How technology
can improve
communication
in construction

Successful construction projects require constant communication and collaboration. Completing projects on time, to spec and within budget requires sharing project updates with on-site crews, liaising with suppliers, consulting with clients and making collaborative decisions swiftly.

Costly and outdated communications systems that don't keep everyone connected can slow down operations and put the project way behind schedule. It's therefore not surprising that 25% of respondents said "better communication" when asked about impactful construction industry technology trends in this 2021 survey, compared to “more automation of field tasks” at 16%.

While each company will have its own specific communication requirements, there are some common use cases for effective communication in the construction industry:

Coordinating construction projects has always been a juggling act, as staff, clients and contractors may be operating out of different locations. It is important for employees, wherever they are, to be able to contact clients and suppliers, to share project updates and important information in order to make decisions to keep the project on schedule and to mitigate risks and costs.

Like many industries, the pandemic prompted an increase in the number of construction companies allowing remote or hybrid working arrangements—one survey found 80% of survey respondents said that they were just as productive or more productive when working remotely.

Technology, particularly around communication in construction, was seen as a "very or critically important" element by 95% of respondents.

Storing project documents across multiple tools (such as email, cloud storage and messaging) can reduce efficiency by 20%-40%.

Using collaboration tools that allow each project to have one source where all your project documents, a single source of the truth, are stored can help to ensure that even when plans change quickly, everyone is following the same instructions. This limits having to redo work, which is one of the main drivers of unnecessary costs and headaches in the industry.

A cohesive suite of tools is critical to enabling effective communication in the construction industry. This is where unified communications (UC) technology can help.

UC includes communication tools and services that streamline conversation, collaboration and productivity across multiple devices, platforms and applications. Integrating these tools can help construction teams collaborate faster and more efficiently.

UC integrates a broad range of communication methods, such as voice calling, messaging, audio, web and videoconferencing, and more. Connecting is also seamless, which matters because teams can be more effective and efficient when they can quickly join a meeting and collaborate. It shouldn't matter whether they're joining a video call from the site, the office or home.

Verizon One Talk is a mobile first business communications solution that allows your phone numbers to ring on up to 8 devices including compatible desk phones, mobile phones, tablets and personal computers. This means more opportunities for your employees to connect and never miss a call.

UC allows users to move across different devices and locations with ease. Whether on the construction site, at the office or at home, they'll have access to the same communication tools and information as their colleagues, as long as they have an internet connection.

Ultimately, this means the workforce will have access to a single, up-to-date view of a project—or single source of truth—saving time and money by avoiding crossed wires or people working off the wrong information. Processes and workflows are therefore streamlined, allowing effective communication in the construction industry.

As KPMG notes in its 2021 Global Construction survey, "If all parties can access the same platforms and software, then it will be easier and faster to move through the various stages of conceptualization, design, implementation and even operationalization."

The end result is an organization that's better placed to manage the project and troubleshoot problems as they arise, which can improve staff productivity, speed up project timelines and improve the bottom line.