Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Client Communications Coordinator Megan Lockhart discuss digitalization in the construction industry and how it can benefit your company.

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Director/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Megan Lockhart

Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: Hi, this is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa's Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today's top Rancho Mesa News. Brought to you by our Safety and Risk Management Network StudioOne. Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’re addressing digitalization in the construction industry and how it can benefit your company. Megan, welcome to the show.

Megan Lockhart: Yeah, thanks for having me, Alyssa.

AB: So, although the construction company is one of the biggest contributors to the US economy, it still stands out as one of the least digitized industries in the world. Megan, what are some of the benefits to moving the construction industry towards digitalization?

ML: Yeah, with the rapid advancements in technology, bringing digitalization to your construction company can increase efficiency with digital forms and inspections, improve your safety program with digital toolbox talks and online training, and enhance communication between your employees. So, although it might seem intimidating, I think making the move away from paper can help propel your company to the next level, especially in safety. And, Rancho Mesa offers the tools to help this transition in our SafetyOne™ app.

AB: Absolutely. If a general contractor or artisan decides they wants to move away from paper and go digital, what do you recommend as a good first step to start get started?

ML: Yeah, taking those first steps in this process with intention will make a huge impact in the long run. A good first step is to get organized. Tackle all the papers you currently have or use, and get them organized. Gather all your forms, spreadsheets, and checklists that you manually fill out. And these include equipment inspections, training documentation, toolbox talk sign-in sheets, and it will help you see what you need to digitalize.

AB: So, once you’ve gathered all the paper documents you use, now it’s time to convert them to a digital version. Do you have any tips for transitioning these forms to a digital copy?

ML: Yeah, I’d recommend starting with the most important forms and go from there. In SafetyOne™, you can create your own forms from scratch, choose from a library of mobile forms and observations, or modify the existing ones to meet your needs. And they can be filled out on the jobsite via a mobile phone or tablet.

AB: So, converting paper forms into digital versions doesn’t have to be a huge project. Companies can start with just a few key documents. After someone has pulled together all their paper forms, decided which ones are most important, and added them to their SafetyOne™ platform, now it’s time to start using the digital copy. Earlier you mentioned the construction industry can increase their efficiency through digitalization. How can digitizing toolbox talk sign-in sheets, safety observation forms and others create more efficiency?

ML: Yeah, digitalizing your forms has several benefits. While similar to the process you have already been doing, it increases efficiency by saving you time. You will no longer need to worry about misplacing the document, or bringing the physical form back to the office and filing it manually. In SafetyOne™, once a mobile form is submitted on the SafetyOne™ app, it will automatically be filed in the platform. Plus, digital forms can be easily accessed, edited, and shared, therefore improving collaboration.

AB: That really simplifies the process. So, if a company has decided to digitalize their safety program, how do you recommend they start?

ML: When you begin digitalizing your safety program, it’s a good idea to start with a small switch that’s easy for your company to adapt. We recommend SafetyOne™’s toolbox talks as a starting point because they only require a few steps to implement.

AB: Great point, and the SafetyOne™ platform offers a library of toolbox talks to get companies started if they don’t have another source. I know that’s a concern construction companies have a lot. They may not have the content they need to perform the toolbox talks, or they’re getting sources content from a bunch of different websites. So, Megan, why it implementing the toolbox talks the easiest step for a company to make when they want to digitalize their safety program?

ML: Yeah, so the library of toolbox talks that can be accessed on the jobsite via the mobile app. Once the supervisor has conducted the toolbox talk, each employee can document their attendance by signing their name on the supervisor’s mobile device. The employee doesn’t need to be added as a user nor have the app on their personal device. The documentation will automatically be filed in the system and can be reviewed back in the office.

AB: I completely agree. Moving to digital toolbox talks is really easy. No longer is someone trying to scour the internet looking for topic content and printing copies to send out to their crews. They’re not trying to manage all the sign-in sheets and getting them filed away properly. It’s very easy for the office admin to now keep track of who’s completed the toolbox talks out in the field just by logging into the SafetyOne™ website. It eliminates a lot of the paperwork. And, I think that as technology continues to evolve, it is important for construction employers to utilize digital tools in order to stay competitive in the industry. Megan, we’ve talked about gathering all the paper, figuring out what’s most important to digitize, and recommended starting with toolbox talks, do you have anything more you’d like to add?

ML: I would just also add that making the switch can appear intimidating in workload, but it’s especially intimidating when the goals exceed the realistic time frame. So, make sure to prioritize what should be digitalized first and delegate who is responsible for completing each task. And if you’re using SafetyOne™, the priority might just be to add the names of your projects to the system and decide who will need access to the admin website and mobile app to get started.

AB: That’s great advice. So, the potential to save time and minimize risks, and improve employee safety, it seems that the construction industry is gradually embracing this digitalization. And we’re here to offer the tools and guidance to make this transition successful. Megan, I appreciate the insight and thanks for joining me in StudioOne™.

ML: Of course, thank you so much.

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning into our latest episode produced by StudioOne. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.