For Construction Pros

One of the most common conversations I have with contractors starts with a misconception. They hear about construction robotics, autonomous equipment or large-scale 3D concrete printing and immediately ask, “How much does the robot cost?” What many are surprised to learn is that ownership is no longer the only path to adopting advanced construction technology.

Chevin Fleet Solutions introduced a new FleetWave Dashboard designed to give fleet operators greater visibility into operational data and more flexibility in managing information across teams. The updated dashboard allows organizations to create multiple dashboard views based on user roles, such as fleet, maintenance, compliance and management, helping teams access the information most relevant to their responsibilities.

Konrad Wernthaler Gaco and Enverge have appointed Konrad Wernthaler as president of both building envelope brands. In the role, Wernthaler will oversee strategy, operations and commercial growth across the companies' roofing, waterproofing, sealants, adhesives and insulation product lines serving commercial and residential markets. Wernthaler brings more than 30 years of experience in the specialty chemicals and construction materials industries.

A general contractor can invest heavily in the latest project management software, estimating platforms, and field technology. But if no one understands the workflows, role responsibilities, jobsite coordination requirements, or how the field and office communicate, the project still struggles. The technology may function perfectly. The business does not. That distinction increasingly defines what is happening across construction technology implementations today.

Kubota Tractor Corporation appointed Charlie Kowalski as vice president of information technology for its U.S. operations. In the role, Kowalski will lead the company's enterprise technology strategy and IT organization, overseeing initiatives that include enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain systems, IT service management and HR platforms.

Field service software provider Simpro Group announced RAIN, a new release that adds AI-powered features and enhancements across its Simpro, AroFlo and BigChange platforms. The update builds on the company's Lightning platform, which introduced a unified AI system called Cooper. According to Simpro, the latest release includes dozens of new features, more than 100 AI-enhanced updates and hundreds of customer-requested improvements.

Construction is a $2 trillion industry running on fragmented data. In a recent survey of 1,000 construction decision-makers, 93% believe technology is the key to increasing productivity and reducing costs, yet nearly half (47%) describe their operational systems as only moderately integrated. The industry knows what it needs, but the infrastructure to get there has been out of reach until now.

Buildots has launched the Buildots Intelligence Lab, an AI-powered research hub designed to provide construction professionals with free access to industry benchmarks, productivity metrics and project insights based on aggregated, anonymized data. The research hub is intended to help contractors and project teams compare project performance, evaluate trade productivity and better understand scheduling trends using standardized data.

New research from Currie & Brown points to the likelihood of recent oil price volatility continuing to affect construction material costs even as tensions between the U.S. and Iran have lessened. According to the report, fluctuations in oil prices influence the production and transportation costs of key materials, including steel, copper and aluminum, with impacts varying by region.

CM Labs Simulations has introduced new training capabilities that allow contractors to prepare equipment operators using project-specific site designs and automation-assisted grading workflows. The latest update adds Trimble Design File Import to the company's Intellia Workforce Training System, enabling operators to practice earthmoving tasks using actual project plans before arriving on the jobsite.