Mohammad Shana’a is CEO and Co-Founder of Morta. He presented the session Next-generation spreadsheet for data-driven construction projects at DCW Connect fringe series earlier this month.

We spoke to him after his talk to find out more about how he founded Morta and get his views on how technology is shaping the construction sector.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to found Morta

After doing a degree in engineering for sustainable development I became convinced that data and digital transformation are key for the sector to overcome challenges like climate change, affordable housing and access to services. 

This led me to work with the largest contractor in the Middle East where I Ied the setup of our Innovation and R&D arm, getting pitched all kinds of exciting technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing and Robotics. 

The reality on the ground was that our project teams were relying on Microsoft Excel and Word to manage their projects despite the availability of systems. Not only did this put our projects at risk but also meant that they often had to perform routine manual tasks. 

I co-founded Morta with the belief that we have to get the basics right as an industry and to enable a transition to automated data-centric workflows. 

And can you tell us a bit about Morta and what you offer?

Morta provides a next generation spreadsheet for organisations to improve data quality, connect data, and automate processes. Unlike other solutions we focus on data that would’ve been trapped in MS Excel and Word. 

Over the last year we’ve seen organisations across the supply chain adopt our solution for processes that have ranged from payment application management to information management, allowing them to reduce risk and process cycle time. 

What are some of the biggest challenges the construction industry is facing at the moment?

I think the sector will soon have to come to grips with changing business models and market dynamics – one big challenge I see and think about a lot is how asset owners can build internal capabilities to manage their projects better and achieve successful outcomes. 

More controversially, while I am excited by the ambition to change the built environment for the better, I worry that the number of on-going initiatives, policies and solutions is too overwhelming and often results in noise that is counter productive. That is especially the case with technology. We’ve seen many companies that invested in “BIM” solutions that are visually nice (3D models) but ignore the “I” (Information) within BIM. 

How is technology changing the way the industry communicates and collaborates?

Broadly, I think technology when applied correctly can simplify processes in the built environment and enable more objective decision making (and therefore outcomes). 

How has the pandemic affected the rate of digital uptake in the sector?

In my opinion the biggest winners have been MS Teams and Zoom. I also think that the challenge of having to work from home has made people realise that we need better ways to connect to sites and collect data from the field (or in some cases being able to perform the work without being physically present). However, I think the sector still has a long way to go and the pandemic (and its after effects) will have a healthy effect on a sector that has to come up with alternative ways of doing things to survive. 

If you could transform one thing about the construction industry what would it be?

The project-based and paid by the hour mentality. We should focus on the outcomes and value-add instead. 

Can you share three key takeaways from your session at DCW Connect fringe series?

  • Existing spreadsheets put projects at risk due to poor data quality and make it impossible to automate processes.
  • It is about more than the 3D model and visuals. Using solutions such as Morta enables organisations to make their information trustable and accessible. 
  • Processes ranging from payment application management to information management can be automated and streamlined with data. 

Watch on demand

If you missed Mohammad’s session at DCW Connect fringe series, there’s no need to worry. You can still watch the webinar on demand here:

Next-generation spreadsheet for data-driven construction projects