As things stand, it's far more dangerous than remote management.
What comes to mind when you hear the term “remote site management”? Don’t you feel like criticizing it, thinking, “What if an accident happens on site?!”
But the current situation is even more worrying!
For example, have situations like this become the norm—where you leave a worksite in the hands of junior staff while you juggle multiple other sites yourself? The only means of communication is the phone. In other words, far from “remote,” we’re currently managing worksites using nothing but voice calls.
That's way more risky than remote management.
The moment people hear the word ”remote,” they immediately jump to conclusions like “that’s irresponsible” or “there’s no way you can manage that.” But isn’t that just a preconception? In reality, I think the current practice of running operations on-site with just a single phone call is far more “inadequately managed.”
Rather than truly ”valuing human connections,” isn’t the construction industry actually bound by an “unspoken expectation” that says, “We’d better value human connections, wouldn’t we?”
That’s exactly why we shouldn’t just let the current approach—where we’re only half-heartedly involved on-site and handle things over the phone—continue; we need to set up a proper system. If we can assess the situation not only through audio but also through video, we should be able to manage things more effectively.
"Just being there" isn't the job. "Managing" is the job.
This is a matter of ”information density,” not ”physical distance.” In other words, it’s about how quickly and accurately you can grasp the situation on the ground in real time. That is the essence of management.
You should think about "how to make it happen."
In my view, the essence of “improving efficiency for site supervisors” lies in resolving the labor shortage—or, to be more precise, the shortage of “highly skilled technicians.”
It’s a waste to tie up skilled engineers at a single job site. Amid a declining population, the construction industry—which bears the responsibility of maintaining infrastructure—simply cannot afford to do that.
Every worksite is an important place for society, and none should be overlooked simply because of its size.
Regardless of scale, clients are investing in construction projects with great dedication. Yet a pattern has emerged where “we assign our top people to large projects, while small projects are just training grounds for junior staff.” Isn’t this way of thinking the very problem facing the construction industry?
While it’s important for young employees to take on challenges, this is only possible with an appropriate support system in place. Insisting that it’s “training” when you’re essentially leaving them to fend for themselves is nothing more than neglect.
The labor shortage is only going to get worse from here on out. If we continue with the current system, it will inevitably collapse somewhere down the line. To prevent that from happening, while “increasing the workforce” is certainly necessary, the most urgent priority is to establish “systems that make the most of our limited workforce.”
It’s actually a huge waste to assign top-tier staff to just one worksite. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could put their skills to use at more worksites? Thanks to the power of the internet and IT, this is now possible.
In other words, remote site supervisors shouldn’t focus on what ”can’t be done,” but rather on ”how to make it possible.” The adoption of technology isn’t a “get-out-of-jail-free card” to make the job easier—it’s a “strategy” to protect the site.
Building an industry with an eye toward the future requires the resolve to embrace that future.
Based on this idea, I have proposed a framework called the “Core Engineer Model.” It is a system that allows top-tier engineers to be involved across multiple projects.
We use technology to achieve a state where we’re “truly managing” rather than just “pretending to manage.” Even small companies can achieve this with simple tools. This is the evolution the construction industry needs moving forward, and it’s why I advocate for “lifting up the construction industry.”
