Putting IoT to Work on the Jobsite
IoT has already made inroads on large construction sites, particularly with heavy equipment. Some machines can be controlled remotely with high precision, whilst others use sensors to trigger automated maintenance and usage alerts. Either way, IoT helps companies protect the value of these assets by enabling preventative maintenance while finding ways to increase productivity.
With expensive and heavy equipment, the savings are clear and immediate. But what about power tools? Compared with a loader for example, the outlay of individual tools might seem insignificant. But considering each worker likely has two or more power tools assigned to them (plus shared tools), the aggregate costs - both direct and indirect - can quickly add up. Whether a company has 5 or 5,000 cordless drills, it’s important to know that every single one is providing as much value as possible.
Ask yourself: What’s the real cost of managing your cordless tool crib? After all, there are direct costs from purchasing, repairs, maintenance and calibration, and indirect costs from time spent procuring tools, managing failures and tracking down lost equipment. And when a battery or tool starts underperforming over time, incremental productivity decreases can go painfully undetected.
So, while construction booms, demand increases and timelines shrink, management becomes more complex. Suddenly traditional processes – like paper trails, incompatible technology and siloed platforms – are woefully insufficient. All this hurts the bottom line.
This is where IoT can help. Smart batteries and tools that capture jobsite data can digitise processes in the back end, enabling you to manage costs better while keeping your teams working productively.