JUNE 2023CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONTodd Stevens has over 25 years of experience in the electrical construction industry working in engineering, construction, operations and business management sectors. He entered the skilled trade side of the electrical industry in his teen years and evolved over time to take up an executive management role. After spending most of his career in North and South Carolina, Stevens took up the leadership role opportunity to support the industrial portion of the company covering offices in South Georgia and North Florida. What are the significant challenges that have been impacting the construction space lately?One of the biggest challenges that the construction industry face today is supply chain disruption, as most of the material comes from overseas. The Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 have compounded these issues more than anticipated, as Ukraine is the largest exporter of nickel. So the impact is hitting the industry from many different directions. Also, whenever copper mines or any other raw material providers go on strike or face unexpected situations, it affects the supply. For instance, the entire industry is impacted when the supplier of medium voltage cables fails to deliver. However, we can convert this supply chain challenge into the opportunity of controlling our own needs. We have a great opportunity to enhance domestic supplies and become independent as opposed to offshore. To improve overall operations of and performance of construction space, the industry need to change continually. According to industry analysts and economists, the construction industry is lagging in terms of continuous improvement. Though everybody is trying to change something, nobody addresses the real problem, as quick fix change doesn't solve age-old issues. In fact, it creates inconsistency and instability. What we need is strategic change with clear intentions and goals rather than change for the sake of changing. Could you tell us about any latest project initiative that you have been working on and the technology that you leveraged to make it successful?Technology helps us from an ease-of-use and consistency perspective. However, technology doesn't think. Humans have to do the thinking. Also, today, we need to implement new processes around quality controls (QC) and quality assurance EMBRACING CHANGE COLLABORATIVELY CAN IMPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY By Todd Stevens, Vice President of Industrial Construction, MetroPowerTodd Stevens
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