Robotics, Construction, and Capital

It is easy to dismiss robots as only working in a controlled environment. It is also easy to dismiss looking at the speed, flaws and costs.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

As you watch the Atlas Robot from Boston Dynamics do some basic parkour moves

or this drywall hanging robot:

 it is also easy to dismiss looking at the speed, flaws and costs.

However take a look at where the technology was at in 2009: 

While still impressive we have come a very long ways. This would be having an uncoordinated dog in 2009 being able to hang a pieces of sheetrock in 2018.  

Look at the rapid leaps we have made with mobile technology as we went from “candybar phones” in 2005 to the first smartphone in 2011.

Where do you think we are at in that innovation curve when it comes to robotics?  

  • Keep in mind that more and more of construction is moving towards offsite fabrication in a controlled environment that will accelerate the use of robotics.  
  • Keep in mind that the balance of the 3 basic constraints on a contracting business shift towards capital when this tipping point occurs.
  • Rise of the Robots is a great book to provide food for strategic thought.

What is your technology strategy?  How is it integrated with your talent and capital management strategies? 




Contractor Exit Strategy 2 of 6: Pass Down to Family
Contractor Exit Strategy 2 of 6: Pass Down to Family. This is a very common strategy for contractors and is successful for those with interested family member(s) who are effectively working in leadership roles.
Headcount, Management Structure, and Systems
Your management structure and systems must be able to support your forecasted 2-month peak headcount, including the ramp-up to that peak.
Two Restaurants on Saturday Night
Leaders of construction companies have to make many decisions with less than perfect information. Many times we are looking for perfectly formatted data in some sort of a report but there are indicators all over the place.