by Nancy Greenwald, Executive Director, The Construction Institute, Inc.
Over the years between 20-25% of the attendees at the Women Who Build Summit have been men. There’s an important reason for that. Building an inclusive culture means inviting everyone to the table. The Construction Institute’s members represent the diversity of professions in the AEC industry. People who come to our events represent that range of professions. They represent a range of generations as well. This is our mission: “At Construction Institute, we are leading a collaborative movement bringing together all industry contributors to shape the future.” We want everyone at the table. So why hold the Women Who Build Summit? Because the construction industry -- still one of the least diverse – faces a critical turning point. The talent shortage won't be solved by looking in the same places. It's about breaking new ground, together. The program isn’t just about women's issues; it is about how we, as an industry, need to evolve to stay relevant and competitive. And that's why men have an important seat at the table at the Construction Institute's 2024 Women Who Build Summit. It's for everyone committed to building a stronger, more innovative future for our industry. Here's why men shouldn’t miss this opportunity:
Hear from men who have attended past Summits: The program is “a fantastic window into how women are looking at workplace challenges and opportunities, as well as good professional insight for all....” - Steven Haines, director of technical operations for BVH Integrated Services. “It’s exciting to see so many women at all different stages and leadership level in their career, meeting to share experience and knowledge to help others in the AEC Industry." - Leo Pupim, VisionPoint, LLC Let’s harness the power of working together. Join us on March 26-27,2024 at UMass, Amherst for the 2024 Women Who Build Summit. Register today.
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Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a construction project delivery method that emphasizes early collaboration and open communication among all project stakeholders, including the owner, designer, general contractor, and subcontractors. IPD projects are typically characterized by the following key characteristics:
If you want to take a deeper dive into IPD, we recommend the following: Integrated Project Delivery for Public and Private Owners A Joint Effort of the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA); Construction Owners Association of America (COAA); APPA: The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers; Associated General Contractors of America (AGC); and American Institute of Architects (AIA) - accessible at https://www.agc.org/integrated-project-delivery Transforming Project Delivery: Integrated Project Delivery, Howard Ashcraft Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Volume 38, Issue 2, Summer 2022, Pages 369–384, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grac001 Collaboration, Sustainability and Artificial IntelligenceThe cost of inefficient communication in our industry is staggering. Before COVID, before inflation, the annual cost of rework in the United States was 31 billion dollars.[i] In the US, rework directly caused by poor project data accounts for 48% of the total quantity of rework.[ii] Not only does rework waste money and create increased risks to safety and quality, it also imposes an unnecessary cost on the environment. According to ZERO, an industry collective working towards net zero construction, as much as 5% of the sector’s emissions can be attributed to rework.[iii] Eliminating the common and avoidable errors that result in rework. That’s where artificial intelligence comes in. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is about using technology to convert data into meaningful information. The data is no longer collected or generated only by human input. The internet has evolved from an environment for humans to communicate with each other, to a tool that enables communication between multiple objects and humans, creating a smart environment. It has the potential for improving decision-making by providing more information, and more accurate information, to design and construction professionals, ultimately enhancing their decision-making. AI tools that can help improve efficiency include tools to compare plans and specifications to make sure the correct information gets to the right people on time, AI-powered progress tracking, AI-powered safety monitoring, and AI-powered analytics. AI can be used to analyze data from a variety of sources to identify trends and patterns. For example, AI can be used to analyze data on material deliveries to identify potential delays. Construction is about managing complexities and the lasting value of AI technologies in construction will be how well they help us to manage those complexities and improve processes, productivity, quality, safety, and sustainability. To take a deeper dive into this topic, I recommend reading Sofiat O. Abioye a, et al. “Artificial Intelligence in the Construction Industry: A Review of Present Status, Opportunities and Future Challenges.” Journal of Building Engineering, Elsevier, 5 Oct. 2021. Available at www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710221011578#cebib0010. Accessed 11 Oct. 2023. Endnotes: [i] FMI/Plangrid 2018 Industry Report : Construction Disconnected – Rethinking the Management of Project Data and mobile collaboration to reduce costs and improve schedules. Available at http://pg.plangrid.com/rs/572-JSV-775/images/Construction_Disconnected.pdf [ii] Id. [iii] Read more about this on the XYZ website blog, The Environmental Cost of Error and Rework in Construction, October 12, 2022, available at https://www.xyzreality.com/resources/the-environmental-cost-of-rework-in-construction Nancy GreenwaldExecutive Director at Construction Institute |
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