How Technology is Changing Large-Scale Construction Project Management

Industry Disruption Advancing Adaptation and Growth

Image courtesy of Start Up Stock Photos at Pixabay.

I’ve worked in project and program management for a fair amount of time now. I started work in the industry with a large contractor, primarily focused on oil and gas, and metals and mining projects. For most of the last fifteen years I’ve worked within a PMC (project management consultant) or more often PMO, or technically PgMO (program management office).

The construction industry was once characterized by its resistance to change. It is fair to say it is now embracing a technological revolution that is reshaping large-scale project management. That said, I have days when I feel at the cutting edge of the industry, and on others I rather unfairly think I’m still in the 1980s. There is still a way to go, but change is picking up pace, and client expectations, not unreasonably, are rising.

Tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud-based platforms are driving unprecedented improvements in efficiency, cost management, and collaboration. For anyone in the industry these tools are pretty much standard, although they are not always universally applied.

Existing program and project management consultancies are adapting by integrating these innovations into their workflows, while new entrants are capitalizing on opportunities to disrupt the market and look set to drive the pace of change.

Looking ahead, the next decade promises even more transformative advancements, with emerging technologies poised to deliver significant benefits. In this article I’ve tried to analyze the current technological shifts in large-scale construction project management, the adaptations by established consultancies, the opportunities for new players, and a forward-looking perspective on the next 10 years.

We are living through a revolution in which agility will be essential to survive and thrive, as professionals and as established organizations. It sounds easy, but when our work is often based on compliance and standard approaches, the collective mind shift can be hard.

Technological Advancements in Construction Project Management

I think if we’ve noticed one technical change in our daily work it’s the adoption of PowerBI and the improvements in data automation and visualization. Program controls and other dashboards are more readily used and easier to visualize when well designed. Often the data collection they feed off has scope for further integration of data and real time updates.