The process automation landscape in the construction industry, what executives are prioritizing, what's holding them back, and where the sector is headed over the next 18 months.
Yes, and increasingly so. Digital transformation has risen up the agenda for construction firms as a way to stay competitive in a tough market. Executives understand the benefits, and most firms have digital solutions in place at some level.
Still, the process automation landscape isn't where it should be. A hallmark of construction has been a residual dependence on outdated, paper-based processes. While other industries deployed digital solutions quickly, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic, construction's specific adoption challenges (affordability, low IT capacity, and a lack of internal champions) have stalled progress. The reality: these methods are outdated, and refreshing them with new technology is exactly what digital transformation is for.
Digital transformation doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul. Changes can be incremental, and processes can be digitized easily and at minimal cost. For an industry with as much as 46% paper-based dependence, automating workflows is genuinely transformative, and no-code tools require minimal IT skill to deploy.
Source: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
“With FlowForma's no-code approach, processes can be digitized, and changes can be easily implemented by the process owners without long, drawn-out implementation projects. This power to quickly implement improvements enables a cycle of continuous process improvement.”
Carolynne McCaughey, Director of Corporate, Morgan Construction & Environmental Ltd
Process automation is an essential tool for the future of construction — driving higher production rates, faster project delivery, better health & safety, and lower overheads on projects.
Gerard Newman, CTO at FlowForma, and Paul Stone, Chief Customer Officer at FlowForma, discuss the future of construction, unpack the 2022 Construction Survey Report results, share customer use cases, and give an exclusive demo of the award-winning, 100% no-code FlowForma Process Automation tool.
63% of respondents heavily prioritize digitizing processes, and a further 30% believe in its importance. Asked which business processes are the highest priority to optimize and automate, they named:
The single highest-priority process for automation — reflecting the sector's unique safety requirements and the cost of non-compliance.
High-volume, approval-heavy workflows where manual handling slows projects and introduces error.
A repeatable, document-driven process ideally suited to no-code automation.
Source: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Digital initiatives have to deliver against priorities that are specific to construction. These were the outcomes respondents rated most highly:
Real-time project analytics inform decision-making for 96% of respondents, and 92% consider data insights a high-priority outcome. Process automation and BIM tools join up a fragmented value chain, keep data quality high, and work offline across mobile, tablet and desktop — useful on sites with limited connectivity.
An overwhelming 94% want to improve worker safety. Automating inspections, risk assessments and follow-ups fortifies documentation, removes the risk of misplaced reports or overlooked hazards, and lets health & safety managers focus on what matters.
88% want seamless integration across the tools their teams already use — finance systems, project management and document management software, CRM and ERP systems — to build a holistic data picture and improve collaboration.
87% view greater operational efficiency as very important or absolutely required. Automated workflows replace manual steps, mitigate human error, and create transparency across the project lifecycle so teams can spot irregularities before they become issues.
“In the past year we have saved at least 700 hours on repetitive tasks alone thanks to the FlowForma Process Automation tool.”
Lampros Arvanitis, BIM Manager, CVB
“We're doing more at the front end, like uploading site photographs straight into FlowForma's automation solution. This creates huge time-savings, which leads to cost savings, and that allows us to take on almost twice as many deliverables as we normally would.”
Jimmy Monahan, Principal Consultant, Sullivan Engineering
Source: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Construction remains one of the least digitized industries. Respondents pointed to a mix of perception, security and capacity as the biggest obstacles:
53% see security risks from remote access as a challenge. Digital process automation tools help firms meet security and compliance requirements — credentials go only to individuals who need them, and FlowForma can run in an external environment with no impact on internal IT infrastructure, minimizing risk.
Half of respondents (50%) claimed satisfaction with current processes — yet 90% still use outdated methods for 25–100% of processes, and 47% rate their firm at beginner or intermediate stage. Leaders should be wary of complacency: those who continually review and optimize see higher long-term ROI.
Many executives assume transformation can't happen without the IT team behind it. But the rise of citizen developers and no-code tools has created a new wave of IT independence — FlowForma lets firms digitize processes 5–10× faster, with intuitive templates and no coding required.
“The democratization of development is accelerating. To meet the massive need for new software and better digital experiences, enterprises are empowering non-IT workers to develop applications through citizen developer strategies.”
Forrester report, The democratization of development is accelerating
Source: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) directs roughly $1.2 trillion into U.S. construction — roads, water systems and bridges. 85% of respondents think it will impact their project pipeline.
Against a labor shortage, executing an influx of new projects is a real challenge. Process automation and BIM have been shown to fast-track activities across the construction lifecycle, creating higher project turnaround and letting firms take on more.
Source: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022. Funding figure per the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021).
“Secure access allows construction firms to run FlowForma Process Automation in an external environment with no impact on the internal IT infrastructure, which minimizes security risks.”
Gerard Newman, CTO, FlowForma
Construction Dive, in partnership with FlowForma, surveyed construction executives and managers about the state of digitization in the industry, with a focus on workflows and business processes. Respondents by job title:
Survey conducted by Construction Dive in conjunction with FlowForma, 2022. Percentages as reported in the published survey.
These findings are free to share and reference with attribution. When citing the data, please credit Construction Dive & FlowForma.
Short form for in-text use: Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Yes. Digitization was a top priority for 63% of construction executives and managers, with a further 30% recognizing its importance. 87% believe it gives construction firms a competitive advantage. Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Construction remains one of the least digitized industries. 90% of firms still use outdated methods — email, Excel or paper forms — for 25–100% of their business processes, and 47% rate their firm at a beginner or intermediate stage of digital capability. Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Health & safety (59%), purchasing and procurement (57%) and contractor onboarding (55%) were the top three, followed by subcontractor submittals, compliance, checklists and approvals, fleet management, bid management and project controls. Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
Security concerns around remote data access (53%), satisfaction with current processes (47%) and a perceived lack of IT support (26%) were the leading obstacles. Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
74% of executives expect 51–100% of their business processes to be digital within 18 months — a clear signal that the sector is on an upswing. Construction Dive & FlowForma survey, 2022.
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