FEBRUARY 20268 ADVANCING CONSTRUCTION WITH TECHNOLOGY AND CAREOne of the defining projects in my career was PDX Next, a $1.7 billion expansion of Portland International Airport. Procore awarded the PDX Next program the Project of the Year Award at the 2025 Groundbreak conference for its innovative use of technology.I worked as a project engineer during the construction of the new Concourse B. What started as a pilot project eventually became a blueprint for several other initiatives within the PDX Next program. These projects combined ambitious architecture and engineering with the challenge of maintaining airport operations and passenger traffic. This pushed the project's ingenuity on both the technical and logistical sides.That experience highlighted construction technology's role in transforming project management. On projects like PDX Next, balancing design, resolving disputes, and minimizing waste while ensuring quality is stressful. Technology eased these demands, helping teams succeed despite significant challenges. Construction technology's potential to make jobs more efficient, make our jobs easier and less stressful while enhancing project quality and owner satisfaction fuels my passion for advancing construction technology.KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIESHigh-performing construction firms view new technologies as part of a larger ecosystem, not standalone tools. Integration across departments like accounting and billing, marketing, project management, and field operations is crucial. These departments must operate in a connected environment with reliable data exchange for accurate cost management, better decision-making, accountability and governance, and robust reporting across projects and the firm.As demands on the labor force increase integrated tech stacks improve accuracy and automate low-value tasks, allowing organizations to focus on high-value activities like managing subcontractors, conducting safety walks, and resolving issues. The goal is to automate repetitive tasks, reduce errors and risk, and enhance operational efficiency and workforce engagement.When selecting new technologies, firms must consider factors like cost, implementation complexity, and adoptability. A crucial, often overlooked factor is the need for internal BY AUDREY BOTTINI, PROJECT MANAGER, M. B. KAHNAudrey BottiniIN MY OPINION
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