Five Key Takeaways in Tools, Equipment, and Robotics: A Look Back at BuiltWorlds’ 2023 Benchmarking Data:

As the popularity of this research topic continues to grow, BuiltWorld's recent findings are a good place to start for those newer to the space. Some key takeaways below:

Companies are testing robotics solutions, but few use them regularly. 44% of BuiltWorlds’ Tools, Equipment, and Robotics survey respondents reported testing robotics on a few projects. Only 7% reported using them on every project.

• Dusty Robotics and Rugged Robotics, two layout robotics companies, earned high marks from contractors.
• High-performing start-ups in this area generally target two main problems: safety and productivity.
• We evaluated these solutions across the following criteria:  Adoption/Utilization, Ease of use, Installation/Performance quality, Installation/Performance speed, Software platform UX/UI, Data integration with existing software(s), and Coordination with concurrent site activities.

Equipment & machinery marketplace solutions receive high satisfaction ratings from adopters. Higher-than-average ratings and low adoption measures may indicate a lack of appetite from contractor organizations for these solutions.

• Ratings for this category across 6 criteria averaged 8.3/10.
• The average satisfaction score for Adoption/Utilization, a key metric tracked across all tech specialty areas, was a 9, the highest of any criteria evaluated across all tech specialty areas.
• These solutions provide a streamlined way to get equipment and machinery and are easy to navigate as a web-based platform.
• Certain companies function as marketplaces for used equipment, offering contractors the option to purchase or rent equipment at a lower cost.
• We evaluated these solutions across the following criteria: Adoption/Utilization, Ease of use, Data quality, Software platform UX/UI, Data Integrations with existing software(s), and purchase & delivery efficiency.

The industry may never widely adopt wearables. We continue to see low adoption and low satisfaction ratings for this category of technology.

• Time and location monitoring devices were the most used type of wearable, but still, less than 3% used these devices on every project, and less than 15% had even tested them out.
• Of these solutions, WorkMax by About Time Technologies was the most implemented solution and also received the highest user satisfaction ratings.
• We evaluated these solutions across the following criteria: Adoption/Utilization, Ease of use, Health & safety optimization, Injury & strain prevention, Productivity optimization, and Quality assurance/Reduction of rework.

Most companies that adopt a fleet management solution use it regularly. However, adoption and utilization satisfaction rates remained moderate, with the industry average rating for adoption/utilization being 4.9/10.

• The implementation rate of custom solutions created by companies was the highest among fleet management platforms.
• Respondents also identified 10 other solutions, but Leaseplan and Rental Results were the only additional solutions with implementation rates above 10%.
• Fleet management solutions leverage advanced technologies and software to track, manage, and optimize the operations of fleets of vehicles and equipment.
• We evaluated these solutions across the following criteria: Adoption/Utilization, Ease of use, Inventory control & management, Job costing & billing, Location tracking, Maintenance/Parts replacement management, Performance/Utilization monitoring, Project data integration, Purchasing & procurement

While tools management technologies are being adopted widely, the satisfaction scores of users with these technologies remain average.

• Tools management solutions are technology-driven systems that streamline the management of tools and equipment in the construction industry. These solutions are separate from the technologies available for fleet management, which focus on larger equipment and vehicles.
• Tools management solutions support the ability to efficiently track, monitor, and control their tool inventory, leading to improved productivity, cost savings, and enhanced safety on construction sites.
• We evaluated these solutions across the following criteria: Adoption/Utilization, Ease-of-use, Data quality, Software UX/UI, Data integration with existing software(s), Reporting/Analytics capabilities

Members: Click here for the full 2023 report.