A featured contribution from Leadership Perspectives: a curated forum reserved for leaders nominated by our subscribers and vetted by the Construction Tech Review Advisory Board.
Cushman & Wakefield [Nyse: Cwk]
Compliance , Regulatory Affairs, Contract Management
Charles Hammersla
The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally shifted the way that we work. From a compliance and contract management perspective, this presented a number of challenges and risks that needed to be overcome, driven principally by a lack of trust in providers. My role is responsible for the management of the built environment for a provider who was deemed an essential service during the pandemic.
Whilst I felt fortunate to be in a position to work from home throughout the lockdown experienced in my home city, my traditional method of engaging and overseeing contractors who were delivering work in this environment had to shift – almost overnight. Critically however we were able to develop a rhythm of technology use to provide requisite transparency of service delivery.
When I refer to “traditional methods” I am referring to site visits, the use of paper log books, in person meetings and physical project reviews. As we come out of the pandemic, these methods still have a place in the way that we manage contractors; however I feel we have developed a deeper appreciation and understanding of the data generated by contract delivery. It is important not to lose this focus as we move into the future as it provides a range of benefits.
With the development of 5G connectivity and more sophisticated collaboration tools, those employed to physically attend site to complete a task as contracted can now demonstrate delivery in real time, identify issues with photos to allow faster decision making. Digital twins provide immersive experiences for people to actually see what a place looks like in high resolution – without leaving their desk.
From the perspective of the built environment, there are rafts of legislative and regulatory requirements which govern the way that property is to be maintained, mainly to ensure the safety of those who occupy and use those premises. Set up correctly, a contractor engaged to deliver services to maintain these elements of a building will do so in the correct manner, at the right time and effectively.
In terms of a future state, I see automation of these activities seems to be the natural evolution of contract management. We have the ability now to provide remove verification of contract works delivered, enabling the generation of an electronic invoice for that work. An invoice could be sent through to be reviewed electronically, validating rates and charges, using machine learning to challenge or scrutinise variations in charges.
Technology To Enable Best Practice Contract Management And Compliance In The Built Environment
All of this activity will be underpinned by the blockchain, or NFTs to validate and sign off on authenticity – enabling payment. Any outliers would be sent to exceptions and reviewed. Automatic data analysis using algorithms to identify patterns in reactive activities will enable improvements to preventative activities – or even predictive activities.
In addition to the activity being undertaken, automated collation of documents for regulatory authorities could be achieved, enabling electronic lodgement and validation. This kind of records management and sharing will provide transparency to regulators like never before – empowering them with the ability to see compliance across everything within their purview, enabling them to automate or streamline enforcement and audit activities. Resources dedicated to these activities could be reprioritised.
With all of this activity undertaken, recorded and validated, we will have more time to dedicate to human interactions – improving customer service, freeing up time for more collaborative and value add activities, like virtual site tours using video conferencing technology. This reduction in physical visits or meetings will in turn have a positive effect on the planet from a sustainability perspective, given the reduced need for travel.
Call me an idealist – but the future is bright, and it is closer than we know.
