Technology Adoption in a Potentially Change-Adverse Industry

So, construction manager, you want to make changes? You feel like, “there must be a program that makes the[fill in the blank]process work better for me, my team, my department, and the company?”

Great news! Many technology solutions are available in the market to improve your effectiveness and efficiency, from the laborer in the field to the CEO in the Ivory Tower.  However, one cannot simply find a technology solution and implement it. Some challenges befall even the most competent and confident construction manager who dares to tackle tool implementation and disrupt the delicate cycle of construction operations management where “we have been doing it this way for years.”

Not only is your challenge to take on a change-averse culture but to standardize the core philosophy of executing construction management,all while encouraging and holding up the strong, successful individuals who have led the company to their already thriving position in the industry. So be prepared for the emotional journey that you are about to begin. 

It is not enoughto be the one to see the big picture of how and why implementing a change to the process would benefit all. You will need other stakeholders to champion the effort. ¹Based on your research, narrow your choice and schedule a second demo with a group of select employees from your company who (1) have a stake in the workflow and (2) share an interest in change for improvement. Together, you will have the momentum needed to push for the purchase and implementation of the solution.

Buyers, beware, the work does not end here. With the purchase of the technology solution (aka the ‘tool’), your effort now turns to reviewing your current, deeply established process and how to implement the tool most effectively.

It should be no surprise that change in the construction industry is more than a challenge; it can be outright shunned. Efforts will be rejected and openly lobbied against if attempts fail, even in the vein of improvement or efficiency. What does this tell us about the implementation plan? It cannot fail at any point. So, how do we plan for success? 

Partner with the implementation team from the technology company to develop an implementation plan. The provided implementation programming is not recommended to be left unchecked and left up to the software company. In other words, the provider has an “out of the box” implementation plan; it is likely not what your company needs to have a successful implementation. The implementers know the most about their product, while you, and perhaps your select team, know your company culture and can (should) refine the implementation plan for the group facing disruption.

As construction managers, we enjoy a good schedule with milestones and a logistics plan. However, an implementation is not an engineered design backed by math and science, and the ‘production’ of implementation is not supported with decades of historical production data as with our construction projects. 

An implementation plan, and its success, depend on end-user adoption; start your planning with them in mind.

Depending on the chosen solution, several operations workflows may be disrupted (as with implementing a project management software). Work with the implementation specialists to divide the implementation into projects and phases. Treat each workflow (i.e., RFI tracking) like a separate project and each increment of disruption to the workflow like a phase.

Another way to prepare each project implementation plan is to treat each project/phase like a unique habit we are changing and building. [As an aside, it takes 6-10 weeks for a habit to stick if a person is committed to building one.]  One method with proven success has been to add phase 0, whereby the team molds the “out of the box” plan, process, and tool to best duplicate the company’s exact process with the new technology. This solution fits the new tool into an existing habit with as little change to the current workflow as possible. For phase 0, you will be dissatisfied that you are not seeing the improvement you had desired at the outset of your search for efficiency. The painful step of phase 0 is to get the tool into the hands of those involved in the workflow. Get them to start interacting with it, build trust, and build a rapport with the software implementers. Ultimately, this is setting the table for the benefits to come.

With a plan established, you now need to address the element of company culture and construction management philosophies: how are tasks and workflows currently considered and executed? If the chosen solution is built on a philosophy that is different from what is shared by the staff at present, strap in; this will take a while. On the other hand, if you aim to push a new philosophy or workflow on to the employees that are not aligned with their beliefs, you will suffer a loss in traction for adoption, and face setback, if not failure, from “go.”

Be advised software developers, not construction managers, build the technology tools. Yes, the software company will tell you with whom they consulted to create it; but ultimately, the software will not function as your company does. How do we get people on board for the transition? We need to teach them the new philosophy and why this is an improvement. Explain why the change is a positive evolution. Train the theory of the new philosophy before for the tool. The why before the how.

In closing, recall the familiar proverb, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”  Take comfort in this mantra during the [never-ending] journey. Some bites are larger than others, and some are tougher to swallow, but all lead to the goal. Once you start down this road, you will soon realize that improvement of the process never ends. Hope for the best, and prepare for the emotional roller coaster. And when the feeling of despair creeps in, take stock of the progress you have made; appraise the growth you have achieved and the successes adopters are now experiencing.

¹This model is best after a company has experienced some tool implementation; the most powerful, disruptive changes I have witnessed/experienced were because an employee from outside the company brought and fought for the program yielding tremendous philosophical change. I am now carrying the torch of those employees. The emotional battle continues, but we’re winning them over… slowly.