Overcoming resistance to new technology
We’ve all been there. A new technology is suggested at work that will save time, money and streamline processes… But your construction team isn’t interested.
They’ve been applying the same processes day in and day out for years, so why change now? It’s human nature to stick to what we know, but there are many advantages to the latest technology available to construction companies, writes Procurified co-founder Rupert Tait (pictured left).
One of the biggest reasons for the lack of new technology rollout is teams that are resistant to change. In a survey carried out by contechreport.com, the annual construction technology report from JBKnowledge, the most limiting factor in adopting new tech in the workplace is employees, with 35.4% of the team and 27.8% of management hesitant about trying new processes. People tend to be entrenched in a ‘how it’s been done before’ culture and may not always see how new ‘#contech’ could benefit their role or the company, but that’s where we can support and guide. How technology is introduced is crucial, and how teams are guided in using it determines its future success.
Identifying the challenge
Training your team is important and being inclusive to those who are tech-savvy as well as those who arent is vital. With efficient and thorough staff training both employees and business owners can see almost immediate benefits.
“A lot of our biggest clients were initially reluctant to consider adopting yet another digital platform. For Estimation & Procurement teams, Excel is the go-to software of choice. We get it, when tender deadlines are tight and someone comes along suggesting a more efficient way of running your process, it can be daunting,” says Procurified’s co-founder Rupert Tait, whose sourcing optimisation software is revolutionising how construction procurement is managed.
“Procurified is a platform connecting construction buyers and suppliers to automate tender exchange and review. We move teams from capturing 1000’s of PDF into excel, to a simple 5 step process,” comments Tait. “When it comes to training, we always involve the wider team, even though they may not be the immediate users. We will always walk a typical project through with our customers. From issuing bids, analysing responses and downloading it in a way that makes sense to them, we ensure each customer is comfortable using the software.”
And that is an incredibly important factor for a traditional company venturing into the world of technology. Not only are team members hesitant to try out new tech, but those that have done, are largely underwhelmed with the training they’ve received. Only 16% of employees rated the training offered on new technology at their company as ‘good’ in 2021 (in a survey by contechreport.com).
Procurified prides itself on the training it offers customers and it doesn’t just stop there. “Our software integrates with a customer’s supply chain so we also help each customer to train their supply chain. Procurified is a 2-sided platform where suppliers respond directly inside the platform. When a customer sends out a bid, we reach out to their suppliers and explain how they can respond to the invitation and assist them in familiarising themselves with the software so that there’s a seamless integration for everyone involved, thus speeding up their processes too,” adds Tait.
According to contechreport.com, many construction companies fail to realise that an IT investment will help to realise greater profitability and increased ROI and so it’s no surprise that construction companies are measuring on the lower-end of productivity when compared to other industries.
Procurified’s customers are reporting up to 80% time saving since using the cloud-based software to prep and review estimations, replacing the time-consuming need to use dozens of separate spreadsheets and PDFs.
“We know that Estimation teams spend nearly 4,000 hours preparing, sharing and reviewing bids, and our software takes that down to less than 500. Essentially we create that breathing space to finish work on time and focus on analysis of bids and negotiating, rather than firing staff,” Tait comments.
It’s clear that there are several factors preventing companies from adopting new technology, which is not the company’s fault. At Procurified, we believe in helping teams unlock their full potential through construction technology. It just takes a little bit of guidance and support to see our customers embrace the enormous potential of our platform.
