The potential value that drones can enable for construction projects of all types when it comes to performing countless tasks in faster, cheaper and safer ways is well understood but what does it mean to unlock this value? How should this value be positioned to stakeholders that are removed from day-to-day realities where the technology makes a difference? A series of presentations will outline what doing so can and has meant in a variety of real-world situations, helping attendees understand how they can approach unlocking this value with their own workflow and throughout their organization.
Defining the Value of Drone Technology to Management
While the long-term benefits that drones can enable are easy enough to outline, organizational stakeholders can have trouble signing off on getting up and going with the technology when they know that doing so will mean short-term challenges to budgets and established workflows. This presentation will outline what it means to position the adoption of the technology in a way that highlights these long-term benefits while addressing the short-term challenges.
Ben Stocker, Skender
Lidar or Photogrammetry on the Construction Site: How, Why And When
While lidar can be utilized to infiltrate vegetation and reach ground surfaces, photogrammetry workflows are typically much cheaper and can also provide hi-res aerial imagery. But what are the additional advantages and true limitations of both? Are there specific circumstances where lidar or photogrammetry makes more sense? Which typically is the better choice? This presentation will outline the importance of choosing the right tool to capture precise data on a construction site and how doing so makes a bottom-line difference. Attendees will come away from this session with numerous insights that will enable them to move forward with the adoption or integration of drones on a construction site, as well as a sense of the specific solutions and technologies that will enable them to take their next step.
Brian Kravets, Spaceco, Inc.
Seeing the Big Picture: Demonstrating the Strategic Value of Drones to Management
This presentation will provide a comprehensive guide on how to win management buy-in for drone technology in construction and tell the story of how the presenter was able to define the business case and establish a drone program at Skanska USA Civil Northeast, as an entry level employee. The audience will be introduced to the various key use cases and long-term operational benefits of investing in drone technology. The presenter will also address the common challenges to adopting drone technology to prepare the audience for resistance they may face from skeptical stakeholders. These challenges include budget constraints, data management, security, regulatory compliance, client trust, workflow disruptions, and safety. The presenter will use key facts and figures to explain how to overcome these challenges and demonstrate the value of drone technology. The presentation will then delve into building a compelling business case for drone technology adoption and how to prepare for communicating it to upper management. The presenter will use immersive learning techniques by sharing real world deliverables Including orthomosaics, point cloud models, material analysis, autoCAD integration, and progress photos and videos for a number of different types of projects. Then there will be a discussion of how Skanska has leveraged these deliverables to drive growth, improve productivity, and optimize operations. Feedback from clients and operations employees will be highlighted to further exhibit the benefits. Finally, the presentation will close with best practices for successful drone program management to ensure the audience is well equipped with all the tools and knowledge needed for success through implementation.
Kara Fragola and Louis Saccaro, Skanska
Have questions for the speakers or moderator? Submit your questions and comments for consideration below.
