Training & Education To combat this, data analysts can make sense of the data produced from a range of construction activities to inform a business. A data analyst collects, organises and studies data to provide information that is used to provide insight into business performance and solve problems.
Ryan Jones
Specifically in construction, data analysts can support with completing projects more effectively, which saves time and costs. By identifying trends in data, analysts use their findings to help project decision makers identify potential issues and take preventative action to limit their impact. Furthermore, analysing data in construction can improve building efficiency, reduce environmental impact, increase deadline completion, and even make working conditions safer.
THE IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL SKILLS SHORTAGE IN CONSTRUCTION Like many industries, construction is facing a skills shortage. But more to its detriment, the industry is battling a digital skills shortage that it’s struggling to fill. Here, Ryan Jones, co-founder of the UK’s largest data jobs platform with listings for data-specific jobs in construction, OnlyDataJobs, explains the impact of the industry’s digital skills shortage.
By identifying trends in data, analysts use their findings to help project decision makers identify potential issues and take preventative action to limit their impact.
Big data and analytics have been transforming the construction industry for a few years now, particularly in the use of building information modelling (BIM) and artificial intelligence (AI). But while construction businesses are waking up to the potential of data, accessing the talent that can turn that data into organisational change remains challenging. Data in construction Harnessing the power of data is one of the smartest things the construction industry can do. But a report by consultants FMI Corporation found that 96 per cent of data generated in infrastructure projects is not used and 90 per cent data generated by the engineering and construction industry is unstructured. Here the industry is missing significant opportunities.
70 Construction UK Magazine - August 2023
For example, collecting and studying volumes of data can help with asset management — something that’s crucial for projects to run on schedule. This involves monitoring equipment performance for parameters such as temperature, machine vibration and overall equipment health. By analysing this data, experts can predict if a piece of machinery is operating in an unsafe manner or if it’s due to fail. Data from multiple machines can be mapped to help make predictions, so the onsite team can act before any damage occurs. Elsewhere, data can help make construction operations greener. The built environment currently accounts for around a quarter of UK greenhouse gas emissions, and the ability to capture environmental and operational data and share it across multiple build sites is key to enacting more sustainable energy use and material selection. Understanding the skills shortage The skills shortage in construction is no secret and it’s more than just a reference to the level of qualification a candidate requires. It also constitutes the difficulty in finding the right candidate for a job at the cost an employer is afford and that meets the terms of employment. Research by recruitment specialist, Search Consultancy, found that 83 per cent of businesses within the construction industry were feeling the strain from a lack of skilled workers — ranking fourth highest out of 17 industries. One of the main reasons cited for the UK’s construction industry skills shortage is an ageing workforce. As construction workers reach retirement age, there are now fewer people joining the industry to replace them.