Automation in the Age of COVID-19

Governor Andrew Cuomo applauds construction workers who built temporary hospital - The Daily Gazette

Other firms, however, are witnessing delays or cancellations resulting from local, state, and federal restrictions on construction, particularly in geographies hit hard by the pandemic. Engineering and construction companies that serve energy and chemical companies must also contend with the aftermath of the collapse in oil prices. They must manage operations impacted by postponed capital projects in exploration, production, and refining. Long-term revenue contraction is forcing these construction companies to minimize capital and operating costs into the foreseeable future. 

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In this environment, automation serves a crucial role in mitigating the challenges that construction and engineering firms face. Drone data, in particular, fill essential needs throughout the construction lifecycle.

DroneDeploy, for instance, enables customers to share aerial images and other data with users to conduct further analysis and modeling. They can annotate — and comment on — the data directly in the platform, promoting cross-team knowledge sharing and collaboration. And because the information is available in real-time, users can address issues proactively.

Risk Mitigation from Accuracy, Precision, and Documentation

Accuracy and precision are critical for any construction project. Mistakes in measurement can result in rework and budget overruns. And when construction and engineering companies are working with fewer people or at an accelerated pace, any mistake can be catastrophic.

Drone data mitigates risk by eliminating the guesswork and human error that can result in rework and lost productivity. As an example, Brasfield & Gorie used DroneDeploy to map a construction site to quickly measure the earthworks completed by a subcontractor against what had been designed to pinpoint potential issues, before they could impact the budget, scope, and schedule.

The data from drones also serves as visual documentation of project progress. Data has helped resolve subcontractor, client, and insurance disputes without the need for protracted litigation. There’s a maxim that pictures are worth a thousand words; drone data is worth thousands of dollars in saved litigation fees. 

Finally, in instances when a firm must delay a project, drone data serves as documentation of project and site status at the time of demobilization. When the project resumes, the data can be used as the basis to reassess the site and the project.