processes, defect management, task assignments, and communication culture with project stakeholders.
Collaborative Tools Promote the Shift from the Individual Ego to the Team Player!
David Meza, Chief Knowledge Architect at NASA, had a very fascinating but logical observation and said in an interview:
“With this generation, the ego is not as great as it was 20 or 30 years ago; the ego has shifted from the individual to the team.”
More and more young people, increasingly trained in collaborative tools, believe that collaborative work, knowledge sharing, and collaboration are standard processes in any work environment. This represents a systemic change from the individual to the team. Enabling the constant improvement of technologies, these effects will be greatly enhanced within the coming years. Working in harmony with colleagues ensures more efficient work processes and a less stressful environment.
Digitization of the construction industry – dreams of the future or trend phenomenon?
Trendy management terms and -concepts come and go. They are hyped and disappear, or they just become deviations of already existing concepts. This could also happen with the term “digital workplace”. So far, all signs indicate that the digital workplace is gradually establishing itself and seems to be much more than a passing fad.
The term has already arrived in mainstream jargon and is used by companies such as Google and Microsoft. There are dedicated conferences, departments, teams and job titles within large organizations that are increasingly using the term “digital workplace”.
Is this also true for the jobs of the construction and real estate industry? We say, yes! Building projects that integrate cloud-based building apps into their workflows have been able to refine, automate and process several processes simultaneously and in real-time. When something gets updated, it is updated for all project members. This ensures that data is always up to date, change orders are addressed quickly, and invoices can be paid promptly to keep people, materials, and work in sync.
Despite convincing examples of the benefits by using digital tools, even smaller companies are still reluctant to digitally upgrade their in-house processes. This can, of course, be understandable, when sometimes small to mid-sized companies do not have the resources to experiment and try new things. At the same time, you can no longer ignore the significant benefits of using advanced software tools for preserving evidence, especially in construction. There are great technologies out there that can help you increase efficiency, add value to your customers, and ultimately give your company a fighting chance in a competitive market.
A great novelist named Ursula LeGuin once said: “Morning comes, whether you set the alarm or not.”
The digitization of our workplace is here and will remain. Their benefits are undeniable. It’s up to us to use it to our advantage or to put up with seeing the competition take advantage of its benefits and leave us behind.
Yes, to digitization! but enjoy with caution
Having all state-of-the-art products does not mean that it automatically makes your business processes easier. It only means that you may possess all the ingredients for a recipe for success. But like a cook, you have to have an idea of how to combine these different ingredients. The same applies to the acquisition of digital aids, in the form of software or apps. Once the virtual worlds meet the expectations in terms of size, accessibility, and depth, a certain kind of digital dexterity is still needed to make the most of their potential. However, always make sure not to neglect the value and potential of the human being. Employers should now take advantage of opportunities that may improve the digital skills and abilities of their employees in order to navigate more efficiently in hard times when the industry might struggle. It is one thing to create futuristic jobs, but another if employees mutate into spectators or observers. Do not blindly reduce the value of your workforce.
START TODAY!
No one in your company talking about the potential of digitizing the workplace and its associated possibilities yet? Now is the time to establish yourself as the responsible contact person and take credit for future benefits. There are opportunities to position your company on the market right now. Start today! Contact us now and see what you can achieve tomorrow.
