Barriers to ICT Adoption
Although the adoption of ICT in the construction industry can lead to efficiency gains relatively quickly after implementation, the reality is that small and medium-sized enterprises lack the financial resources to make such investments.
Examples of such hurdles include the lack of in-house personnel capable of handling the issue and the high cost of ICT equipment.
Since even major general contractors are struggling with labor shortages, it is reasonable to expect that small and medium-sized construction companies will find it difficult to resolve this issue over the long term without a robust strategy and sufficient funding.
As things stand, you’ll likely need to be prepared to invest just under 10 million yen in ICT equipment. This article will focus specifically on the 3DMG and 3DMC systems designed for installation on construction machinery.
Prices of ICT Equipment
The three major manufacturers of ICT equipment in Japan—Topcon, Trimble, and Leica—are the leading players, and their products are installed on construction machinery manufactured by construction equipment manufacturers.
However, ICT equipment from any manufacturer is expensive, and for small and medium-sized enterprises, the cost is so high that it makes them wonder, “How many years will it take to recoup this investment?!” No matter how much the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism pushes for ICT adoption, the reality is that only a select few construction companies are able to comply with its directives.
One reason ICT equipment is so expensive is the very high cost of GNSS receivers (GPS). Furthermore, the 3DMG and 3DMC models require two such GNSS receivers.
GNSS receivers typically cost over 1 million yen each. Just purchasing two of them adds up to a substantial amount. Recently, various Chinese manufacturers have been releasing these GNSS receivers.
GNSS receivers from Chinese manufacturers are priced at less than half the cost of those from the three major manufacturers; not only is their performance virtually the same, but in some areas, it reportedly even surpasses that of the major manufacturers. This means that for small and medium-sized enterprises, the barriers to adopting ICT equipment are getting lower every year.
Is ICT Knowledge Necessary?
Even if it’s good that prices are falling year after year, there’s another issue: whether the older guys in the construction industry—who’ve only recently gotten the hang of using smartphones—will actually be able to master ICT devices.
Many people probably feel that mastering these tools requires a certain level of knowledge. However, ICT devices are evolving year by year, and they’re now designed so that even people who don’t know much about surveying—let alone ICT—can use them to some extent.
For example, I hear that Topcon’s Pile Nav is selling very well. It’s surprising that it allows a single person to install piles without any special ICT knowledge, and even a new hire who’s been with the company for only half a year and doesn’t know much about civil engineering can use it effectively.
The barriers to adopting ICT—both in terms of cost and knowledge—have been lowering year by year. Even the older guys who are skeptical of ICT might start to feel less resistance toward it.
Instead of just investing based on what surveying equipment dealers and construction equipment manufacturers tell you, it’s important to always be on the lookout for affordable, high-quality options. There’s still plenty of room to improve productivity in the construction industry. Let’s all work together to make it a success!
Reprinted from "The God of Construction"
