Infrastructure

Digital Strategies To Overcome Construction Industry Challenges Amidst a rapidly retiring workforce and a growing talent gap, Sumit Oberoi, Industry Strategy Manager at Autodesk Construction Solutions, outlines how digital transformation is not just enhancing operational efficiency and safety in construction but also paving the way for a more diverse, skilled, and sustainable future workforce. Leveraging digital solutions across the Asia Pacific, Autodesk is at the forefront of driving productivity, collaboration, and environmental sustainability in construction projects, redefining industry standards and expectations. With the increasing retirement of experienced workers, there’s a growing concern about the loss of valuable expertise in the construction industry. How do you see technology playing a pivotal role in bridging the skills gap and ensuring the transfer of knowledge to the next generation of workers? The construction industry relies heavily on the knowledge and skills of its workers. As experienced workers retire from a workforce already seeing a talent drain due to the pandemic, industry players risk losing valuable expertise that can impact their ability to deliver projects safely and in compliance with accepted quality standards. Digital workflows empower industry players with the means to overcome manpower limitations, as well as optimise safety, quality, and productivity outcomes. Technologies such as common data environments and interconnected construction processes also support better cross-team collaboration, guidance, and knowledge-sharing. To equip employees with the skill sets necessary to effectively work with technology, businesses should establish partnerships with trusted industry experts to implement structured training and keep abreast of sectoral developments. The Asia Pacific region is experiencing a significant digital revolution. How is Autodesk leveraging digital solutions to boost productivity in construction projects across APAC, and what specific benefits have you observed in terms of collaboration, competitiveness, and return on investment? Autodesk supports industry players in the implementation of construction technologies across various phases of a project, from design, document management, to the actual act of construction. Its capabilities are showcased in TÜV SÜD’s ASEAN headquarters in Singapore, where technology featured heavily across all stages of the project from architecture, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing to structural engineering. Autodesk’s solutions were used to optimise design and construction phases early on, resulting in significant gains for the building’s lifecycle. With Autodesk’s support, TÜV SÜD were able to achieve a reduction in the facade’s thermal value. Leveraging insights from Building Information Management (BIM) models, digital representations of a building on which simulations can be run to observe effects, the built environment achieved an Envelope Thermal Transfer Value (ETTV) of 32.40 W/m2, exceeding Singapore’s current code requirement by 35%. TÜV SÜD were also able to improve lighting costs by 51% over local code requirements, in addition to benefiting from energy savings that exceeded code requirements by 17% as a result of optimised air-conditioning and ventilation systems. Technology is not only transforming processes but also shaping a more diverse workforce. How can the construction industry utilize digital-first approaches to create job opportunities, attract younger talents, and overcome misperceptions of it being a male-dominated field? Misperceptions about construction often focus on historically manual-intensive workflows that can discourage prospective talents from pursuing a career in the industry. Technology creates new ways of working, giving rise to new tech-focused roles and workflows that doubles as a catalyst to attract younger talents and increase female participation in the sector. We have observed that the current generation of job seekers tend to be more familiar with technology, prioritising careers that offer opportunities to learn and work with leading-edge innovation. We have also observed that adopting connected workflows reaffirm a business’ commitment to the safety of their employees. This can in turn, attract prospective talent, boost employee morale, lead to greater productivity and innovation, and even boost customer loyalty due to lower safety incidences. Safety is a critical aspect of the construction industry, and technology has the potential to significantly enhance safety outcomes. Could you elaborate on how connected workflows empower construction teams with better awareness of safety risks, and how real-time reporting contributes to a safer work environment? Technologies such as BIM or Virtual Reality have proven useful in managing safety hazards and risks on site. An example is Singapore-based Straits Construction, which leveraged BIM models to identify openings larger than a certain size that could pose safety risks to workers. This information was included in checklists for safety officers, making sure those areas were covered in their patrols of the work site. The impact of these manpower constraints has become apparent in Singapore, where the construction sector emerged as the second largest contributor to workplace safety incidents in 1H 2023, registering 80 cases according to the Ministry of Manpower. A strong pipeline of construction projects on the horizon makes it mission-critical for Singapore to maintain safety standards among its construction workforce. According to Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA), total construction demand is expected to reach between S$25 billion and S$32 billion per year from 2024 to 2027, led by public sector projects. Given the workplace safety incidents in Singapore, what talent trends do you foresee impacting the construction industry in the region? How can construction firms adapt their strategies to address these trends and ensure a skilled workforce? We foresee more industry players investing in technologies such as common data environments and cloud-based project management software to overcome talent constraints. However, an Autodesk study involving respondents from Singapore, Australia, and Japan, found that many industry players continue to face considerable challenges in digitalisation. Industry players can lower this barrier by maintaining an awareness of technologies and digital trends in the broader construction landscape, informing gaps that need to be closed through training or reskilling of the current workforce, in addition to hiring of relevant tech talent. Could you provide insights into what a digital-first approach to construction entails? What are the key advantages of embracing digital technologies, and how do these technologies complement and augment the capabilities of the human workforce? Digital technologies empower construction teams to focus time and resources on more valuable tasks. Strategic implementation of technology