Advanced construction technology specialist SITECH is leading the charge on smarter systems adoption as a means of bridging the skills gap across the construction industry.
A ‘whole company’ conference provided the opportunity for SITECH UK & Ireland to highlight its growth as more construction companies invest in tech-driven strategies as a way of navigating a persistent skills shortage.
Glenigan Construction Industry Forecast 2025 – 2027 estimates that thanks to a projected growth in the UK economy, and the resulting increase in public sector investment – as well as an increased momentum in delivering net zero – there will be a boost to construction and civil projects in the UK over the next three years.
At the company’s recent summit, Alex Gadd, Head of SITECH UK & Ireland attributed much of the company’s growth to companies turning to technology, not as a luxury, but a necessity.
Alex said: “As the industry continues to develop at a faster rate than it can bring in engineers, operators and skilled technicians, technology is providing an important bridge to help businesses future proof their operations.
“Historically there has been notable trepidation about technology in the industry – particularly machine control systems – with some viewing them as a replacement for operators. However, this is changing, because technology is filling a gap in the industry which allows people to fulfil other roles and increase efficiencies on labour-intensive tasks.”
SITECH has seen significant growth over the past 12 months thanks to this increased interest and adoption of technology. Rather than replace human skills, connected technologies like automatic horizontal steering augmentation can enhance operator expertise, allowing operators to work faster, with more confidence, all while reducing material wastage and rework.
The Trimble® Field-to-Finish Workflow was also a key topic of discussion during the event, where Carl Parsons, Strategic Account Manager at SITECH UK & Ireland highlighted a larger movement towards fully connected workflows.
Carl said: “Platforms such as Trimble WorksManager allow design files to be automatically updated across a fleet using the cloud. Engineers, surveyors and site managers can use the platform to manage assets by tracking machine locations, operating hours and generating utilisation reports, scheduling preventative maintenance and detecting unauthorised machine movements.
“The construction industry has long relied on experience and intuition. And while that expertise will continue to be invaluable, the next generation of GNSS technology is proving that connected systems are now just as critical in helping firms adapt to the demands of increased urbanisation and compensate for the engineering skills gap.”
