Wireless infrastructure solutions promise many benefits for Australasian contractors who frequently manage projects between the office and the field, as manual project management processes have quickly become outdated. 

A single platform for all project data and documents, with customisable workflows, ensures the right information is shared with the right people at the right time, regardless of whether they’re working from a computer in the office or a mobile device in the field.

An accurate digital audit trail will facilitate better decision-making and improve accountability across the built environment. To get to this level of project oversight and accountability, cloud-based project management solutions and mobile applications deliver real-time data and automated workflows, alleviating much of the administrative and human error commonly found with traditional project workflows.

Digital audit trails are also key to complying with the Project Trust Accounting framework. Most contractors are familiar with the Project Trust Accounting framework, but perhaps haven’t needed to put it into action within their own companies yet.

While the framework was originally established in 2018 to strengthen the security of payments to subcontractors and suppliers, it has only been required for a small range of state government contracts – typically those above $10 million.

But that’s about to change in this region as Queensland will be applying the framework to cover all eligible private, local government, statutory authorities and government-owned contracts valued at A$3 million or more starting in March 2025, and those valued at A$1 million or more beginning in October 2025.

With a wireless infrastructure in place, project teams in the field can add key information needed for digital audit trails instead of noting them and adding them later from the office. A wireless infrastructure can save time and eliminate costly and potentially dangerous record-keeping errors.

Cutting-edge tools

Australasians are early adopters of construction technology and are already familiar with cloud storage, but there is new technology on the market, available via cloud storage, which allows construction professionals to do their job more efficiently. Contractors, architects and other project stakeholders rely on cutting-edge technology – for example, open collaboration tools, augmented reality applications and mixed reality capabilities – to improve workflows within projects.

Open collaboration tools connect relevant project stakeholders to the data they need, when they need it – enabling informed decision making and increasing project efficiency because each stakeholder can review, coordinate, share and comment on data-rich building models in real-time.

Augmented reality applications can enhance construction projects by bringing BIM data directly to the job site. Combining open collaboration with available mixed reality capabilities leads to increased productivity in the field by increasing communication, detecting clashes, taking measurements, tracking issues and creating to-do lists, all within a shared model. This newer technology allows stakeholders to “view” the design intent from the jobsite or remotely through Microsoft Teams and the eyes of the onsite team, enabling them to make better informed decisions since they see the models in real-world context. For example, a contractor can perform an immersive preconstruction walkthrough in the 3D coordinated model with local and remote stakeholders to clarify the design intent.

Recruiting younger workers

The construction sector in Australia represents its third largest employer yet the industry faces an image challenge as it does in New Zealand. Many young people looking at industry have an expectation that the technology we are discussing will be integrated into almost every aspect of their roles and seek companies that embrace innovation and digital workflows. Contractors who do not embrace cutting-edge technology will risk losing excellent employees.

Security challenges

According to a recent 2023 IBM report the average cost of a data breach in Australia has grown by 32 percent over the past five years, up to A$4.03 million. Moving to a wireless infrastructure comes with data breach security concerns, similar to the challenges we see across the world with most digital transactions. However, contractors can mitigate concerns by taking a few precautions.

• Create secure backups of data, both on-site and cloud based. This allows data to be restored in the event of an attack and enables work to continue uninterrupted.
• Apply strict access controls and user permissions so only authorised personnel can access sensitive data. Use role-based access control (RBAC) for added security.
• Implement data encryption and secure network architecture including firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS).
• Review the security practices of your third-party vendors and contractors who have access to your data and ensure their cybersecurity measures meet your standards.

Authors

Andrew Tucker, product manager for Trimble APAC 

Andrew Farley, GM sales & marketing BuildingPoint based in Australia