Autodesk Africa harps on digital construction

Autodesk Incorporation, a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software has called for the adoption of digital technologies in the construction industry to enable a more profitable, resilient and agile construction industry.

The firm noted during the forum themed: “The future of making things” that although the construction industry is a new frontier for innovation, digital technology adoption is still very slow due to poor perceptions about technology and the inconsistency of the teams involved in construction.

It should also be stressed that digital transformation has led to a paperless workflow and mobile devices has sped up decision-making and streamlined collaborations with immediate results of real-time progress reports, more accurate risk assessments, detailed quality control evaluations, and better outcomes all around.

According to findings, around 30 per cent of the cost of construction is wasted due to errors, labor inefficiencies and other problems which could be fixed with the help of technology. The reason for this might be in the highly fragmented state of the construction industry to adopt the benefits of digital technology at once.

Also, other challenges plaguing the industry mentioned during the forum included rising project complexity, globalisation of construction, skills shortage, and access to capital.

Delivering the keynote address, Autodesk Africa’s Country Manager, Simon Bromfield said cloud-enabled technologies serve as a disruption in the way experts design, build and operate buildings and infrastructure.

He added that securing a lucrative place in the future is linked to the contractor’s ability to innovate because the industry is driven by money and risk.

Advising the industry to focus on the future of making things with technology, Bromfield said connectivity on the construction site ensures efficiency and accuracy but worried about how soon it would be adopted.

“When you see how connectivity influences every facet of a construction site, improves efficiency, safety, and cost, it is not then a question of whether the industry will move in this direction, but how quickly,” he noted.

Bromfield said Autodesk is set to help people digitise the construction process and project management by building a unified construction data platform to provide accurate information at the point of decision-making and drive better decisions and more profitable project outcomes.

“Autodesk makes software for people who make things. If you have ever driven a high-performance car, admired a towering skyscraper, used a smartphone, or watched a great film, chances are that you’ve experienced what millions of Autodesk customers are doing with our software,” he added.

Managing Partner, ZDesign & Development Consulting Ltd., Chike Chamberlain Ibeanu stressed that digitising the construction process and connecting teams with a common data environment improves collaboration and decision making.

Noting that the future is about collaborating in ways that previously weren’t possible, he said experts will have more access to knowledge through the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process, both on desktop products and the cloud.

In his words: “Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides a solid foundation, enables greater efficiency and productivity. Any construction company seeking to drive business margins, resilience and growth must innovate.”