.png)
Addressing Workforce Constraints in Data Center Construction
The Data Center Investment Conference and Expo (DICE): National brings together owners, operators, and builders at a time when data center demand continues to rise while the available workforce remains constrained.
Industry research shows that construction productivity has improved only modestly over the past two decades, even as project complexity has increased and labor availability has tightened. For teams delivering large-scale data center projects, this creates pressure on schedules, coordination, and overall execution.
Doxel is excited to attend DICE National, joining industry leaders as they share how teams are approaching these challenges in real project environments.
May 12–14, 2026
Day 1 Session | 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM
The panel includes perspectives from owners and operators who are directly responsible for delivering complex infrastructure programs.
The discussion will focus on how organizations are adapting to workforce constraints while maintaining delivery timelines and quality standards. Key topics include:
These challenges are not isolated to hiring. They affect how projects are planned, tracked, and executed from day one.
Doxel approaches workforce constraints as an execution and visibility challenge. When labor availability is limited, improving how work is tracked and managed becomes critical.
Doxel provides:
On data center projects with partners such as DPR Construction, this approach has supported a shift toward more consistent, data-driven benchmarking and improved confidence in project decision-making.
Data center projects require precise coordination, tight schedules, and rigorous quality control. Workforce limitations increase the risk of delays, rework, and misalignment between teams.
Improving visibility into project progress allows teams to:
This level of visibility helps teams maintain performance even when labor conditions are challenging.
This session will provide practical insights from industry leaders managing workforce constraints on active projects.
For owners, developers, and contractors involved in data center construction, it offers a clear view into how execution strategies are evolving.
Where Speed Meets Precision in Data Center Construction
The pace of data center construction has changed.
Schedules are tighter. Labor is harder to find. And the tolerance for error is almost zero. Owners and builders are being asked to deliver faster than ever, often on projects where even a small delay can cascade into millions in lost revenue.
That’s exactly why Doxel is heading to the DICE Pacific Northwest Data Center Investment Conference & Expo.
This event brings together the investors, developers, contractors, and technology leaders shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure. And this year, one topic is rising above the rest: How do you build faster without losing control?
The demand for data centers continues to surge, but the industry’s ability to deliver them has not kept pace.
Global construction productivity has barely moved over the last two decades, increasing just 0.4% annually, even as project complexity has grown dramatically
At the same time:
The result is a widening gap between what needs to be built and what can be delivered.
To close that gap, leading teams are rethinking how projects are executed. They are combining modular construction strategies with real-time, objective visibility into progress.
Speaker: John Rewolinski, PSP, Head of Scheduling Analytics, Doxel
Session Title: Speed Meets Precision: How Modular Delivery and Construction Tech Are Redefining Data Center Execution
This session focuses on a simple but critical challenge: Speed alone is not enough. Precision is what keeps speed from turning into rework.
Attendees will learn:
Most construction teams still rely on a familiar process:
The issue is not effort. It’s timing. By the time a deviation shows up in a report, it’s often weeks old. On a data center project, that delay can mean:
Doxel changes that dynamic by delivering objective, automated progress tracking that compares actual site conditions directly to the BIM model and schedule.
Instead of asking what’s happening, teams can see it.
Doxel was built for complex, fast-paced projects where precision matters.
With Doxel, teams can:
This approach eliminates manual reporting gaps and gives teams a consistent, accurate view of the jobsite
The impact is clear:
Construction is not getting simpler. But it is becoming more measurable.
With the right combination of modular delivery, AI-driven insights, and objective progress tracking, teams can finally deliver projects at the speed the market demands without sacrificing quality or control.
Doxel is helping lead that shift. See Doxel today.
When the scan says "not installed," and the trade says "we did it," the answer might be a quality problem, not a data error
▶ WATCH THE FULL PRESENTATION
Computer Vision Is the Andon Cord Construction Has Always Needed
LCI Conference 2025 · Reid Senescu, Doxel & Mike Miller, DPR Construction
Doxel's system was designed to track progress, but on a hyperscale data center project with DPR Construction, it caught something that no daily report, RFI, or schedule update had flagged, and the lesson that came out of it changed how the team interpreted data discrepancies entirely.
The story starts with a flag. Doxel's AI detected uninstalled security components near certain doors. The electrical trade partner pushed back hard, claiming they had roughed in all the security to those doors. In their estimation, the work was done.
After further investigation, the team found the truth: the security boxes had been installed. Three feet to the right of where they were supposed to be.
The components had been physically installed, but they were mislocated relative to the BIM. When comparing the 360° site photos against the model, Doxel’s AI correctly identified them as not installed in the designated location.
"If something's showing as not installed and the trade partner says it's installed, we probably have a quality control problem. Not the intended use case — but awesome to see."
— Mike Miller, Superintendent, DPR Construction
The team had stumbled onto a new interpretive principle. When Doxel flags something as missing and the trade says it's done, don't default to assuming the data is wrong. Investigate. The discrepancy might not be a tracking error; it might be a quality flag.
Mike was direct about what happened next and what it cost. Rework followed. But by investigating when they did, the team headed off even higher costs than if the issue had been found later.
REWORK WARNING: Dismissing data because it contradicts expectation is how quality issues get buried. The cost of investigation is almost always lower than the cost of rework — especially once walls are closed.
This is not an abstract lean principle. It played out on a real job, on real infrastructure, with real rework costs. The lesson is practical: when scan data and field reports disagree, treat the disagreement as information, not noise.
Construction quality management has traditionally relied on scheduled inspections, trade self-reporting, and periodic walkthroughs. These methods work reasonably well for obvious defects. They are poor at catching components that are physically present, but are installed in the wrong place relative to the design.
Computer vision can fill this gap by comparing what is physically present against the BIM at the component level across all visible trades every week. Mislocations look identical to missing components from the system's perspective, because in both cases, the component is not where it should be.
The practical recommendation from Mike's experience is to establish a protocol for investigating discrepancies rather than defaulting to dismissal. When a trade reports complete and the system reports incomplete, send someone to review the discrepancy. It only takes minutes, but it can prevent weeks of rework.
There is a secondary benefit this story highlights: objective, time-stamped documentation of installation location for every component. On a complex facility like a data center, where systems are dense, and modifications may be needed years later, having a record of where things were actually installed, not just where they were designed to go, has ongoing operational value.
This use case wasn't in the sales deck. It emerged from a real disagreement on a real job. That's often how the most durable capabilities get discovered.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Lean Construction, merging Doxel’s cutting-edge progress tracking technology with Touchplan’s proven production planning capabilities to enable an optimized construction workflow that bridges the gap between planning and execution.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA & BOSTON, MA – January 14, 2025 – Doxel, an industry leader in AI-driven construction progress tracking, and MOCA Systems, Inc. (MSI), the provider of the leading production planning platform, Touchplan, are excited to announce a new partnership. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Lean Construction, merging Doxel’s cutting-edge progress tracking technology with Touchplan’s proven production planning capabilities to enable an optimized construction workflow that bridges the gap between planning and execution.
With construction project costs rising and schedules shrinking, forward-thinking owners and contractors alike look to advanced technologies to help ensure on-time, on-budget project completion. But they struggle to effectively integrate diverse, individual technologies into their project workflows.
Doxel and Touchplan working together offer a powerful solution that helps construction teams achieve project deadlines with greater predictability, efficiency, and profitability. The Touchplan Lean planning platform enables easy, accurate sequencing and scheduling of all construction workflow tasks, enhancing trade coordination and eliminating waste on the jobsite, while Doxel’s progress tracking solutions provide real-time feedback on actual project progress.
"If teams use Touchplan alongside Doxel, it will provide excellent confirmation that what we have done is what we said we were going to do,” said Adam Nelson, Project Controls Manager at CRB. “It also allows us to look forward in the progress charts and ensure our forecasts for activities align."
"Strong planning meets strong execution when Touchplan and Doxel are used together,” said Saurabh Ladha, CEO and Founder of Doxel. “This collaboration embodies Lean Construction values, creating a dynamic real-time feedback loop between planning and on-site execution. Construction teams can stay nimble, informed, and aligned every step of the way.”
“Customers using Doxel’s AI progress tracking and Touchplan’s planning platform gain a powerful advantage in Lean Construction. Touchplan’s planning capabilities, combined with Doxel’s visual tracking and predictive analytics, help teams proactively manage workflows and stay on track, reducing rework and costly errors. For contractors and owners, the combined use of Touchplan and Doxel enhances transparency, project predictability, and the quality of the final deliverable,” said Brett Adamczyk, President, MSI Software.
The partnership between MSI and Doxel marks a transformative step in the tech-laggard construction industry, bringing a new ability to bridge the historic gap between planning and execution. By combining Touchplan’s digital Lean planning with Doxel’s AI-driven progress tracking, project teams gain the clarity, visibility, and real-time insights needed to achieve exceptional results and ensure project success.
For more information, visit website.
###
Media Contact:
Julie Blackley
Marketing Communications Manager
MOCA Systems, Inc.
press@mocasystems.com
Exploring Trends Around Building at Scale, Designing for Artificial Intelligence, and Supporting Energy Infrastructure
Exploring Trends Around Building at Scale, Designing for Artificial Intelligence, and Supporting Energy Infrastructure
DATE: FEB. 20. 2025 @ 9:00 AM EST / Virginia
FEATURED SESSION: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Redefining the Status Quo: Best Tools, Approaches, and Techniques to Build the Most Efficient and Innovative Data Centers
With AI and its power demands at the forefront of stakeholders' minds, examining how to push the boundaries of standard design and practices and reduce inefficiencies will be critical to the bottom line. How are developers and their partners working to reduce the carbon footprint and rethink standard practices as more data centers with larger footprints come online?
Moderator
Join industry leaders to explore the evolving trends and challenges shaping data center construction and design in East Coast markets. Learn how developers and stakeholders are navigating critical topics, including:
Connect with decision-makers in commercial real estate, including owners, investors, engineers, designers, and industry executives.
Stay ahead of industry trends, uncover opportunities, and strengthen your network in a rapidly growing sector.
For speaking or sponsorship inquiries, contact Adam Knobloch at adam.knobloch@bisnow.com.
"The Future of Smart Hospitals and Healthcare Industry" event is Oracle's premier gathering for owners, healthcare stakeholders, and technology innovators.
📅 Date: February 4, 2025
📍 Location: Oracle Industry Lab, Deerfield, IL.
"The Future of Smart Hospitals and Healthcare Industry" event is Oracle's premier gathering for owners, healthcare stakeholders, and technology innovators. Hosted at the renowned Oracle Innovation Center, this venue provides a dynamic space for showcasing cutting-edge solutions in healthcare construction. Known for hosting unique events like reality capture demonstrations and indoor drone races, the Innovation Center sets the stage for forward-thinking collaboration.
This year, Oracle emphasizes owner attendance and healthcare-focused content, making it a prime opportunity to engage with key decision-makers shaping the industry's future.
Doxel will participate in Oracle's interactive Hands-on Innovation Experiences, delivering 15-minute sessions demonstrating how our technology revolutionizes project tracking and execution for healthcare construction projects.
With a focus on owners and healthcare decision-makers, this event provides unparalleled access to industry leaders.
It's an excellent opportunity to foster strong relationships with Oracle's product team and other innovators in the healthcare construction space.
Through the Hands-on Innovation Experience, we'll highlight how Doxel's capabilities drive better outcomes and more innovative processes for healthcare construction.
We're excited to be part of this visionary event and look forward to sharing highlights and insights from "The Future of Smart Hospitals and Healthcare Industry." One of our top product leaders will represent Doxel at the event, ensuring insightful engagement with attendees and Oracle's team.
Learn more about the event here.
Understand how every system contributes to trade-level progress with clearer visibility into on-site activities.
In the fast-paced construction of data center, life sciences, manufacturing, and hospital projects, keeping up with construction progress is both challenging and essential. Increasing project complexity requires greater emphasis to coordinate work and understand risk on the project.
That’s why we’re excited to introduce Systems View within Doxel’s Work In Place (WIP) view. This new capability offers a deeper, system-level visualized breakdown of construction progress, giving teams clearer visibility into on-site activities and enabling a more precise understanding of the project's status.
Systems View is an advanced feature in the WIP view that allows teams to go beyond trade-level tracking, providing a detailed 3D view of construction progress for specific systems within each trade, such as hot water and chilled water within plumbing. Systems view is particularly useful for complex mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. This added layer of granularity offers project teams deeper insights into the progress of each system, empowering them to monitor and manage intricate project details.
In complex projects, traditional tracking did provide valuable trade-level insights but often lacked the detail needed to align each system with Takt times, leading to inefficiencies. With Systems View, project teams will gain real-time, system-specific insights that empower them to monitor each system’s adherence to Takt schedules, catching issues before they become bottlenecks.
With this added visibility, teams can identify delays early and reallocate resources as needed to maintain steady progress. Ultimately, Systems View reinforces Takt Planning and the Last Planner System, driving projects toward efficient milestone completion.
Imagine a typical Monday coordination meeting for a data center project. The Project Manager or Supervisor is focused on the progress of the mechanical system in Data Hall 1, where multiple subcontractors are working concurrently. The meeting kicks off with questions about the status of supply ducts and whether the HVAC team has completed their work.
With Doxel's Systems View, the project engineer can instantly access progress data for HVAC ducts, filtering by both system and zone. In just moments, the team discovers that only 80% of the supports are installed, with delays caused by mechanical piping in the same area. Using the system filter, they isolate the data and confirm that the piping crew is scheduled to finish by day’s end, clearing the path for the HVAC team to complete their work.
This level of real-time, system-specific insight enables more effective coordination, allowing the supervisor or project manager to make informed decisions on the spot. The result? No wasted time, better workflow sequencing, and a more streamlined project timeline.
Data center construction is highly sophisticated, involving multiple systems that must be meticulously coordinated. Before the introduction of Systems View, project managers relied on trade-level data, making it challenging to understand system-specific delays or progress. With Systems View, project managers can:
For example, in one data center project, the HVAC system installation was delayed due to incomplete electrical work in the same zone. Using Systems View, the project engineer quickly identified the bottleneck, reallocated resources, and adjusted schedules. This proactive management helped the team finish the system installation on time, preventing downstream delays and additional costs.
Industries like life sciences, manufacturing, and healthcare demand strict timelines, compliance, Strict timelines, compliance requirements, and intricate system interdependencies drive construction projects in industries like life sciences, battery manufacturing, and hospitals. Systems View empowers project managers to:
Systems View helps teams deliver complex facilities efficiently and predictably, whether managing cleanroom infrastructure, advanced manufacturing lines, or hospital surgical suites. By providing granular tracking, it enables earlier inspections, faster system sign-offs, and mitigates risks that could impact schedules or budgets.
Stay tuned as we continue to enhance Doxel's capabilities, bringing more tools to help you deliver projects on time and within budget.
Construction projects have long struggled with inefficiencies, fragmented workflows, and unmet expectations from technology. Using Doxel and Touchplan together offers a unified workflow for continuous improvement. Together, these platforms empower teams to reduce waste, enhance collaboration, and achieve outstanding project results.
"If teams use Touchplan alongside Doxel, it would provide excellent confirmation that what we have done is what we said we were going to do. It would also allow us to look forward in the progress charts and ensure our forecasts for activities align." said Project Controls Manager, CRB.
Transform your weekly planning from a manual, time-intensive process into a dynamic, digital workflow. Touchplan’s digital pull planning and Look-Ahead Planning tools enable real-time collaboration, helping teams anticipate roadblocks and ensure efficient planning at every project phase.
Doxel uses AI-driven progress tracking to provide live updates on project execution. By automating activity monitoring and delivering visualized progress insights, Doxel keeps site performance aligned with plans, ensuring accountability and maximizing productivity.
Touchplan and Doxel combine advanced technology with proven Lean Construction methods to create a unified workflow for continuous improvement. Teams can analyze progress trends, address inefficiencies, and refine workflows, driving success both today and on future projects.
Leaders like CRB are already experiencing measurable success, setting a new benchmark for construction excellence
Doxel is excited to partner with DCAC, the people’s conference designed to inspire and evolve the data center industry.
Doxel is excited to announce its participation in the groundbreaking Data Centre Automation Conference (DCAC) Live Europe 2024 conference, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland, from October 15 to 16, 2024.
Doxel is excited to partner with DCAC, the people’s conference designed to inspire and evolve the data center industry. Aligned with DCAC’s mission to disrupt, challenge, and foster collaboration, Doxel looks forward to contributing to the meaningful conversations and connections that propel visionaries, builders, and manufacturers forward in this fast-growing sector.
DCAC Live Europe 2024 will gather top industry professionals from the world of data center automation and focus on how cutting-edge technology can enhance critical infrastructure efficiency, scalability, and automation.
Doxel accelerates construction by automating progress reporting, identifying hidden issues early, preventing rework, and improving collaboration through visual data. Attendees will be able to see advanced Doxel features, including:
Doxel’s platform automatically leverages AI to track project progress, providing real-time insights into productivity, cost, and quality. This allows teams to make data-driven decisions, reducing delays and keeping projects on budget.
Doxel uses predictive analytics to spot potential risks before they turn into problems. This proactive approach helps teams avoid costly overruns and delays in projects, keeping them running smoothly and on time.
With Doxel, data is collected automatically throughout the project lifecycle. This allows for continuous progress monitoring and ensures stakeholders have visibility into every aspect of the construction process.
Doxel’s simple dashboards make complex data easy to understand and help teams make quick, informed decisions for better project results.
Visit Doxel’s table for live demonstrations of its AI-driven platform. See how automated progress tracking helps monitor, manage, and control every stage of your data center project. Meet with the Doxel team to discuss challenges and explore custom solutions tailored to your needs.
As the demand for data centers grows, effective and automated construction progress tracking is more critical than ever. DCAC Live Europe 2024 is a great opportunity for data center professionals to learn about the latest in automation and technology. With expert-led discussions, technical workshops, and solution showcases, attendees will stay ahead in the evolving data center landscape.
DCAC Live Europe:
Website: DCAC Live Europe 2024
Insights from DCAC 2024 with Doxel CEO Saurabh Ladha and Joseph Pinzon, CRO of Overwatch.
In the latest episode of the Data Center Revolution Podcast from DCAC 2024, Saurabh Ladha, CEO of Doxel and Joseph Pinzon, CRO of Overwatch deliver an insightful conversation on the cutting-edge advancements in data center construction. Here are some of the topics covered during the podcast:
Catch the full conversation below and explore how technology is reshaping data center construction:
– Joseph Pinzon, CFO, Overwatch.
A McKinsey report shows stagnant construction productivity for decades. By adopting modern practices, owners can drive a new era of construction productivity.
Better tools for the field and reducing risk on every project!
Long considered the backbone of economic growth, the construction industry continues to face a productivity challenge that cannot be ignored any longer. According to a McKinsey report, construction productivity has remained stagnant for decades, with the sector’s growth rate falling far behind that of the global economy.
For an industry that influences everything from infrastructure to housing, this productivity gap is not just a business problem—it’s a societal one. However, a growing consensus is that construction owners who commission and pay for projects hold the keys to transforming the industry. By leveraging their influence and adopting modern practices, owners can be the driving force behind a new era of construction productivity.
Before exploring solutions, it’s essential to understand the scope of the problem. McKinsey’s analysis highlights that construction productivity has only increased by 1% annually over the past 20 years, compared to 2.8% for the global economy. This productivity gap has resulted in significant cost overruns and delays, with projects exceeding budgets by 80% and timelines by 20 months on average. The industry must adopt new innovative technologies and practices faster to mitigate this trend.
The factors contributing to this stagnation are numerous, including:
Given these challenges, it’s clear that a radical shift is needed. And that shift can start with the owners.
Owners play a pivotal role in the construction ecosystem. They are the ones who set the expectations, define the scope, and ultimately bear the financial risk of projects. Owners can drive change across the industry by taking a more active role in risk mitigation and pushing for productivity improvements. Here’s how:
1. Adopting Performance-Based Contracts
One of the most effective ways for owners to drive productivity is by adopting performance-based contracts. These contracts tie compensation to achieving specific milestones and performance metrics, such as staying within budget or completing a project on time. This approach aligns contractors’ incentives with the project goals, encouraging them to innovate and find more efficient work methods.
2. Embracing Digital Transformation
Digital tools can revolutionize construction, from design to execution to delivery. Owners who prioritize digital transformation can see significant productivity improvements. For example, Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows for more accurate planning and coordination, reducing the likelihood of costly errors and rework. Doxel empowers construction teams with AI-driven project benchmarking and analytics, enabling faster, data-backed decisions that reduce costs and improve on-time delivery.
According to McKinsey, using digital tools could improve overall productivity by 14-15% and reduce project costs by 4-6%. Project management software can also streamline communication and collaboration, ensuring all stakeholders are on the same page.
3. Leveraging Technology for Project Benchmarking
One of the most potent tools that owners can use to enhance productivity and benchmark their projects is Doxel. Doxel is a powerful tool for project owners looking to enhance productivity and benchmark their projects. Its Production Rate tracking simplifies comparing completed work against the schedule, enabling owners to measure progress and manage timelines effectively.
The data collected from the site is analyzed to deliver precise insights into project progress, quality, and potential risks. With Doxel, owners can establish clear benchmarks, compare them against industry standards and past performances, and identify inefficiencies early. This empowers them to make informed decisions that keep projects on track, within budget, and up to the highest quality standards.
By integrating Doxel into their project management practices, owners gain a significant competitive advantage, ensuring precision and efficiency in every project.
4. Fostering Collaboration and Integration
The fragmentation of the construction industry is a significant barrier to productivity. Owners can address this by fostering a more collaborative and integrated approach to project delivery.
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is one such approach, where all parties—owners, contractors, architects, and engineers—work together from the outset, sharing risks and rewards. This collaborative environment encourages innovation and problem-solving, improving outcomes for all involved.
5. Prioritizing Sustainability and Resilience
Sustainability and resilience are increasingly important in construction, not only for environmental reasons but also for long-term cost savings and productivity gains. Owners who prioritize sustainable practices, such as energy-efficient designs or renewable materials, can reduce their projects’ lifecycle costs. Furthermore, resilient designs that withstand extreme weather events or other disruptions can minimize downtime and maintenance costs, ensuring the project remains productive over its lifespan.
A skilled workforce is crucial for enhancing construction productivity, but the industry is currently grappling with a significant labor shortage. With many skilled workers nearing retirement and fewer young people entering the field, construction projects face increasing risks. However, Owners can address these challenges by investing in the right technology, such as Doxel, which offers three key solutions to keep projects on track:
(1) Accelerating the onboarding process due to its ease of use,
(2) Boosting jobsite worker productivity, and
(3) Enabling project leaders to identify when additional skilled trades are urgently needed to meet schedules.
Feedback from our clients highlight that Doxel helps onboard new engineers quickly, bringing them up to the level of experienced superintendents. Moreover, Doxel reduces the time spent manually tracking progress by 95%, freeing up the most skilled team members to focus on higher-value tasks.
While attracting more people to the industry is vital, a long-term perspective is essential. However, Doxel provides an immediate impact by optimizing the available labor on-site. For skilled trades, Doxel’s production rates are particularly valuable. They empower superintendents with hard data, allowing them to demand additional labor from trade partners when it’s clear that the current workforce won’t meet project deadlines. This data-driven approach helps ensure that projects stay on schedule and that trade partners fulfill their commitments, avoiding potential liabilities for delays.
Featured Case Study:
Layton Construction’s experience with Doxel has been transformative, particularly regarding time savings and efficiency. On a recent 82,000 SqFt healthcare facility project, six superintendents and project engineers were initially spending a combined 60 hours per week manually tracking progress. With Doxel’s technology, this time was slashed by 95%, reducing the task to just 3 hours total. This significant reduction in manual labor translates to 57 hours saved weekly, allowing the team to redirect efforts toward safety, quality, and effective coordination with trade partners—resulting in an additional $2.17 per square foot per year being reinvested into these critical areas.
The benefits continued beyond time savings. Doxel enabled a 10% reduction in overbilling by providing precise progress tracking, simplifying billing processes, and eliminating disputes over the percent complete. Additionally, Doxel’s production rate tracking made it easier to secure commitments from trade partners to meet deadlines, ensuring the project stayed on time. As Brandon Bergener, Superintendent at Layton Construction, noted, Doxel has also made it easier to access additional manpower when needed, further enhancing project efficiency and productivity.
When owners lead in driving productivity improvements, the benefits extend beyond individual projects. Here are some of the broader impacts:
While the potential benefits are clear, driving productivity improvements in construction is challenging. Owners may encounter resistance from contractors accustomed to traditional working methods or stakeholders who are wary of the costs associated with new technologies. To overcome these barriers, owners should:
The construction industry is at a crossroads. It must overcome its productivity challenges to remain cost-effective and meet future demands. With their unique influence and authority, owners are in the best position to lead this transformation. Owners can drive the industry forward by adopting performance-based contracts, embracing digital tools, fostering collaboration, prioritizing sustainability, and investing in workforce development. The time for change is now, and the future of construction lies in the hands of those who are willing to push it forward.
Delivering on construction productivity is no longer optional—it’s essential. By taking a proactive role, owners can unlock the full potential of their partners and projects and set a new standard for the industry as a whole.
Citations:
McKinsey & Company. “Delivering on construction productivity is no longer optional.” Retrieved from McKinsey & Company.
Work In Progress reports provide accurate progress data that project teams can trust across the entire site.
Construction is a unique industry in many ways, one of which being the flow of cash and accounting process for projects. Whereas many industries have straightforward transactions and payments, construction costs tend to be more complex and nuanced—which makes it more difficult to stay on top of a budget with money constantly going out and coming in.
From estimation and bidding to delays and change orders, there are many stages and factors that go into determining the cost (and profits) of a project.
How can companies know if they’re on schedule and under budget before the project closes? Work in progress is the answer.
A work in progress (or, WIP) schedule is a detailed report that shows the percentage of progress completed on a project—and takes into account any work that’s in progress in relation to budget and profitability. Below are four reasons WIP Reporting is essential on every project!
When it comes to a project’s progress, communication is critical. Without clear, real-time communication, project teams waste valuable time meeting to discuss and determine where a project stands. Progress can also be misrepresented or miscalculated, which directly impacts the budget and schedule of a project. With so many moving parts to balance, construction companies can’t afford to make mistakes due to miscommunication.
WIP reports provide accurate progress data that project teams can trust across the entire site. This reduces any subjectivity throughout the building process and gives everyone one source of truth to work from.
Many contractors choose to implement progress payments, which means the project is billed based on certain percentages of completion as they’re reached instead of waiting until the end of a job. Combine progress payments with inaccurate progress reporting, and the project can very quickly become overbilled (revenue billed exceeds the work completed) or underbilled (work completed exceeds what’s been billed).
WIP tracking provides the exact progress percentage of work completed to create a shared understanding and accountability for project costs accrued so far—and can help shed light on any discrepancies in the budget to prevent future cash-flow problems. This is especially helpful for those project managers who like to ‘guesstimate’ based on a gut feeling, then try to do the math later to even it out.
Hindsight may be 20/20, but it won’t keep your project profitable. A problem is much harder to fix after it’s already happened. While discussing what went wrong at the end may help your next project, the power to be able to notice and act in real time is invaluable. Project teams need to be able to spot potential problems as early as humanly possible to minimize the impact and keep everything on track.
That’s where work in progress tracking comes in—it’s in the name. Using technology that quantifies progress all the way down to the subcomponent level allows stakeholders to catch an issue and course correct as soon as (if not before) it happens. This prevents mistakes from becoming costly and provides insight for better business decisions in the future.
While catching issues early on is one thing, being able to predict a project’s future is another. With the right AI-powered progress tracking, companies can track project performance for deviations from plan and forecast a more accurate estimate at completion.
Knowing where your project is heading before you get there means you can plan accordingly and get ahead of costly trends. WIP tracking data gives project teams the ability to confidently manage the schedule and predict delays.
At the end of the day, work in progress reports give a true and accurate view of the financial health of a project. However, they require accurate project progress data to be effective.
Companies that leverage technology with AI-powered progress tracking can truly reap the benefits of WIP reports—and ultimately keep their projects on track and profitable.
By letting the AI automatically analyze visual data, construction companies are able to measure installed quantities and inspect quality—without having to sift through data or manually record the entire jobsite.
Construction—an industry that’s been around for nearly as long as civilization—is long overdue for a change in the tools used to build the world. While technology has become more and more common on a jobsite, most of it has been focused on taking companies from pen and paper to digital data and drawings. This is a step forward, but still requires a significant amount of manual effort and calculations to be effective. One tool alone may not completely transform an industry, but the right technology in combination could unlock the secret to more profitable and productive projects. That’s where machine learning comes in.
When you hear the term “machine learning” or “AI” (artificial intelligence), your mind probably goes straight to what you’ve seen in movies and television. While there isn’t a terminator on a jobsite (yet), construction companies are beginning to leverage an entirely new generation of technology to further reduce manual effort and increase visibility and insights.
A lot of the existing construction technology leverages visualization software to overlay captured data onto a 3D design. While this helps add an extra layer of visibility, it won’t tell you much more about true progress without someone having to look through every photo and laser scan. When given the choice, most jobsite managers would rather walk around and measure progress manually than spend even more hours doing it on the computer.
Computer vision-based progress tracking takes it one step further. By letting the AI automatically analyze visual data, construction companies are able to measure installed quantities and inspect quality—without having to sift through data or manually record the entire jobsite. What used to take someone hours is now an automated, real-time progress and quality report they can access anytime.
Imagine being able to automatically track more than 75 different construction stages and generate progress, down to the materials installed, and all it takes is a 360° camera, BIM, and AI-powered platform.
This automated progress tracking isn’t just for the project teams. Traditionally, if an owner wants a project update, they either have to physically come to the jobsite or rely on the reporting of project managers and subcontractors. This reporting takes valuable time, and is often incomplete and delayed (or missing entirely) depending on how busy the team is.
AI platforms take the burden off of project teams by enabling them to capture more detailed data, faster. Artificial intelligence can essentially act as a digital surveyor to capture hundreds of thousands of square feet on a project every week—freeing field crews up to focus on making progress, not reporting on it. Those uncomfortable OAC and weekly trade coordination meetings where progress isn’t clearly measured or communicated can quickly become a thing of the past.
Real-time project visibility allows companies to spot potential issues or overruns faster, and gives them enough time to make changes before it’s too late.
In construction, the four biggest factors to a project’s success are time, money, quality, and productivity. The right balance of these factors could mean the difference between coming in on time, under budget and losing money on a project. The increased visibility and reporting that AI-based software gives managers can directly translate to real-time feedback on schedule, budget, and quality.
Machine learning provides companies objective schedule and cost budget analysis to ensure everything is progressing to plan, and can prevent costly rework or delays. It isn’t enough to be able to see what’s happening as it happens—companies need to be able to look into the future of a project using predictive forecasts, too (another AI specialty).
Real-time feedback and insights have the power to take construction companies to a new level of project success. Machine learning isn’t about replacing people with machines. It’s about leveraging automated, artificial intelligence to increase productivity and visibility so teams can make better business decisions, faster.
Achieving success in healthcare construction projects requires a focus on transparency, risk management, and benchmarking. By leveraging near real-time data and advanced technology, stakeholders can ensure project efficiency, mitigate risks, and deliver high-quality outcomes within expected timelines.
Healthcare projects are not typical commercial construction. Aside from the complexity and cost, healthcare carries a higher level of risk and liability with patient care depending on the outcome of the project. With more at stake, accuracy and predictable outcomes are paramount to the success of the project.
At the foundation, there are three pillars to success for any healthcare project: transparency, risk management, and benchmarking.
Let’s take a look at each of these pillars—and at how automated progress tracking can help companies meet these requirements to help teams complete projects on time and under budget.
Transparency between owners, general contractors, and subcontractors is critical in hospital construction because it ensures every step of the way that the project is following the schedule, budget, and required quality standards.
Clear communication and the sharing of real-time information makes it easier to identify and resolve any issues that may arise during the construction process, which can prevent delays and cost overruns.
Additionally, proper transparency makes sure all parties are working towards the same goals and that everyone is aware of the project’s progress and any necessary changes. In the case of hospital construction, it’s important that transparency is maintained to ensure the safety and well-being of the patients, staff, and visitors—both during construction and after it’s completed.
How can construction companies improve transparency among all stakeholders? Here are five processes that can help.
Due to the costs and complexity of healthcare projects, it is crucial to mitigate risk to ensure safety, quality, and compliance. Risk is inevitable in construction, but there are steps you can take to reduce and ensure better outcomes for your projects.
By following these steps, healthcare construction projects can manage risk and improve outcomes. Even better, there’s technology that alleviates the manual component to many (if not all) of the steps needed to mitigate risk.
By pairing 360-degree video capture with AI-powered progress tracking, teams are able to objectively measure progress of work in place with every data capture, every week. This provides healthcare construction projects with real-time information on the progress and quality of what’s been completed.
Automated progress tracking is the best way to bridge everything together to keep project teams on the same page and catch potential issues faster with enough time to fix them—ultimately preventing delays and unnecessary overruns. This greater degree of transparency and accountability helps to ensure that all parties are meeting their obligations and building to the required standard of the project.
Benchmarking in healthcare construction provides a way to measure and compare the performance of different projects. Leveraging benchmarks helps to identify best practices and areas for improvement, which can be used to set goals and targets for future projects. Benchmarking can also reveal trends and patterns across projects to identify any potential risks and opportunities earlier on.
Healthcare construction benchmarking can inform decision making and contribute to the success or failure of a project. For benchmarking to be most impactful, project progress should be collected in a standardized and repeatable way. Implementing an automated way to analyze project progress in real time helps save time and ensure meaningful insights—ultimately leading to more predictable outcomes, as well as improved quality, cost, and schedule performance.
Automated progress tracking works to streamline the three pillars for project success by providing objective information and greater visibility into the project’s progress. Between project teams and stakeholders, everyone is able to be more closely involved to make more informed decisions faster.
With all parties working towards the same goals, everyone is aware of the objective progress metrics as well as any changes needed. With the right solution in place, teams can increase efficiency, decrease risk, and save valuable time and resources.
Not sure where to get started? Click here to learn more about Doxel’s digital surveyor and analytic tools for healthcare construction today.
Ezra Klein rings the alarm that the $1.6 trillion U.S. construction industry has not shared the productivity gains of other industries. After two decades into a career focused on bringing productivity gains to construction, Reid Senescu, Vice President of Product at Doxel.ai has an idea that can alter this trend.
In his February 5, 2023 opinion piece in the New York Times, Ezra Klein rings the alarm that the $1.6 trillion U.S. construction industry has not shared the productivity gains of other industries. He cites Goolsbee and Syverson’s paper “The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the US Construction Sector,” which explains that construction productivity has decreased since 1950 while manufacturing productivity, for example, has increased ninefold. I appreciate Mr. Klein’s alarm as well as his humility in admitting he has no idea how we get construction productivity rising again. Two decades into a career focused on bringing productivity gains to construction, I do have an idea.
But before I get to my idea, let’s consider Mr. Klein’s prime culprit – regulatory “paperwork, and paperwork, and more paperwork.” No doubt regulation impacts construction productivity; regulation impacts most industries. While Syverson’s paper does not provide data connecting productivity declines to increased regulation, it does note that the construction industry invested 46 percent less in R&D and software purchases compared to the broader economy in 2020. And, a separate paper by Syverson, “The Slowdown in Manufacturing Productivity Growth,” (my fellow construction colleagues will take solace in knowing we are not alone in facing Syverson’s economic scrutiny) explains that information technologies (IT) were the main driver for productivity gains in manufacturing from 1994 to 2005.
Why did IT so dramatically impact manufacturing, but not construction? In both construction and manufacturing, IT can improve productivity once information about the real world is transformed into data. Consider an assembly line producing widgets. The assembly line has sensors that send data to machines to respond in real time and to plant managers who learn of bottlenecks and continuously improve the assembly line. This investment in sensors produces the data that powers IT and drives productivity increases.
Applying IT to construction is not so easy. While a factory produces millions of widgets, a construction project is the assembly of millions of different components to produce only a single facility. A single sensor cannot automatically monitor the installation of thousands of square feet of walls or linear feet of ductwork. And that limitation means that IT is starved of data that would help construction workers and managers gain insights to continuously improve their processes. Thus, until recently, investment in IT has been limited to the design phase and certain aspects of construction administration. Yet, labor is the greatest cost on any project in the U.S. And, IT has had virtually no impact on the productivity of that skilled craftworker laying a brick or welding a beam to a column.
But, that reality is changing. With artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision, leading builders are transforming 360 video into near real-time measurements of construction processes. This near real-time reality capture of the construction site acts like sensors in a factory, feeding IT with data that empowers project teams to increase productivity. For example, a construction superintendent constructing a retirement community recently used this automated progress tracking technology to identify that a certain duct installation activity was not yet complete on the 3rd floor. Ceilings were set to be installed the next day. Without this insight from technology, the unfinished ductwork would have been covered up by the ceiling trade partner. And, when they later discovered the oversight, they would have had to rip open the ceiling. That rework would have put a big dent in their productivity. Instead, the AI-powered IT indicated the ductwork was not 100% complete. Augmented with this information, the superintendent applied his expertise in coordinating trades to get the ducts installed right away to avoid the rework. And, the general contractor and retirement community owner no longer had to explain to residents why they were going to be moving in two weeks late.
This technology is new; we only began building it in 2015. But we’re seeing results. At Doxel, we’ve created automated progress tracking for construction that reduces time spent manually tracking progress by 95%. This automation creates data that is now fueling productivity gains from IT just like in manufacturing. And, it gets data to decision makers 5x – 10x faster, which gives 5x – 10x the opportunities to unlock the full potential of construction teams to accelerate schedules and deliver projects under budget. We’re not alone in augmenting construction team expertise with AI; companies such as Procore, Autodesk, Oracle, Dusty, Rhumbix and dozens of others have built technology that makes construction easier for millions of workers every day. And, forward looking facility owners are hungry to adopt solutions that reduce their risk and make the job easier for superintendents and trade partners, because they know the investment will translate to projects that are on time and on budget.
Of course, an industry’s health depends on more than a single metric. Construction provides nearly 11 million jobs in the U.S., including many high paying roles that do not require a college degree. They are rewarding jobs that contribute to society. But, the work is not easy. It frequently requires complex problem solving or complex physical skills. These are great jobs, partially because they can’t be easily automated to increase productivity. Still, productivity is an important metric not just for economists, but because it tends to correlate with the industry’s per capita income. According to Syverson, construction pay could be 10% higher if the industry’s productivity gains tracked the economy as a whole. Society needs construction to be easier, too. As we face challenges supplying healthcare, delivering energy, and investing in infrastructure, construction will either be a bottleneck to change or it will be a catalyst to change. AI augments the experience and skills of construction teams, so they have better data and tools and owners have the confidence to invest in projects that solve society’s 21st Century challenges.
Written by Reid Senescu, California Licensed Professional Engineer and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He is the Vice President of Product at Doxel.ai in Menlo Park, California. His research focused on how technology can improve construction team collaboration. At Doxel.ai, his products use computer vision to help teams collaborate and deliver projects on time and on budget.
Doxel’s AI technology enables Oracle’s customers to have real-time, objective visibility into their schedule performance
Doxel, an AI-based construction technology solution that enables proactive risk mitigation of projects and portfolios, announced its integration with Oracle’s Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM), the solution for globally prioritizing, planning, managing, and executing projects, programs, and portfolios.
The Doxel and Oracle integration will enable customers to track construction progress continuously and automatically against their Oracle Primavera P6 schedules. Unlike manual methods of progress reporting that can be subjective or delayed, Doxel’s AI technology enables Oracle’s customers always to have real-time, objective visibility into their schedule performance.
Proactive mitigation of delays and identification of opportunities to accelerate construction—enabling customers to deliver their projects faster while collecting valuable benchmark data for future planning in Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM.
“This integration with Primavera P6 is by popular demand from our mutual customers, and we couldn’t be more excited,” says Saurabh Ladha, chief executive officer of Doxel. “Nearly 100% of our customers use Primavera P6 for scheduling, and this unification of workflows will supercharge our customers’ abilities to manage their projects and portfolios proactively.”
Doxel, based in Menlo Park, California, has built a widely adopted platform that applies AI and computer vision technology to 360-degree video of construction sites and measures progress in a granular, real-time, and automated fashion, and then contextualizes actual progress against Primavera P6 EPPM plans.
Through Doxel’s cloud-based dashboard, customers can instantly see where they’re ahead and behind, informing their decisions with data that can always be trusted and delivered in time for proactive actions that ultimately land projects on schedule and budget.
“We see project teams use Doxel AI and Primavera P6 side by side in construction trailers. P6 is an amazingly powerful scheduling and planning tool and requires information from the field that can accurately, objectively, and with higher frequency measure and constantly update progress. Because if you don’t have high-quality data feeding into it, its value diminishes exponentially,” says Garrick Ballantine, Doxel’s chief revenue officer.
He adds, “General contractors and owners use the combination of P6 and Doxel to objectively partner with their trade partners on a week-to-week basis, bringing the field and office on the same page with our cloud-based visual dashboard and to make payment decisions on billions of dollars’ worth of construction nationally. This integration has happened because the industry demanded it.”
Frank Malangone, Oracle’s executive director of innovation and industry strategy, said, “Our customers continue to look for ways to objectively and accurately measure progress to update the schedule for reliable insights. This connection between Primavera P6 and Doxel speeds up this process without constantly having to be at the job site and improves communication and coordination between the office and the field.”
This article original appeared on Oracle’s blog.
By providing accurate and automated cost budget analysis, companies are able to better understand their project and where it stands against the budget.
With inflation and rising cost of materials, it’s critical for healthcare companies to keep construction projects on schedule and within budget. Here are 4 ways to help verify your construction billing and keep your project on budget.
Automated construction progress tracking provides an objective view into exactly where the project stands, which can help mitigate contractors overbilling for a higher percentage of completion. Companies that use a single source of truth for progress tracking (like Doxel) can reduce monthly bills by up to 10%.
With money still left on the table, contractors will be more motivated to finish the job so they can get paid.
Change orders are inevitable—but transparency around them should be, too. Before a major healthcare provider started working with Doxel, they estimated 4% of their total spend was caused by inaccurate progress tracking. These additional COs are passed onto the healthcare company, and are avoidable with the right solution in place.
Leveraging AI-powered progress tracking takes the mystery out of CO estimates. While using Doxel, one healthcare company found their typical change order estimates were inflated by at least 10%. That money is going out the door, and eventually it will add up. With more accurate project tracking, companies can more accurately pinpoint where change orders should be and reduce unnecessary spend.
Due to the unpredictability of material requirements, HealthTrust Contracts run the risk of being underutilized, and healthcare companies miss out on potential rebates and discounts offered. Doxel helps drive 100% contract utilization with more accurate, objective, and standardized measurement of materials installed across projects—which in turn allows more materials purchased through HealthTrust and greater financial savings.
For one Doxel healthcare customer, that meant the ability to purchase 10% more through HealthTrust, and the savings added up to a whopping $18.56M annually through discounts and rebates on materials.
Time is money. When a project’s progress is manually tracked, the process itself to collect and report on the data takes valuable time away from contractors and field teams. What used to take 60+ hours of manpower a week to manually assess progress now takes a mere 3 hours per week using an automated solution like Doxel. All that time can now be focused on safety, quality control, and coordination of trade partners.
See why healthcare companies (and contractors) choose Doxel
Doxel’s image recognition gives healthcare facilities objective progress data and real-time insight into materials installed. With automated project tracking, everyone wins—contractors spend less time counting and reporting, and healthcare companies have better control over project costs and governance.
Healthcare facilities using Doxel are delivered earlier with increased safety, less expense, and higher quality. To learn more about how they do it, schedule a demo today.
Finding remaining work can feel like finding a needle in a haystack, but Doxel makes it straightforward.
Identifying what’s still pending can feel like finding a needle in a haystack, especially when less than 10% of a particular trade’s work remains. Doxel has updated the Work In Place visualization to make it easier to find remaining work.
Managing a large construction project involves ensuring that millions of components are installed correctly, in the correct sequence, across many trade partners. Put simply, it’s easy to see what is there, it’s hard to find something missing. As more trades begin their installations, the not installed scope gets occluded, making it hard to visually see what’s left. This leads to a common problem in construction: unfinished in-wall MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) being covered up by drywall teams, leading to costly and demoralizing rework.
Choosing “Not Complete” in Doxel’s Work in Place visualization is a straightforward approach to solving the challenge of finding remaining work. By isolating the components that are yet to be completed, Doxel enables teams to have focused conversations with trade partners and other responsible parties. This feature empowers site teams to:
The Work In Place visualization helps site teams easily manage and track work installed by providing an automated, color coded 3D model of the structure, broken down by trade, zones, and stages of construction. Now you can select a trade, sort by “Not Complete” and see what is yet to be installed for that trade. This powerful tool answers the critical questions: “What is installed?’, “What is pending?” and “What is not done?” so that construction teams can appropriately manage labor, sequence trades, and hit project milestones.
%2520(3).gif)
Traditional construction progress tracking methods rely heavily on manual inspections and subjective reporting, often leading to errors and oversights. With the size and complexity of construction, it is simply too time-consuming and error-prone to accurately count each hanger, pipe, or panel.
Visualizing work in place allows teams to quickly identify remaining work and understand the reasons behind any delays. By sorting by “Not Complete,” superintendents and trades can better coordinate with each other, quickly identifying where they should be working next or identifying missing work. This improved clarity helps teams verify that all tasks are completed, understand their next steps, and ensure that all work is done in the correct sequence.
Additionally, knowing what is left to do is crucial for commissioning and inspection sign-offs. Failing to identify unfinished work can delay these critical milestones, impacting the overall project timeline. By using Doxel’s Work In Place visualization, teams can ensure that all necessary work is completed and ready for inspection, preventing delays and ensuring a smooth progression towards project completion.
Construction is complex and details matter. Doxel’s Work In Place visualization helps teams find the right information quickly. By providing a clear and accurate view of unfinished work, Doxel empowers teams to prevent costly oversights, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration.
Plans may shift, but your turnover date doesn’t have to. Watch Doxel, Oracle, and Layton Construction share how AI-powered progress tracking is enabling teams to deliver projects 11% faster.
Doxel, Oracle, and Layton Construction hosted an insightful webinar on how AI was transforming construction project delivery. While plans may change, your turnover date doesn’t have to. Attendees discovered how Doxel AI’s automated progress tracking and Oracle Primavera provided real-time visibility with greater project predictability and efficiency and ensured teams stayed on track.
Duration: 01:01
