Keeping track of what’s coming and going on a construction site is a full-time job. But the view upstream has always been murky, and managing a supply chain and logistics can seem more like an art than a science. Technology firms tackling this problem have struggled to build complete systems to run it all, but new ideas and research point to more sensible ways of cultivating true digital supply chains.
As with many persistent challenges in construction, the first thought is to find some kind of technological point solution to address the problem. With supply chain issues, this can bring in a wide range of tools, from RFID tags on every piece of material to GPS tracking of deliveries. Yet many of the companies developing and offering these technologies have found the real hurdle is the way the industry manages the responsibility and risk for ensuring that materials get fabricated and brought to the site on time. With the COVID-19 pandemic driving greater digitization of construction processes in general, industry firms are having to consider whether it’s now the time to shift to a more digital supply chain.