Digitize…or get left behind.

You’ve probably heard the business adage: Innovate or die. Innovation is always good, and it certainly sets you apart from competitors.

But in the construction and trades industry today, it may be a matter of doing things better, faster and smarter. That can include innovation, but increasingly it’s about digitization.

That’s because the construction industry is up against some strong workforce headwinds that have been years in the making. In the last two decades, fewer young people entered the profession while skilled workers have retired. With various economic downturns, some people left the industry for other types of work. The available workforce for construction has shrunk and there’s limited talent to go around.

Add emerging business challenges like rising interest rates, general inflation, supply chain woes and the price of materials and fuel, and it’s no surprise the construction industry is increasingly reliant on technology to get work done. That’s just smart business.

And it’s not just about the tools and techniques in the field, it’s about how to do more with the limited pool of labor.

In the construction and trades industry today, it may be a matter of doing things better, faster and smarter. That can include innovation, but increasingly it’s about digitization.