Construction is one of the fastest growing sectors in ANZ – here’s how Smartsheet can help digitise and modernise to keep up with this growth trajectory.

In Australia and New Zealand, the construction industry is one of the fastest growing sectors. In New Zealand, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for construction is 5.5% and in Australia it is 10%. 

The construction industry generated over $360 billion in revenue, producing around 9% of Australia’s GDP. Only healthcare and retail industries produce higher figures. 

The construction sector has come through a determining period recently, and many organisations have been driven to change to keep up with the speed of industry growth. According to a recent McKinsey analysis of construction technology, cost-cutting technologies have gained significant momentum over the last five years.

With the Australian federal government investing $1.2 billion in their digital economy plan, it is an exciting time for the industry, as construction companies begin a new way of doing business, improving their performance through digital technologies. 

Collaborative work management technology such as Smartsheet, helps construction businesses focus on growth and stay competitive within the industry. Digital collaboration is identified in McKinsey’s analysis as one of the three main areas of technology investment across the industry. 

Further research from McKinsey found the use of integrated planning tools on a large-scale oil and gas project, for instance, achieved a 70% increase in the project’s productivity. Australian construction companies such as A.G. Coombs use Smartsheet to streamline multiple work processes and empower team collaboration, helping to improve the standards for safety, operations, and delivery of client services, which have proven extremely important as the company continues to grow. Here are three key ways Smartsheet can make work more efficient and to help businesses keep up with growth. 

Mobilising teams through collaboration

Construction professionals need ways to eliminate process friction and unify everyone, from owners to architects to subcontractors, throughout the entire construction project life cycle, to ensure the project runs smoothly. In the construction industry, project progress suffers when stakeholders aren’t aligned and miscommunication, whether small or large, can result in major setbacks and workplace stress.

Project managers can collaborate with stakeholders through Smartsheet portals and sheets. This way, project requirements are transparent between all parties, since the project manager can invite anyone to view their planned activities for total visibility into the work that needs to be done.

Whether working on-site, in the office, or at home, construction project managers and their stakeholders can access construction template sets, and streamline workflows through the Smartsheet mobile app to access documents, specifications, budgets, and more.

Centralising documents and resources

Much of the communication between property owners, project managers, contractors, and workers is typically done via email, so it’s a challenge to keep track of all relevant diagrams, blueprints, contracts, permits, and zoning specifications. Relying on a paper trail for all this documentation can lead to version control issues and lost information. Centralising all documents will align owners, architects, and contractors, saving time and avoiding confusion to ensure projects stay on track.

Smartsheet enables teams to centralise and easily keep track of documentation by giving them the ability to attach documentation to specific rows in a project sheet. In addition, construction leads can surface key visual information in a Smartsheet dashboard or portal. Companies such as True Projects use dashboards to surface key information and KPIs in real time. In addition, project managers can set up a portal to surface final diagrams and blueprints. Displaying these images directly in the portal means that everyone shared to the portal will work from the same information, fostering alignment across owners, architects, and contractors. 

Tracking costs and progress

Project managers need to keep track of every aspect of construction and react quickly to any obstacles that may delay or derail the project. 

Project managers can use Smartsheet dashboards to track key information by embedding live quality control and safety reports, and have estimates and actual budget totals displayed through the metrics widget. This adds an essential layer of visibility for the property owner into the day-to-day work being done throughout the construction site, and allows project managers to respond quickly to any project component or task that’s at risk.

With Smartsheet – the enterprise platform for dynamic work – you can make the move to more efficient project management today with our 30-day free trial that comes with access to many pre-structured and customisable templates. Streamline your projects by following these best practices to increase consistency, from project initiation to completion.