The Change Order Revolution: Efficiency, Challenges, and Solutions
Change orders have long been a necessary evil plaguing every construction project, but they often cause mountains of paperwork, hours of lost productivity, and millions in lost revenue. Cameron Page, Founder & CEO at Clearstory, believes that change orders may not be going anywhere, but the chaos around them can be fixed. We sat down with Cameron in San Francisco to learn about his unconventional career journey, his perspective on innovation in the AEC space, advice to would-be founders, and how Clearstory is evolving the narrative around change orders. We discuss: Common misconceptions with change orders How innovation is affecting change order frequency Types of change orders and where they go wrong How better change order processes strengthen subcontractor relationships The need for new approaches to change orders Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.
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52:17
A Straightforward Approach to AEC Data Integrations
Without a strong data management workflow bolstered by clean data, quick assessment and good decision making can quickly become a game of chance.This means potentially losing millions of dollars through inaccurate records, inconsistent data management, and data lost across multiple platforms. That’s why we sat down with Tom Reno, the co-founder of Agave, a customizable platform helping AEC contractors integrate their project management data and accounting data. We discuss: Misconceptions about integrations Best practices for cleaning data The risks of keeping unreliable data What to look for in data integrations vendors How to create a strong vendor partnership Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.
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48:04
Building Community Connections in Construction
Construction changes lives. It impacts the way we live, the way we interact with our peers, influences our education, and defines our personal relationships. Perhaps few have a more integral understanding than Ron Arana, Managing Partner at Arana Group, who we sat down with in San Francisco to explore how he has intentionally sought local partnerships and projects and those efforts transform not only his community, but his own life, too. Arana Group is a San Francisco-based general building contractor specializing in public works, tenant improvements, and building upgrades that works with public agencies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations across the San Francisco Bay Area. Here's what we cover: The importance of local partnerships for workforce development Protecting and preserving purpose-built, local projects once they’re complete Vetting and sourcing subcontractors to meet regulatory requirements The personal impact of a strong community-driven approach Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.
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The Role of Startups in the AEC Industry
From acquiring enough capital to finding the right customer, AEC startups have a number of obstacles standing in their way, but with an industry-wide explosion of new technology, there has also never been so much opportunity for those companies to flourish. In this episode, we are talking all things VC funding in the AEC industry with Alice Leung, Principal at Brick & Mortar Ventures. With career experience in construction, Alice brings a fresh, blended perspective to the conversation to explore what VC firms look for in potential startups to invest in, how startups can differentiate themselves, and how to get involved yourself and help build the future of construction. We discuss: The relationship between tech adoption and the culture of construction Current challenges facing AEC startups How to connect startups with the right potential customers How angel investing is impacting startups Where AEC startups should put their focus right now Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.
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Evaluating the Risks of Using AI in Construction
This episode was originally published on March 26, 2024.The rise of Gen AI has put organizations in a race to remain competitive. Those who are successfully integrating AI into their processes are seeing improvements in efficiency and output quality, but that rush to adopt AI carries some significant risks, ones that can spell disaster for companies if they are not careful about their approach to using AI. We've invited May Winfield, Global Director of Commercial, Legal and Digital Risks, at Buro Happold, to reveal what some of the biggest risks are when using Gen AI, what questions organizations should be asking as they adopt AI, and why sometimes the best way to move quickly is to slow down. We discuss: Identifying AI’s five biggest risk categories in AEC: reliance, confidentiality, copyright, personal data, and ethics Why copyright and content attribution are such tricky issues with AI The limitations of using in-house AI models trained on proprietary data Why client requests are becoming more informed and specific (and why this is good!) Assets Mentioned: Joint Study from the Harvard Business School & Boston Consulting Group Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.
The Digital Builder podcast is for construction professionals working on the forefront of construction. If you are looking for conversations centered on where the industry is headed, this podcast is for you!
Each episode features an interview with top construction professionals discussing themes related to connected construction and the future of the construction industry.
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