What do a pickup truck, a nail gun, a portable circular saw, a cement mixer truck, and a modern hydraulic excavator all have in common? The obvious answer is that they are all tools and equipment commonly found on construction sites today. Another correct answer would be that they are all pieces of construction technology that didn’t exist 100 years ago.

Imagine what the job site would be like today without construction technology. Without power tools, we’d be cutting boards and drilling holes by hand. Without heavy equipment, laborers would be excavating sites and digging trenches with shovels and pickaxes. Without the elevator, buildings would only be a few stories tall.

The point is, advancements in new construction technology have always driven construction forward, so it’s odd that so many companies are slow to adopt new construction technologies. We’re able to build stronger, taller, and more energy efficient structures. Technology has made construction sites safer and workers more efficient. It has allowed us to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and tackle more complex projects.

Today, new technologies in construction are being developed at a breakneck pace. What seemed like future tech 10, 20 years ago like connected equipment and tools, telematics, mobile apps, autonomous heavy equipment, drones, robots, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D printed buildings are here and being deployed and used on job sites across the world.

According to researchers , construction productivity has remained flat for decades. The traditional method of design-bid-build makes construction disjointed and siloed. Every construction site is different, presenting its own unique set of challenges and risks. This makes it difficult to streamline processes and increase productivity the way industries like manufacturing and retail have been able to do.