The construction industry isn't rushing to hop onto the cloud: study

The majority of construction companies currently aren't using cloud software, and fewer than two-fifths plan to move their takeoff, estimating, or project management functions onto the cloud within the next four years, according to a survey of estimators, executives, and project managers conducted by Houston-based On Center Software, which provides technology solutions to construction professionals.

Among the survey’s 921 respondents, 42% were estimators, 22% managers or chief estimators, 22% project managers, and 13% executives.

Being able to communicate using a single source of data is the most important factor to all respondents when they are evaluating different software providers. More than 60% of each respondent group indicates that being able to integrate their systems—particularly estimating, takeoffs, and project management—is a requirement when evaluating providers.

The respondents are also looking for solutions that minimize costly errors and rework.  

Yet, about 70% of those polled say their companies aren’t using cloud software today. However, 15% plan to move their processes to the cloud this year, 16% within the next two years, and 5% within the next four years.

Nearly half of the respondents—47%—aren’t planning to move their processes to the cloud within this time period.

Angelo Castelli, On Center Software’s Chief Operating Officer, points out the irony of this resistance, in that a significant portion of the industry “doesn’t realize” yet that the kind of broad collaboration companies are seeking, which would allow them to communicate about projects in real time using a single data source, can only be provided by the cloud. 

The survey’s findings, though, do seem to reflect the construction’s industry’s basic conservatism when it comes to technology. Laptops still dominate as the preferred mobile device among the respondent groups. Less than half of the respondents are currently using smartphones. Android is the most widely used smartphone among respondents whose companies plan to move to the cloud within the next two years.