Inside Construction Expo 2023: What Did We Learn

Last week, Matrak participated—both as an exhibitor and panellist—in the inaugural Inside Construction Expo. Over two days, we heard from 150+ Construction industry experts. Whilst there was plenty to take in, there were 3 key themes top of mind: People, Digital Innovation and Sustainability. Below are some of our highlights.

This is not an easy problem to solve, but the important thing is to continue innovating and exploring different ways to reduce carbon throughout the supply chain. The panellists discussed the importance of radical collaboration and collectively working on solutions together across the industry, which included leveraging the expertise of industry groups and academic research.

Culture is an integral part of company health and success. The panellists discussed the importance of culture being set at the top but being everyone’s responsibility. That trust in leadership is integral and similarly, employees need “freedom,” autonomy and the opportunity to use their strengths. Other insights included Failure not being a dirty word, but rather opportunities for learning and the importance of having a clear value set which reflect the strategic goals of the business and are not tokenistic.

They discussed how councils and larger organisations aren’t investing as much time and resources into proper planning ahead of their projects. With high inflation and the demand for projects to be completed, there isn’t a budget to prepare for all the challenges ahead. An example was the Commonwealth Games project, which was cancelled as they hadn’t accurately forecasted the correct budget.

Another interesting point is the challenge of Australia being an island that doesn’t invest heavily in manufacturing. Being so reliant on procuring goods from overseas and unable to control the shipments’ costs as they come down the Bass Straight. Being reliant on overseas-owned vessels, Australian businesses aren’t able to influence or demand better rates.

During this panel, Matrak CEO, Shane Hodgkins, spoke on AI’s role in Construction and, specifically, the impact it will have on Supply Chains moving forward. One of the key takeaways from Shane’s presentation was the emphasis on doing more with

There are too many things going on for staff to keep on top of, which adds an enormous amount of risk in having a successful build. The coordination of 25, 50, or even 100 trades at once will cause friction and oversight and can become a costly endeavour for construction companies. AI comes in not to replace, but to support site teams in managing their supply chains more effectively—finding bottlenecks and other potential roadblocks that might be overseen by people given their enormous responsibilities with these complex, multi-million dollar projects.

If you want to learn more about how Matrak’s new Digital Project Coordinator can help your site teams work more efficiently, book a demo with us today.

The circular economy will play a big role in the future of construction, as the industry and legislation move towards being more carbon-neutral. A circular economy is based on 3 core principles: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature. Companies must start embracing more sustainable ways of building, and if companies want to stay competitive, they must start implementing internal and external tactics now. One of the tactics that stood out to us is the use of certifications such as Green Star Certifications. This is one way for companies in the industry to demonstrate their commitment to more sustainable builds.