Dive Brief:

• There seems to be a constant flow of devices and applications that bring data out of the office and onto the jobsite, but contractors, especially large organizations, should be cautious as they seek the advantages that technology offers.
• Having information in the hands of decision-makers on the site and having the ability to share it quickly there confers a competitive advantage over having to fetch plans from the truck or even get updated information from the office.
• The downside is that the more information is distributed, the greater the chance of dispersing data and having different versions of information become disconnected from each other and from the primary version.

Dive Insight:

This view is not a Pollyanna view that says the technology is all bad, but it does say that companies should carefully evaluate what products are available that can meet their needs. They also should have a way to do it quickly before on-the-job engineers and managers find their own solutions that meet their needs but may not blend well with the company systems. It's also worth considering how to balance the needs of field staff with the increased likelihood of damage and theft as more and more people have devices on jobsites.