construction industry

by Michelle Laurey, guest blogger The construction and manufacturing industries are enormous engines driving any economy. For instance, in the U.S., the construction industry employs more than 7 million individuals and generates more than $1.3 trillion. On the other hand, manufacturers in the U.S. are responsible for 11.39% of the economy’s total output. They employ 8.51% of the total available workforce, and their overall output exceeds $2.3 trillion. As a result, any changes that occur in those two major industries have far-reaching consequences on the economy as a whole. Therefore, there are certain things you need to consider when you market disruptive technologies in those fields. The Evolution of These Industries Any industry changes in one of four ways: Progressive change Intermediating change Creative change Radical change, which is also known as disruptive change. The change you aim to bring about falls into the final category, but it helps to be aware of how your target industries have evolved in all four of the above categories. The Evolution of the Construction Industry  The construction industry is relatively new to disruptive change. Over the past few centuries, it has mostly witnessed minor progressive changes. Engineers in the early twentieth century were relatively similar to those from the preceding centuries. They drew plans by hand, used analog surveying equipment, and planned out projects using physical files and dossiers. It was only over the past two decades that radical changes have occurred. Today, engineers use advanced programs like AutoCAD and Revit to produce computer-aided designs, and almost every construction company worth its salt uses construction management software. What’s more, the construction industry is on the cusp of even more disruption. For instance, BIM software is changing the game, providing engineers with clear 3D models. Modular manufacturing and prefabrication construction enable engineers to build…read more >