Here’s just a short list of some things that will transformed in the next few years as the iPad delivers computing to the construction site:
Adios, blueprints: The first thing that will disappear is paper. It’s expensive, always out-of-date, and with this new push for green buildings, The Owners are asking their contractors to ‘go paperless’.
Much better communication: Here’s a process that happens every time some guy in the field needs clarification from the architect on how to build something: He leaves the job site, heads to the construction trailer, grabs his set of blueprints, heads back to the job site, looks at the problem and makes notes on his plans, heads back to the trailer, scans the plans, goes to his computer, opens his email, sends the scan to the architect, and then walks all the way back to the job site. This takes at least 20 minutes every time someone has a question! With the iPad, he’ll just open up his blueprints app, markup the problem, and send out an email right there.
Hello analytics: One of the most frustrating things about running a construction company is that you are constantly writing these huge checks, but you have no idea what is actually going on in the field. No field computing, means no field data, which means you have no idea that your electrician, who you picked because he was 10% cheaper, is 30% slower than the other electrician you used last time. The Google Analytics/Palantir for construction is going to really change how things are done.
Photo based on one by 1971yes/ShutterStock.