August 18, 2020 State of Scaffolding Technologies Report

The State of Scaffolding Technologies report reveals technology trends and key investment priorities across the global scaffolding industry.

Berkeley, CA – Avontus Software, a leading scaffolding software company, and ScaffMag, a global scaffolding trade publication, today release Scaffolding Digital Outlook 2020, a report on technology trends and investment priorities in scaffolding businesses around the world. Based on a May 2020 survey of 167 scaffolding companies around the world, the report provides a comprehensive review of the fast-evolving technology landscape and gives scaffolding leaders a clear understanding of where scaffolding businesses are finding the most success.

Key Trends & Findings

The digital race is accelerating

Despite the recent construction slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there’s an uptrend in digital transformation initiatives this year, especially in the European market. Notably, 85% of respondents have rolled out at least one digital scaffolding solution. Of the 15% of businesses that do not have any technology in place, over half (57%) of them have it on their radar for 2020.

Cloud & mobile computing technologies to enable data centralization

Sixty-three percent of surveyed organizations stated having cloud & mobile applications for scaffolding project management. From online storage to complex work execution platforms, the report identifies an underlying trend towards data centralization.

Growing investment in scaffolding software to improve operational efficiencies

Any miscalculation in the bill of materials can derail scaffolding plans, skyrocket costs or worse, affect crew safety. Businesses are increasingly turning to software to streamline the scaffolding management process. Up to 25% of adopters prioritize investment in better scaffold management. Meanwhile, the most widely adopted solution – design software – is expected to receive continued investment in 2020, especially in scaling material calculation and design capabilities.

An integrated scaffolding management platform is the future

Fueled by the need for seamless data accessibility and sharing, a new breed of integrated scaffold management software is emerging. With 58% of respondents planning to invest in software for better project planning, especially in coordinating back-office and field communication.

Despite the advancement in scaffolding software solutions, many businesses are still operating using legacy systems. In fact, 36% of companies surveyed are still relying on Excel for project management, which lacks the real-time data collection capability needed for effective collaboration and management. The majority of respondents (87%) see improvement in business operations as one of the key transformation initiatives. With the current state of the construction industry, where remote work is on the rise, digitally mature organizations will have more competitive advantages.

Building competitive advantage through technology

Addressing the potential impact of technology, Andrew Smith, Avontus VP of Operations, shared: “The Scaffolding Digital Outlook report shows that technology has become a clear differentiator among scaffolding businesses. While there have been a lot of developments in robotics and other next-gen tech, businesses are finding that some of the biggest improvements come when they migrate from legacy software, like Excel and CAD, to modern scaffolding design and management software. Often these require little to no upfront capital expenditure, while providing immediate returns by reducing labor expenses through efficiency gains.”

In recent years, a diverse range of technology solutions have emerged that promise to transform the scaffolding industry. New scaffolding software, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technology, drones, and even artificial intelligence, have captured the most interest from scaffolding organizations. Leaders who adopt the right digital transformation strategies and invest in helping employees transition to new ways of working will build new competitive advantages and find success in the face of change.

In a statement, Daniel Norton, ScaffMag Editor and Founder also shared: “The Digital Outlook Report that Avontus and ScaffMag have collaborated on gives scaffolding business owners a unique and fantastic insight into technology trends within the global scaffolding industry. It also shows that intelligent owners from around the world are adopting a diverse selection of technology systems to streamline their businesses. I would like to thank all who took part in this comprehensive report.”

Download the full report here: Digital Scaffolding Outlook 2020

Research Methodology

The Scaffolding Digital Outlook online survey, which was conducted during the second quarter of 2020 in collaboration with ScaffMag, compiles responses from 167 scaffolding companies across Europe, America, Asia Pacific, and Africa. The technologies featured in this report are limited to the top five investment areas identified by the organizations surveyed. The report assesses digital adoption levels by key segments of the industry–from early adopters (more focused on experimental pilot projects) to digitally mature organizations (in the process of scaling technology deployment).

About Avontus
Headquartered in Berkeley, California, Avontus has offices in three continents to support the 4,000 scaffolding businesses everywhere. Avontus Software brings efficiency, predictability, and control to every stage of scaffold projects. Discover powerful new ways of working, eliminate uncertainty and guesswork, and transform your scaffold operations.

Website: www.avontus.com
Contact: sales@avontus.com

About Scaffmag
ScaffMag is the leading source for scaffolding industry news, jobs, information & resources for a digital generation. ScaffMag reports and raises awareness on the latest and most important subjects that are affecting the scaffolding industry.

Website: scaffmag.com
Email: admin@scaffmag.com

Subscribe to Industry Today