AGENDA

• Illegal BIM – Why models usually are not contract documents and how to make them contractual.
• Model Origin – Once upon a time our models aligned, ways to make the fairy tale come true.

Lauren Williams

Three months ago, IT directors had to place most of their plans on hold and immediately focus on getting their workforce productive from home. They also had to support their field workforce with necessary IT tools and guidance. For the first time human behavior is changing faster than technology. There are not suddenly new technologies to communicate or work more efficiency. The crisis has forced people and companies to work differently and has profound positive impacts to the way we do business. This keynote presentation will be made jointly by Mel Heckman, a senior IT executive from outside the industry and Angus Frost, a senior IT consulting director who comes from within the industry. They will share the podium and engage in a lively and spirted discussion on flipping the conversation of the pandemic to a more enlightened vision of the future and what executives can do to embrace the digital transformation. They will also share specific tactics they are seeing both inside and outside the industries. In addition to sharing specific strategies, Mel and Angus want to help develop a framework for IT directors to use when evaluating their own situation and planning for the future.

Contractors who have moved to digital platforms are faced with a flood of information every single day—tracking issues, checking turnaround times on RFIs, and managing design changes and schedule adjustments. So, how do you sort through the noise to understand which areas are the most critical and actionable? We’ve seen in a few instances how predictive analytics are helping contractors take proactive approaches to managing processes around safety and quality. But what if there was an opportunity to identify areas of risk, using predictive analytics, earlier in the process?

During this session, Barton Malow will share how they are using predictive analytics to identify and mitigate high-risk design problems early- helping to reduce RFIs and late changes during construction. Barton Malow will give specific examples of what they are learning, and how construction companies of all sizes can look at applying predictive analytics to better understand and utilize their construction data.

• COBie/6D – Gettin’ Models for Nothing and 6D for free
• Barriers to BIM – how to get past the people, processes, and perceptions that are holding your BIM back

AGC’s Chief Economist will present an analysis of current economic trends and how they affect the construction industry.

Organizations view security, risk and control differently. Some differences are related industry, location, services, etc., while some are related to management’s commitment to security or experience with prior cyber-incidents. Exacerbated by COVID-19 and the need to support a remote workforce (and thus address the corresponding risks and unique concerns,) now more than ever, cybersecurity should be at the top of mind for all business leaders.

In this interactive session, we will discuss best practices for supporting remote workforces, and illustrate the importance of security through live, real-world examples and discuss controls often missing during testing, which if implemented, can help better secure your organization.

Members of the AGC IT Steering Committee will be interact with the audience to revisit common IT issues they are facing and how they have solved them in a cost-effective way.

This is an open mic session. The session notes will be compiled and emailed to attendees after the conference has ended.

General Session: Blurred Lines: Balancing Workforce Efficiency, Jobsite Safety, and IT Security to Advance Operational Excellence in the Age of COVID-19

During these uncertain times, it is natural for contractors to become more risk averse. However, data evidence proves that times of uncertainty and risk are when the greatest innovations are born. The need to improve workforce productivity through data transparency has not gone away in light of social distancing, it has shined a light on it. How have remote working policies impacted IT infrastructure? What technology has been developed or deployed to support job site social distancing requirements? Hear industry thought leaders discuss how they are navigating IT and Operations decisions as they adapt to rapid changes in project requirement and public policy. Organizations large and small are having to make quick decisions with limited information. Share how your enterprise technology stack has evolved in response to this ‘new normal’, and learn from your peers about any setbacks or silver linings that have resulted.

General Session: Business Process Improvement

For most construction firms, business processes have been in place for a long time and normally take Herculean efforts to change them. The resent disruption in everyone’s routine required a quick shuffle to change workflows and processes, particularly those that depended on physical presence for things like invoice processing and check signing. We are awash in technology but still have legacy procedures in place which don’t leverage the solutions available. Sometimes we have more than one solution available to perform a given function. So how does an organization develop contemporary business processes that are more efficient, less risky, and take into account the potential movement of workers? What role should IT play in that transformation. This session will provide a framework for thinking about business processes and identifying those which are associated with high risk, high inefficiency, or are likely to need WFH flexibility. We will also look at the technology requirements for making the requisite change. We will also look at enabling technologies which IT can use to help teams improve processes (e.g. middleware, Low-code solutions).

General Session: Construction Technology on a Shoe String budget

For most construction firms, business processes have been in place for a long time and normally take Herculean efforts to change them. The resent disruption in everyone’s routine required a quick shuffle to change workflows and processes, particularly those that depended on physical presence for things like invoice processing and check signing. We are awash in technology but still have legacy procedures in place which don’t leverage the solutions available. Sometimes we have more than one solution available to perform a given function. So how does an organization develop contemporary business processes that are more efficient, less risky, and take into account the potential movement of workers? What role should IT play in that transformation. This session will provide a framework for thinking about business processes and identifying those which are associated with high risk, high inefficiency, or are likely to need WFH flexibility. We will also look at the technology requirements for making the requisite change. We will also look at enabling technologies which IT can use to help teams improve processes (e.g. middleware, Low-code solutions).

General Session: Building an Information Bridge from the Office to the Field

Covid-19 will have an impact in construction far past 2020. Now more than ever contractors are seeing the impact of not having an information bridge to connect field and office. Accurate, real-time project information is essential to identifying jobs that are at risk for profit fade and to remain competitive in these current conditions. Despite advancements and its investment in technology, your organization may continue to struggle with the inefficiencies and information gaps resulting from tolerance for multiple tools and individuals’ manual processes. Join us to learn how you can bridge the gap and effectively integrate field data collection processes into a back office single source of truth for project status information.

The fourth industrial revolution will continue to dramatically impact all areas of the AEC. Whether you are in a leadership role at your organization or a member of the burgeoning construction technologists, how do you prepare your company for the decade ahead? Well, there are no silver bullets to the problems that lie ahead. But, there are ways to prepare your organization by having difficult conversations. Join strategist Jeff Sample, as he walks you through the technologies of the future, the pitfalls of complacency and the realities of cultural preparation to embrace change.

A trio of committee members lead an audience participation session on IT failures in the companies of the attendees and the lessons that were learned as a result. The committee members will have several “seed” cases prepared as discussion starters. The session will start with the committee member discussing one of the seed cases, asking some related questions, stepping back and allowing the audience discussion to happen organically. The committee member will be ready to step-in to keep the conversation flowing or to redirect if the discussion appears to be getting off track.