The Digital Illusion in Construction

Recently, I have been noticing a lot of what I would call the "Digital Illusion in Construction."

We've spoken to more than 50 customers in the past few weeks in regards to how they capture and organize measurement data on their construction projects.

While many (65%+) still use paper to note dimensions and job site conditions at some point in their workflow, some do use digital means to capture information.

However, where this becomes the "Digital Illusion" is using a digital input method (Procore, Excel, Drawing tools, etc) to input information but ultimately being a glorified piece of paper based on the redundant nature of transferring data to its final state/useful location.

Annotating as built dimensions as text boxes in Procore over a PDF? Still need to have someone take and label those measurements into a spreadsheet back at the office.

Writing dimensions using the iPad over a site photo? Need to come back later to organize and input them into CAD model being built for the renovation.

Adding critical measurements into a Excel spreadsheet? Have to save photos to Dropbox as supplementary notes and drop a link into the spreadsheet to correlate them together.

This common trend highlights a lot of the point solution nature systemic in the construction space and the illusion that the act of something being digital vs on paper makes it inherently better (similar in regards to AI). While it may be better in terms of storage and organization, a missing piece we often see is completely connecting it to the end product.

This paradigm has inspired much of what we have been working on at REEKON Tools and building out our BOLDR Pro platform. The BOLDR Pro platforms works across mobile and Desktop devices to capture data, using templates and input fields, directly from our connected tape measures and data capture devices. Measurements, comments, notes, photos, PDFs, and more can be combined an leveraged to add automatic context to captured data

Information can be viewed by others in real time and integrated through APIs, CSV file exports, and more.

Being digital and leveraging AI are powerful tools to many useful solutions but not features or selling points that address many of the major issues our industries see.

If you are capturing measurement data in the field and still using spreadsheets, we would love to talk and show you just how much faster the BOLDR Pro Platform is.

Christian Reed

Founder and CEO

REEKON Tools