Site Logistics: The Next Frontier in Construction Technology

Digital tools can deliver a new level of site logistics effectiveness that will give your operations a boost not just in the planning stages but throughout a project

Site logistics planning in construction is a bare-bones process, incorporating the planning details required by the authorities—entrances, exits, tracks for the movement of materials—and little more.

When your organization becomes more committed to in-depth site logistics, there’s an opportunity to make jobs run more smoothly. Seizing this untapped advantage is a way to run a more efficient and safer jobsite.

“Not having a site logistics plan is just a waste of time,” said Stefanie Reichman, a customer success manager at Bluebeam, “and time is a lot of money on construction sites.”

As for the actual process of increasing your site logistics engagement, technology has a key role to play. Digital tools can deliver a new level of site logistics effectiveness that will give your operations a boost not just in the planning stages but throughout a project.

Economic advantages

Effective, comprehensive site logistics practices strengthen your ability to get the job done. The benefits for your firm include:

Scheduling efficiency: Build more precision into your schedules and agendas.
Jobsite safety: Keep personnel and equipment safer without sacrificing speed.
Cost-effectiveness: Turn accumulated efficiencies into a tighter budget.

These advantages add up, job after job, especially during financially challenging periods. During eras of tight margins, supply chain disruptions and long lead times, it’s especially important to run a jobsite as efficiently as possible.

Technology holds the key

Once you’ve committed to improving site logistics, the fastest and most effective way to make changes is by adding new technology tools.

Purpose-built construction industry technology platforms allow you to make site logistics more efficient. They give you the tools to build a powerful, repeatable site logistics process for your organization.

With digital site plans, it’s easy to make updates and share the latest, live version of the document with every relevant collaborator, stakeholder and subcontractor.

Digital plans built in today’s purpose-built technology platforms are more accurate and precise than any in the past. These files are designed to scale, making it easy to plan the positions and routes of equipment, vehicles, people and materials.

Site diagrams can also include imagery from a variety of sources, such as drone photographs, site drawings and more. Additional pieces of collateral stored in this centralized and highly visible form remove confusion and guesswork from everyday operations.

“The fact that you can have a digital version of the site logistics plan that can easily be updated and shared and even collaborated on is a huge advantage for construction firms,” said Erik Schonsett, a manager of consulting services at Bluebeam.

Moving forward

It’s simple to get started with implementing new technology and upgrading site logistics at your organization.

A viable first step in making an upgrade is to identify key safety and logistical items that may not be present on your current logistics plans. In an ideal world, what would your site logistics approach look like? Once you begin making technology upgrades to address any gaps or deficiencies in your current planning process, remember: you don’t have to do everything at once. With a new technology tool in place, you can add functionality gradually, iterating and adjusting your site logistics plans until they’re truly fully featured.

Source: Site Logistics: The Next Frontier in Construction Technology