.webp)
Even though construction is one of the oldest industries in the world, it has been notoriously slow to innovate. COVID-19 is a historic outbreak and will leave impacts on the economy, safety standards and the flow of construction projects for the foreseeable future, but another area that we expect to be changed by the pandemic is the adoption of technology, especially when it comes to front-line communication.
As the world grapples with the outbreak of COVID-19, circumstances are changing by the hour and delivering unified messages to an entire organization is more critical than ever. Unfortunately, traditional communication methods have left teams struggling to deliver crucial information to those who need it most during this time.
The pandemic has presented another unique challenge within the construction industry: while office and management teams are being required to work from home in an effort to slow the spread of the virus, projects deemed essential are moving forward. Because many managers cannot be on the job site in-person, they are struggling to establish an effective line of communication to the workers in the field. The COVID-19 outbreak has greatly accelerated the need for a way to communicate virtually and seamlessly.
MindForge was founded with the mission to save lives. The platform was designed to simplify workforce communication while maximizing performance quality utilizing tools that keep job sites safe, efficient and connected -- a mission that is more apparent now than ever.
The platform allows contractors to deliver information to their entire workforce instantaneously without requiring physical proximity, reducing the need for large group gatherings like safety huddles or toolbox talks. The holistic communication and training hub designed to unite construction organizations uses a system to rapidly onboard individuals with the push of a button.
An overwhelming majority of construction companies have reported lacking a way to communicate directly with the craft level workforce, even before the coronavirus altered traditional job site structure. The lack of a unified message adds risk to an already dangerous industry. MindForge simplifies the communication process and allows for consistent messaging and expectations for everyone involved in the project. When it comes to safety, quality and productivity, it’s absolutely essential that every member of an organization is on the same page.
Beyond facilitating communication, the platform captures and stores records for orientation, training, certifications, equipment inspections, toolbox talks and more, indefinitely. This feature becomes especially critical with the highly fluid construction workforce and even more so when we consider the resiliency of such a system as compared to traditional record-keeping. Having a virtual database for these documents goes a long way in ensuring everyone is operating at their highest level, safely. Furthermore, Mindforge can establish a secure channel in which to communicate that will not be subject to phishing or spam.
From retail to education, we’ve watched industries around the world adapt their operations as they’ve transitioned into partially or fully virtual environments over the last few weeks. Construction has traditionally been reliant on having a manager directly oversee the workforce, and now we’re seeing this is not always going to be a viable option. Remote communication is more important than ever and construction will never be the same.
This crisis has accelerated the need for unified job sites and will spark a movement toward a more innovative, safer way to work, as well as the necessary development of a stronger and more resilient communication infrastructure within our industry.