Are Robotics the Answer to Construction Staffing Shortages?

Are Robotics the Answer to Construction Staffing Shortages?

Many jobsites around the country are experiencing a shortage in qualified construction workers. Many top companies predict that these shortages are just going to increase as demand goes up as well. What will a savvy construction company do about? At ECL Software, we have some ideas on how you can help ensure you keep the best of the best but there are other ideas out there – like using robotics.

Our ideas are simpler than robotics

Using robotics to help with construction job shortages is appealing for a number of reasons but we see a lot of downside as well. We’ll get to that in a minute, but first we want to tell you about some ways you can work to keep the best of the best working for you. The first answer is simple: Pay better than your competitors.

This may sound easier said than done but at ECL Software, we work hard to find innovative ways to keep costs down for construction companies. This allows you to funnel money from administrative overhead and pass it on to the salaries of the best people on your crew.

Another way we encourage you to attract the best personnel out there is by offering a seamless job experience. It’s true that everyone wants to be paid what they’re worth, but it’s also true that no one wants to work for a company that’s disorganized and always behind schedule. Our innovative construction software helps keep things streamlined so your job sites need not have any idea what’s going on behind the scenes.

Robots are being used in various ways

Now that we’ve presented some our solutions, let’s discuss the purpose of this article: Robots! There are essentially two ways that they’re used within the construction industry. First, they can be used in a factory and second they can be used on the site itself. Some say robots are the best way to boost productivity by prefabricating as much as they possible can, while others want to automate the actual construction site as much as they can.

The challenges of bringing robots on to a job site

If it were simple to bring robots onboard then you’d see a lot more of it. The truth is that there are some serious challenges. The first the actual design of the robots. They must be moved easily, and for purposes of transportation, this means they must be assembled and disassembled easily.

Another challenge is to make sure that the robots and the humans at the job site can work together safely and productively, and that the robot has the construction materials needed to do its job. Additionally, software must be designed that control the robot and allow it to learn on the job, there must be machine vison and / or sensors used that can work with changes in conditions, and the robots must be able to understand the subtle differences between a long list of construction materials.

It may not be time quite yet to start relying on robots to run our construction sites but ECL Software is ready will and able to help you streamline your construction services. Reach out to us today at 800-625-5972 to learn more.