Rethinking “good enough” in construction operations
Today’s construction environment is fast-paced, margin-sensitive and increasingly complex. Yet many firms still rely on fragmented processes. Design files sit in one system, fabrication models in another and field crews work from printed drawings or outdated PDFs.
These gaps might seem manageable on the surface. But over time, they lead to delays, miscommunication and errors that chip away at productivity and profitability. Prioritizing a connected workflow helps ensure everyone is working from the same set of reliable, real-time information. That kind of alignment drives better decisions, stronger collaboration and more predictable project outcomes.
1. Rework is undermining your bottom line
Errors in the field don’t just cause frustration — they cost money. When design, fabrication and construction teams operate in disconnected systems, mistakes slip through unnoticed until they become expensive problems.
In the UK and Ireland, the cost of avoidable rework is estimated at £10–25 billion per year, or up to 25% of total project costs, according to the Get It Right Initiative. In the United States, a 2022 analysis found that rework accounts for 5% of total construction spending, adding up to $65 billion annually.
That’s profit margin lost on mistakes that often could have been prevented through better coordination and earlier clash detection. Connected, model-based workflows support better constructability by helping teams catch problems in the schematic design and design development phases, ensuring that design intent translates more accurately to execution.
2. Your team is under pressure, and it's costing time
When deadlines are tight, every hour matters. But time is lost in ways that often go unnoticed — tracking down drawings, clarifying vague instructions or coordinating across teams.
A 2022 FMI study found that construction professionals spend around 14 hours a week on non-value-added tasks like searching for information, fixing avoidable issues and rework. That’s nearly two full workdays per person, every week.
Your teams feel this impact. With high expectations to deliver drawings, calculations and sizing quickly, even small inefficiencies are deeply felt. Digital tools that centralize data and streamline coordination help reclaim that time, so your team can stay focused on moving the project forward.
3. Project delays are nothing new, but the stakes are getting higher
Delays have always been a part of construction. What’s changed is how much they cost. With rising expenses, tighter timelines and increasingly complex projects, every setback carries more weight. Teams are expected to deliver faster, even as they navigate shifting requirements, limited resources and high expectations.
Traditional workflows often can’t keep up. In today’s environment, the ability to adapt quickly and collaborate in real time is no longer a luxury. It is a requirement.
4. The cost of poor data
When accurate, real-time model information isn’t available, even well-planned projects are at risk. Incomplete drawings and reliance on instinct can slow progress and increase uncertainty. But it’s not just about decision-making — it’s about the success of the entire project. With many parties involved, failing to share the right data at the right time can lead to budget overruns, avoidable errors and costly delays.
A connected workflow gives everyone access to the same information simultaneously. It reduces guesswork, improves coordination and helps teams work more efficiently — especially when collaboration is deeply integrated across disciplines.
Why it’s time to act
Firms that embrace connected, model-based workflows are not just streamlining processes. They are gaining a competitive advantage.
According to research from McKinsey and Dodge Data & Analytics, companies using these approaches are three times more likely to report strong project performance and are growing revenue 20 to 25% faster than their peers. These are not incremental improvements. They are structural changes that help teams work more efficiently and build more resilient operations.
Trimble’s connected construction solutions support this shift by integrating BIM, modeling and field execution in a single, coordinated workflow. With the right tools in place, your teams can:
Reduce rework by identifying issues earlier in the design process
Save time by minimizing manual handoffs and searching for information
Improve coordination and visibility through shared, real-time data
If your teams are still patching process gaps with spreadsheets and extra hours, it’s time to ask: what’s that really costing you — and what would it look like to explore a better way of working?
