Nathan Marsh, Chief Digital Officer for Turner & Townsend, explains how digitalisation can transform performance, delivery and productivity across the construction sector…

The importance of adopting more rigorous, digital and data-backed approaches to construction have been well documented for many years.

But realising the potential for digitalisation to transform the performance of project delivery, and enhance productivity across the sector, also means navigating the cyclical nature of investment.

This factor may have been a major stumbling block of the past but there are good grounds for optimism about a digital breakthrough today – perhaps more so than ever before, as we embark on Digital Construction Week 2022.

Two reasons come to mind:

  • Governments globally are recognising construction as a critical engine for post-pandemic growth. The UK government’s levelling up agenda and commitments to a clean, secure energy transition and the US Infrastructure Law are prime examples of this.
  • The challenges that this investment is seeking to fix – principally net zero on the one hand, and a more equal distribution of wealth and opportunity on the other – are so complex that the oversight and control needed require a digitalised approach.

Unleashing the power of programmes

With this opportunity, we must think big about what we can achieve together as an industry. If we adopt a mindset of improving delivery of individual projects at the same time as developing our skills, our tools and our use of data then we can transform construction for the long-term.

By making sure that every home, every road and every railway we deliver keeps building on previous expertise, we can shape better outcomes for every project that follows.

Keeping this focus is crucial. Improving and capturing the power of investment to accelerate and drive better performance, ultimately delivering these better outcomes, was a key driver behind Programmes with Purpose, a CBI report in partnership with Turner & Townsend.

Exemplar programmes in the report highlight the need to embed digital processes and mindsets from day one – from the successful and rapid roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine to HS2 and the Ministry of Defence’s landmark Type 31 Frigate development

Focus on the end goal

The report called for the government to capitalise on the significant expertise that exists in the country for realising ground-breaking investment programmes.

Our industry has proven itself amongst the best in the world at successful delivery. But when looking at the end goal, we must consider how assets operate in the long term.

Again, digital technology is fundamental to this. Whether it be through the computerised signalling directing trains across our railway infrastructure or smart technology in commercial estates measuring building health and performance.

In ensuring that information through the planning, construction and operational phases of development are joined by a golden thread, digital construction supports this end goal.

Bringing the supply chain on board

These digital foundations then flow into procurement, and capabilities in technology need to be core to the supply chain that is brought on board.

Programme managers need full confidence that every part of the project team can work within and support our thread of digitalisation – from contributing to digital design models like BIM to providing data that creates visibility on everything from safety to cost performance.

Mechanisation and robotisation of processes have a role to play here too – with significant benefits to be brought through the use of the UK’s growing prowess in design for manufacture (DfM).

By instilling this kind of digital-first approach in long-term development programmes we can bring new, more diverse talent into our industry, as well as up-skilling existing teams.

The power of programmes, for projects

The scale of infrastructure programmes makes them an easy case study to relate to when setting out a modern digitalised roadmap for construction. But the approach needs to be replicated across every part of our industry.

The government has enthusiastically adopted digitalisation approaches, such as on new hubs programme for HMRC but, as the sector’s biggest collective client, it has a huge role to play.

This matters because the skillsets developed to deliver these significant programmes of investment can filter through every part of the industry, bringing benefits to smaller firms and more modest projects.

The goal – which I am positive we can achieve – should be that every investor, asset owner or developer will be asking for a digitalised approach to construction.

The ability to connect digital strategy, data and solutions is critical to realising a successful outcome for infrastructure programmes. But both digitalisation and decarbonisation programmes require a similar approach and the recommendations set out in Programmes with Purpose hold true for them too.

Ultimately, if we can get integration right today then a stronger, digitally-enabled, construction sector will transform performance and support a greener, more inclusive and more productive world of tomorrow.